ON THE ETHEREAL EXTRACT OF CUBEBS. 167 
of the tree, and the fruit already mellow falls to the ground 
and is broken by its fall ; the exposure of the pulp to the 
oxygen of the atmosphere for a few hours, would convert 
the tannin into an apotheme, and render the fruit edible. 
From these experiments it might be concluded that when 
in a green state the persimmon contains little else than lig- 
neous matter, tannin, sugar, a little malic acid and colour- 
ing matter, but neither gum, starch, resin, nor pectin. That 
as the fruit ; undergoes the process of ripening sugar in- 
creases in quantity, and both the juice of the fruit and ma- 
lic acid are found more abundantly, but the tannin is de- 
creasing. When the fruit has arrived at maturity the juices 
abound, lignin is in smaller quantity, and the tannin, in- 
stead of being converted into sugar, is in great part formed 
into an apotheme, and remains as such in the ripe fruit. 
The ripe fruit, if left to the action of the air, undergoes the 
acetous fermentation, and suffers decay. 
ART. XXXI.— ON THE ETHEREAL EXTRACT OF CUBEBS. 
By William Procter, Jr. 
M. Soubeiran (Traite de Pharmacie, torn. ii. p. 4S) gives 
a formula for making what is called "Gleo-resinous Extract 
of Cubebs," as suggested by M. Dublanc, and is as follows: 
Six pounds of Cubebs are directed to be distilled with twen- 
ty-four pints of water, the oil separated and set aside ; the 
distilled water is returned to the still with six additional 
pounds of Cubebs, and again distilled, and the oil mixed 
with that of the preceding operation. The residue in the 
still is strongly expressed and then exhausted by alcohol of 
