526 
PHARMACY  OF  THE  CINCHONAS. 
powder  the  more  friable  portions  of  the  capsules.  The  capsules, 
when  separated  from  the  seed  by  hand,  are  very  nearly  odor- 
less and  tasteless ;  and  when  separated  in  a  mortar  by  gentle 
treatment  they  are  but  little  more  aromatic  ;  but  such  treatment 
only  yields  about  65  per  cent,  of  seed.  When  beaten  hard  enough 
to  obtain  73  or  74  per  cent,  of  seed,  the  capsules  are  thoroughly 
aromatic  to  the  taste  and  smell  from  the  oil  which  they  absorb 
in  the  pounding. 
The  longer  Cardamon,  with  long  thick  projecting  extremities, 
vary  very  much  in  this  their  peculiar  characteristic.    When  only 
moderately  long,  and  when  full,  plump  and  uniform,  they  count 
about  422  to  the  1000  grains,  and  measure  6J  f^  full.  They 
yield  to  hand-picking  73°5  per  cent,  of  seed,  and  the  capsules 
are  tougher,  thicker,  more  spongy  and  more  difficult  to  break, 
and  the  group  of  seed  within  is  of  a  lighter  average  color,  and 
less  inclined  to  adhere  together.     When  separated  by  very 
gentle  beating  they  give  60  per  cent,  of  seed,  and  by  hard  beat- 
ing, but  without  much  powder  of  capsules,  about  71  per  cent. 
The  seed  of  this  variety  is  distinctly  less  pungent  and  less  aro- 
matic, and  less  oily  than  the  short,  and  although  they  cost  about 
60  cents  per  pound  less  for  corresponding  high  grades  of  quality, 
they  are  really  dearer  in  a  true  economical  point  of  view.  Taken 
altogether,  these  experiments  indicate  thas  it  might  be  better 
not  to  direct  the  Cardamon  "  deprived  of  the  capsules,"  but 
simply  to  direct  "  Cardamon  in  fine  powder,"  and  increase  the 
quantity  by  25  per  cent,  to  obtain  the  aromatic  value.    The  cap- 
sules, by  their  absorbent  properties,  render  it  easy  to  reduce  the 
whole  to  fine  powder,  on  any  scale,  without  that  injurious  process 
of  drying,  while  the  seed  alone,  from  their  oily  nature,  are  dif- 
ficult to  reduce  to  the  desirable  degree  of  fineness.    There  are 
perhaps  few  pharmacists  who  powder  their  own  Cardamon  as 
they  should  do,  and  that  bought  of  the  druggists  is,  without  a 
single  exception  in  the  writer's  experience  as  a  drug-grinder, 
powdered  capsules  and  seed  together.    This  is  not  intended  as 
an  argument  in  favor  of  the  Pharmacopoeia  bending  to  the  cus- 
toms of  trade,  but  to  show  the  pharmacist  that,  in  order  to  get  a 
good  thoroughly  officinal  aromatic  powder,  he  must  powder  the 
Cardamon  for  himself.    This  powdering  for  one's  self  is  still 
