ON  CAPSICUM  ANNUUM. 
297 
gr.  0.809,  and  in  eighty  parts  of  alcohol,  sp.  gr.  0.835.  It  is 
very  slightly  soluble  in  acetic  acid  and  water,  though  boiling 
water  takes  up  a  perceptible  portion  of  it ;  it  mixes  readily  with 
fixed  and  volatile  oils  ;  when  mixed  with  solution  of  potassa  or 
ammonia,  it  forms  a  compound  resembling  soap,  from  which  it  is 
liberated  on  the  addition  of  an  acid.  Sulphuric  acid  changes  it 
to  a  dark  brown  color,  while  nitric  acid  does  not  affect  it. 
Having  been  unsuccessful  in  my  attempts  to  obtain  the  crys- 
talline substance  of  Mr.  Taylor,  some  experiments  were  under- 
taken with  a  view  of  ascertaining  the  composition  of  this  drug, 
and  the  principles  to  which  it  owes  its  properties. 
A  tincture  of  capsicum  was  prepared  by  percolation,  using 
alcohol,  sp.  gr.  0.809  as  the  menstruum.  This  tincture  was 
slowly  evaporated  to  a  small  bulk,  and  allowed  to  cool.  On 
examining  it  after  cooling,  it  was  found  to  have  separated  into 
three  layers  :  the  first  consisted  of  a  dark  brown  substance,  and 
had  settled  in  the  bottom  of  the  dish ;  the  second  was  a  reddish 
brown  oil;  and  the  third  was  the  alcoholic  tincture,  holding  in 
solution  the  more  soluble  principles  of  capsicum.  These  last 
two  were  separated,  and  the  residue  washed  with  a  little  ether. 
When  so  treated,  the  dark  substance  was  found  to  have  the  con- 
sistence of  an  extract;  to  be  very  soluble  in  water,  not  readily  in 
strong  alcohol,  but  more  so  in  dilute  alcohol ;  a  solution  of  it  is 
precipitated  by  the  acetate  and  subacetate  of  lead,  and  by  the 
nitrate  of  mercury,  but  is  not  coagulated  by  a  solution  of  sesqui- 
chloride  of  iron ;  from  these  characters  it  may  be  regarded  as 
extractive  with  a  peculiar  gum. 
The  reddish  brown  oil  is  lighter  than  water,  has  the  consistence 
of  olive  oil,  and  the  odor  and  pungent  taste  of  capsicum.  When 
heated,  it  becomes  very  fluid,  and  finally  emits  very  acrid  fumes  ; 
it  is  sparingly  soluble  in  acetic  acid  and  water,  more  so  in  boil- 
ing water,  to  which  it  communicates  a  marked  taste.  It  is  solu- 
ble in  about  120  parts  of  alcohol,  sp.  gr.  0.809,  very  soluble  in 
ether,  chloroform  and  oil  of  turpentine  ;  it  mixes  readily  with 
fixed  oils  ;  with  solution  of  potassa  it  forms  compounds,  which 
are  decomposed  by  acids  ;  by  sulphuric  acid  it  is  blackened,  and 
nitric  acid  changes  it  first  to  a  green,  and  finally  to  a  dark  brown 
color. 
The  alcoholic  tincture  was  then  evaporated  to  an  extract,  and 
