296 
ON  CAPSICUM  ANNUUM. 
cal  affinity  of  the  water  for  the  sugar  to  this  latter  chemical 
affinity  an  equilibrium  of  forces  or  attractions  result,  and  the 
stability  of  the  compound  is  preserved. 
Philadelphia,  April,  1858. 
ON  CAPSICUM  ANNXJUM. 
By  F.  Victor  Heydenreich. 
(Presented  to  the  Philadelphia  College  of  Pharmacy,  March,  1858.) 
From  the  analysis  of  Buchholtz  and  Braconnot,  as  quoted  by 
Pereira,  the  active  principle  of  capsicum  seems  to  have  been 
considered  by  the  first  of  these  chemists  as  a  soft,  acrid  resin, 
and  by  the  latter,  as  an  acrid  oil ;  it  was  obtained  by  making 
an  alcoholic  extract  of  capsicum,  exhausting  this  by  ether,  and 
evaporating.  But,  as  thus  obtained,  capsicin  still  contains  some 
inert  matter  precipitable  by  subacetate  of  lead,  as  was  noticed 
by  Professor  Procter,  who,  by  this  treatment,  obtained  a  product 
much  more  pungent  than  the  original  capsicin.  From  experi- 
ments made  by  Mr.  H.  B.  Taylor,  and  published  in  the  fourth 
number  of  the  "American  Journal  of  Pharmacy"  for  1857,  it 
would  appear  that  there  exists  in  capsicum  a  crystalline  sub- 
stance, having  all  the  properties  of  capsicum.  The  process  by 
which  this  was  obtained  was  by  making  an  ethereal  extract  of 
capsicum,  treating  this  with  alcohol,  separating  the  inert  matter 
by  subacetate  of  lead,  freeing  the  solution  from  lead  by  hydro- 
sulphuric  acid,  filtering  and  boiling  it  to  remove  the  acetic  acid 
and  the  excess  of  hydrosulphuric  acid,  when  on  evaporation  the 
capsicin  was  obtained  in  a  crystalline  state.  With  a  view  of  iso- 
lating this  crystalline  capsicin,  this  process  was  carefully  followed 
and  repeated  ;  but  all  my  attempts  were  unsuccessful ;  the  only 
product  being  an  oily  substance  of  a  deep  amber  color.  This 
was  dissolved  in  alcohol,  treated  with  animal  charcoal,  and  allowed 
$o  evaporate  spontaneously.  The  result  was  an  oil  of  a  light 
lemon-yellow  color ;  rather  more  viscid  than  olive  oil,  lighter 
than  water,  and  having  the  odor  and  intensely  hot  taste  of  cap- 
sicum, but  not  showing  the  least  disposition  to  crystallize.  At 
a  temperature  near  0°  it  is  almost  solid,  when  heated,  it  becomes 
very  fluid,  and  if  the  heat  be  increased,  it  gives  off  very  irritating 
fumes.    It  is  very  soluble  in  ether,  chloroform  and  alcohol,  sp. 
