OCR Text |
Show GUINEA PEPPER. 145 The pods of this species are long, pointed, and pendulous, at first of a green colour, and whenripe of a bright orange red. Theyare filled with a dry loose pulp, and contain manysmall, flat, kidney-shaped seeds. The taste of capsicumis extremely pungent and acrimonious, setting the mouth as it were on fire. The principle on which its pungency depends, I find, is soluble in water andin alcohol, is not volatile, reddens infusions of turnsole, and is precipitated by infusion of galls, nitrate of mercury, muriate of mercury, nitrate of silver, sulphate of copper, sulphate of zinc, red sulphate of iron (but the precipitate is neither blue nor green), ammonia, carbonate of potass, and alum, but not bysulphuric, nitric, or muriatic acid, or silicized potass. Cayenne pepper is an indiscriminate mixture of the powder of the dried pods of manyspecies of capsicum, but especially of the capsicum frutescens or bird pepper, which is the hottest of all. Cayennepepper, as it comes to us in powder from the West nae GUINEA PEPPER: CAPSICUM ANNUUM. Indies, changes infusion of turnsole to a beautiful green, pro- bably owing to the muriate of soda, which is always added to it, and to red oxide of lead, with whichit is said to be mixed. MEDICAL Class V. Pentandria. Order 1. Monogynia. Essent. Gen, Cuar. Corolla rotate: Berry without juice, Spec. CHAR, Stem herbaceous: Pedunele solitary. —————_—$— DESCRIPTION, Tus plant rises four or five feet in height. The leaves are egg-shaped, ending acute. The flowers are placed on footstalks, which bear a single flower, usually proceeding fromthe axilla of the leaf. The calyx consists of one leaf cut intofive segments. The corolla is monopetalous, rotate, divided also into five seg ments. To the flower succeeds a soft fruit, membranous, divided into two or more cells, polished, shining, in the beginning green, then becoming a bright orange, containing several flattish These peppers have been chiefly used as a condiment. HISTORY. This is an annual plant, a native of South America, cultivated in large quantities in our West India islands; and even frequently in our stoves, for the beautyof its pods. They prevent flatulence from vegetable food, and have a warm and kindly effect in the stomach, possessing all the virtues of the oriental spices, without, according to Dr. Wright, producing those complaints*of the head which the latter are apt to occa. sion. An abuse of them, however, is supposed to occasion visceral obstructions, especially of the liver. In the practice of medicine they constitute one of the simplest and strongest stimulants which can be introduced into the stomach, their action not being followed by anynarcotic effects. Dr. Wright says that in dropsical and other complaints, where chalybeates are indicated, a minute portion of powdered capsicum forms an ex- cellent addition ; and he recommends its use in lethargic affec- tions. kidney-shaped seeds. USE. It has also been successfully employed as a gargle in cynanche maligna, when it has resisted the use of cinchona, wine, and theot! er emedics commonly employed. In tropical fevers, coma and delirium are common attendants; and in such cases cata lasms of capsicum have a speedy and happyeffect. They reiden the parts, but seldomblister, unless when kept on L |