Pepper, Kit′chen. See Spice.
Pepper, Long. Syn. Piperis longi fructus, Piper longum (Ph. L. & E.), L. “The immature fruit (dried female spikes) of Piper longum, Linn.” (Ph. L.), or long-pepper vine. The spikes are about 11⁄2 inch in length, with an indented surface, and are of a dark-grey colour. In its general properties it resembles black pepper, but it is less aromatic, though equally pungent. Elephant pepper is merely a larger variety of this species. (Gray.) The root and stems, sliced and dried, form the ‘pippula moola’ of the East Indies. (Roxburgh.)
Pepper, Red. See Cayenne.
Pepper, White. Syn. Piper album, L. This is made by either soaking ordinary black pepper in a solution of common salt, until the outside skins are soft, and then rubbing them off in the hands, or by merely rubbing off the skins of the over-ripe berries that fall from the vines. An inferior quality is made by bleaching black pepper with chlorine.
Obs. The use of white pepper instead of black is an instance of the sacrifices made to please the eye. Pure white pepper has only about 1-4th of the strength of pure black pepper, whilst it is nearly destitute of the fine aroma of the latter. It also contains a mere trace of piperina or piperine, one of the most valuable constituents of black pepper.
PEP′PER PODS. Capsicums. See Cayenne pepper.
PEP′PERMINT. Syn. Mentha piperita (Ph. L., E., & D.), L. “The recent and dried flowering herb of Mentha piperita” (Ph. L.), or garden peppermint. The flavour and odour of this herb are well known. It is the most pleasant and powerful of all the mints. Peppermint water and the essential oil have long been employed in nausea, griping, flatulent colic, hysteric, diarrhœa, &c.; but in regular practice chiefly to cover the taste of nauseous medicines, or as an adjunct or vehicle for more active remedies. See Oils (Volatile), Waters, &c.
PEP′SIN. Syn. Gasterace, Chymosin. A peculiar principle found in the gastric juice, and which, in conjunction with hydrochloric acid, also present in the stomach, confers upon it the power of digesting certain portions of the food, and of dissolving, as Tuson has shown, calomel and other mineral substances.
Prep. 1. (Beale, ‘Med. Times & Gaz.,’ February 10th, 1872, p. 152.) “The mucous
membrane of a perfectly fresh pig’s stomach is carefully dissected from the muscular coat, and placed on a flat board. It is then lightly cleansed with a sponge and a little water, and much of the mucus, remains of food, &c. carefully removed. With the back of a knife, or with an ivory paper-knife, the surface is scraped very hard, in order that the glands may be squeezed and their contents pressed out. The viscid mucus thus obtained contains the pure gastric juice with much epithelium from the glands and surface of the mucous membrane. It is to be spread out upon a piece of glass, so as to form a very thin layer, which is to be dried at a temperature of 100° over hot water, or in vacuo over sulphuric acid. Care must be taken that the temperature does not rise much above 100 F°., because the action of the solvent would be completely destroyed. When dry the mucus is scraped from the glass, powdered in a mortar, and transferred to a well-stoppered bottle. With this powder a good digestive fluid may be made as follows: