Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
Nov.,  1880. 
Notes  on  Papaw  Juice, 
567 
A  white  crystallized  deposit  of  cream  of  tartar,  however,  made  its 
appearance  in  about  a  fortnight,  and  the  crystallization  has  gone  on 
slowly  ever  since,  but  it  differs  very  much  from  the  muddy  mixture  of 
ipecacuanhate  of  emetia  and  cream  of  tartar  which  continually  goes  on 
forming  in  the  wine  of  the  Pharmacopoeia. 
By  this  treatment  the  emetia  is  converted  into  the  acetate,  which, 
from  its  superior  solubility,  complete  solution  is  insured. 
It  would  of  course  be  more  rational  to  use  an  alcoholic  solution  of 
emetia,  which  Dr.  Duckworth  states  has  the  same  therapeutical  effect 
as  ipecacuanha,  but  similar  effects  would  be  obtained  by  the  use  of  a 
liquid  extract  made  by  exhausting  the  acetic  extract  with  water  con- 
taining 10  or  15  per  cent,  of  rectified  spirit. 
This  new  wine  is  slightly  acid,  but  to  so  trifling  an  extent  as  to  be 
not  at  all  likely  to  interfere  with  the  action  of  alkalies  which  may  be 
prescribed  with  it. 
A  four  fluidrachm  dose  proved  an  efficient  emetic  when  given  to  an 
adult. — Phann.  Journ.  and  Trans. ^  Sept.  25,  1880. 
NOTES  ON  PAPAW  JUICE. 
By  H.  J.  KosE. 
A  casual  paragraph,  in  a  Jamaica  paper,  directed  my  attention,  while 
in  the  island,  to  a  statement  that  Papaine  had  been  found  to  be  a  vege- 
table peptonizing  agent.  Without  any  available  means  of  making 
experiments  there,  I  brought  up  some  of  the  juice,  and  the  experi- 
ments since  made  confirm  this  statement,  and  even  show  that  it  acts 
also  as  a  diastase. 
M.  Bouchut  ("  L'Opinione  Medicale  ")  gives  as  the  result  of  his 
experiments,  reported  in  full  :  "  They  prove  that  all  organized  tissues, 
even  when  they  are  living,  may  be  peptonized  by  this  substance, 
papaine,  which  is  a  vegetable  pepsin.  It  acts  upon  the  tissues  of  a 
living  animal  in  the  same  manner  as  upon  the  albuminoid  alimentary 
matters  deposited  in  the  stomach,  or  in  a  laboratory  vase." 
Dr.  Peckolt  (''Pharm.  Jour,  and  Trans.,"  Nov.  ist  and  15th, 
1879^  ''Amer.  Jour.  Pharm.,"  Nov.,  1879,  P-  559)  g'ves  a  full  report 
of  his  analyses  of  the  milk  of  the  stem,  leaves  and  green  fruit  of  Carica 
papaya^  made  some  ten  years  ago,  during  his  residence  in  Brazil.  The 
substance  which  he  then  isolated  (by  precipitation  with  absolute  alco- 
hol from  a  watery  extract  of  the  juice),  papayotin^  seems  identical  with 
