_Black Pepper._
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION. An oily matter, fecula, and extractive; the acrid
principle of Pepper has been separated by Oersted in an alkaline form.
The following was the process by which it was procured. The pepper
having been digested in alcohol, muriatic acid and afterwards water were
added to the tincture, by which the resin was precipitated, while a
_muriate of Pipera_ remained in solution. The solution was then, after
having been submitted to a certain evaporation, decomposed by pure
potass, when a precipitation of _Pipera_ took place. This salifiable
base is nearly insoluble in cold, and only very slightly soluble in
boiling water. It dissolves in alcohol, and the solution has a
greenish-yellow colour, which by the addition of nitric acid is rendered
green. The capacity of the base for saturation appears very small.
SOLUBILITY. The virtues of pepper are entirely extracted by æther and
alcohol; and partially by water, 550 pints being required to extract all
the sapidity of ℔j of pepper. MED. USES. It appears to be a more general
and permanent stimulus than other species of equal pungency on the
palate; it may be combined with bitters, and exhibited in nausea,
dyspepsia, retrocedent gout, or as a stimulant in paralysis; it is also
a valuable coadjutor to bark, in obstinate intermittents. An infusion
made with black pepper that has been toasted, is often prescribed by the
natives of India in cases of cholera morbus; and I have known it, says
Dr. Ainslie, put a stop to the vomiting when many other remedies had
failed. DOSE, grs. v to ℈j, or more. OFFICINAL PREPARATIONS. _Emplast.
Meloes vesicat. comp_. E. _Unguent. piper. nig_. D. _White_ pepper is
made by separating the first skin of the berry, by soaking it in salt
and water. ADULTERATIONS. The powdered husk of the mustard seed is
universally mixed with powdered pepper, and is regularly sold for this
purpose by the mustard manufacturer, under the technical title of P.D.
(_Pepper Dust_;) there are besides other admixtures less
innocent.—_Whole Pepper_ is also frequently factitious; artificial
pepper-corns, composed of peas-meal, both white and black, are mixed
with real pepper-corns, and sold as genuine pepper; the method of
detecting the fraud is very simple; throw a suspected sample into water;
those that are artificial will fall to powder, or be partially
dissolved, while the true pepper-corns will remain whole.