ON  CAPSICUM  ANNUUM. 
303 
per  cent.  One  fluid  ounce  =480  grains,  therefore,  contains 
0.08697  of  a  grain  of  free  iodine. 
To  determine  the  whole  amount  of  iodine  contained  in  the  liquid, 
I  have  applied  the  method  introduced  by  Bunsen,  Dupre'  and 
Golfier-Besseyre,  founded  on  the  oxidation  of  iodine-compounds 
to  iodic  acid  or  quinque-chloride  of  iodine  by  chlorine.  A  few 
drops  of  chloroform,  which  assumes  a  rich  rose  color  from  the 
slightest  trace  of  free  iodine,  served  to  indicate  the  completion 
of  the  process.  In  two  portions  of  20  cub.  e.  each,  I  found  one 
cub.  c.  =0-0013405  gram,  of  iodine  ==  0-103405  per  cent.  One 
fluid  ounce  contains  0-496344  of  a  grain.  Of  the  whole  amount 
of  iodine  present,  therefore  not  one  sixth  is  uncombined,  the  rest 
being  in  the  form  of  hydriodic  acid. 
Your  most  obedient, 
Fred.  F.  Mayer. 
[Note  by  the  Editor. — It  will  be  observed  that  the  above  letter  corrobo- 
rates the  statements  made  in  our  last  number,  in  reference  to  the  condition 
of  the  iodine  in  the  so-called  "  iodine  water,"  Mr.  Mayer  having  a  desire  to 
apply  the  delicate  tests  indicated,  was  furnished  with  a  portion  of  the  liquid. 
His  results  show  a  larger  amount  of  combined  iodine  than*  we  had  antici- 
pated to  be  present,  but  the  total  quantity  is  very  nearly  that  indicated 
by  us.    The  difference  may  be  attributed  to  the  wax  stopper.] 
ON  CAPSICUM  ANNUUM. 
By  Horace  B.  Taylor. 
(An  Inaugural  Essay.) 
This  well  known  plant,  from  the  extensive  use  made  of  its 
fruit  as  a  condiment,  as  well  as  in  medicine,  has  been  the  subject 
of  frequent  experiment,  with  a  view  to  ascertaining  its  chemical 
relations.  Pereira  gives  the  result  of  two  analyses  by  Bucholz 
and  Braconnot,  and  mentions  a  third  by  Maurach,  in  Baspail's 
work  on  Organic  Chemistry.  Reference  is  made  to  an  active 
principle  obtained  by  Whilting,  besides  which,  capsicum  has  been 
made  the  subject  of  unpublished  inaugural  dissertations.  All  the 
chemists  I  have  consulted  speak  of  the  active  principle  as  an  oil 
or  soft  resin  ;  as  far  as  I  have  ascertained,  no  organic  crystalline 
principle  has  hitherto  been  isolated,  though  the  interesting 
botanical  relations  and  powerful  stimulating  properties  of  the 
