Am.  Jour.  Pharm. ) 
August,  1901.  j 
Story  of  the  Papaw. 
385 
A  solution  of  carpaine  reacts  with  indicators  as  follows: — red 
litmus  paper  is  turned  blue;  hematoxylin,  deep  rose  or  wine  ;  roso- 
lic  acid,  deep  rose;  cochineal,  deep  rose;  methyl-orange,  yellow; 
lacmoid,  no  change.  Phenolphtalein  causes  a  turbidity  with  the 
usual  red,  but  the  reaction  is  obscure  in  the  presence  of  alcohol. 
The  physiological  action  of  this  alkaloid  is  quite  similar  to  that 
of  digitalis,  a  heart  depressant. 
Carica  Papaya  cultivated. 
MARKET  PREPARATIONS  OF  THE  PAPAW. 
There  are  numerous  preparations  in  our  own  and  in  the  Euro- 
pean markets  claiming  to  be  the  ferment  of  the  papaw.  These 
are  sold  under  the  name  of  "papain,""  papayotin,"  "  caroid,"  "  pa- 
poid,"  etc. 
From  a  somewhat  extended  examination  I  am  quite  satisfied  that 
several  of  the  preparations  named  are  the  dried  and  powdered 
papaw  milk.  In  this  case  they  bear  the  same  relation  to  the  true 
separated  ferment  as  the  dried  mucous  membrane  of  the  stomacl 
