ON  CAPSICUM  ANNUUM. 
165 
reagents.  The  crystals  were  possessed  (in  the  crude  state)  of 
all  the  fire  of  capsicum,  and  well  calculated  in  every  respect  to 
deceive.  To  purify  them  they  were  dissolved  in  alcohol,  and  the 
alcoholic  solution  passed  through  animal  charcoal,  which  de- 
prived the  solution  of  color ;  this  was  carefully  evaporated,  and 
resulted  in  a  beautifully  white,  crystalline  fat,  with  but  little 
odor  and  a  mild,  not  unpleasant,  taste,  being  entirely  freed  of 
the  characteristic  taste  of  the  plant  by  the  action  of  the  char- 
coal. 
6th.  The  mother-liquid  was  next  dissolved  in  benzine  and 
passed  through  animal  charcoal,  which  deprived  it  of  the  red 
coloring  matter,  but  did  not  free  it  entirely  of  the  fat,  which 
could  not  all  be  separated  before  making  the  solution.  By  sub- 
jecting this  to  a  low  degree  of  temperature,  the  fat  would  crys- 
tallize, and  in  this  way,  by  repeated  coolings  and  separation  of 
the  fat  after  each  time,  the  latter  was  gotten  rid  of.  The  re- 
maining oil  was  of  a  light  amber  color,  and  possessed  great  acri- 
mony. This  differed  from  the  oil  in  the  second  experiment  in 
two  respects:  first,  that  the  color  of  this  oil  remains  the  same 
while  exposed  to  the  air ;  and,  second,  that  it  was  more  viscid 
than  the  other,  and  became  almost  solid  when  subjected  to  a 
freezing  mixture. 
7th.  A  small  quantity  of  capsicum,  in  powder,  was  subjected 
to  distillation ;  the  distillate  was  very  slightly  pungent,  and  had 
a  disagreeable  odor.  This  experiment  proves  that  it  contains 
little  or  no  volatile  oil. 
Summary. — From  my  experiments,  I  have  drawn  the  conclu- 
sion that  the  activity  of  the  plant  is  not  due  to  an  alkaloid,  but 
to  a  fixed  oil,  either  as  a  fixed  oil,  or  to  a  principle  dissolved  in 
the  oil,  which  may  be  volatile,  but  for  isolating  which,  there  has 
not  yet  been  found  a  process. 
I  am  strongly  inclined  to  believe  the  latter  is  true  ;  and  will 
suggest  that  it  may  be  decided  by  procuring  a  larger  quantity 
of  the  fixed  oil  and  washing  it  with  repeated  small  portions 
of  alcohol,  diluted,  so  as  not  to  dissolve  the  fixed  oil,  and  then 
separating  the  pungent  principle  from  this  liquid  by  evaporation 
and  washing  with  ether ;  or,  by  the  action  of  good  animal  char- 
coal,  as  in  the  process  of  M.  Lebourdais. 
