2l8 
Capsicum  in  Ginger. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
May,  1909. 
substance  seems  to  undergo  a  similar  change  spontaneously  with  a 
loss  of  physiological  power.  The  solution  in  dilute  alcohol  turns 
green  if  exposed  to  the  air. 
These  properties  coincide  with  those  ascribed  by  Jacobi  (Arch, 
fur  Exper.  Path,  und  Pharm.,  1897,  39)  to  a  body  whose  existence 
he  deduced  on  theoretical  grounds  but  which  he  appears  to  have 
actually  separated  only  in  the  most  minute  quantities  and  to  which 
he  gave  the  name  of  Sphacelotoxin. 
I  hope  later  to  publish  a  more  detailed  description  of  this  body 
and  its  properties  as  well  as  to  offer  some  suggestions  concerning 
the  other  physiologically  active  ingredients  of  ergot.  I  wish  here 
to  express  my  thanks  to  the  firms  of  E.  R.  Squibb  and  Sons,  to  Mr. 
J.  W.  England  of  Smith,  Kline  and  French,  and  to  Mr.  C.  E. 
Vanderkleed  of  the  H.  K.  Mulford  Co.  for  their  kindness  in  obtain- 
ing the  crude  material  for  my  study,  and  their  other  courtesies. 
A  METHOD  FOR  THE  DETECTION  OF  SMALL  QUAN- 
TITIES OF  CAPSICUM  IN  GINGER  ALE  AND  OTHER 
PREPARATIONS  OF  GINGER. 
By  Charles  H.  La  Wall. 
In  1907,  Garnett  and  Green  published  in  the  British  and  Colonial 
Druggist  a  method  for  the  detection  of  capsicum  in  preparations  of 
ginger  which  gives  fairly  good  results  as  described,  and  which  has 
been  taken  as  a  basis  for  the  following  method  in  which  the  sensi- 
tiveness is  materially  increased  : 
The  contents  of  a  bottle  of  ginger  ale,  measuring  usually  about 
250  c.c.,  are  emptied  into  a  large  beaker  and  the  carbon  dioxide 
driven  off  by  pouring  from  one  beaker  to  another  or  by  gently 
heating  for  some  time  on  a  water  bath.  The  liquid  is  then  trans- 
ferred to  a  large  separatory  funnel  and  slightly  acidulated  with 
diluted  sulphuric  acid,  then  agitated  for  one  minute  with  50  c.c.  of 
ether.  The  ether  is  removed,  evaporated  spontaneously  and  the 
residue  is  weighed.  If  the  residue  weighs  10  milligrammes  or  less, 
2  c.c.  of  one-half  normal  alcoholic  potassium  hydroxide  solution  are 
added,  the  residue  dissolved  and  the  liquid  transferred  to  a  test- 
tube.  If  the  residue  weighs  more  than  10  milligrammes,  add  1  c.c. 
of  one-half  normal  alcoholic  potassium  hydroxide  solution  for  each 
additional   10  milligrammes  of  residue.     After  transferring  this 
