PINCH′BECK. A gold-like alloy of copper and zinc. See Dutch gold.
PINE APPLE. Syn. Ananas. The fruit of Ananassa sativa, a plant of the natural order Bromeliaceæ. It is astringent, esculent, and possesses a rich flavour and odour. In Europe it is chiefly used as a delicacy for the table; but in tropical climates it is said to be valuable in renal diseases. See Essence, &c.
PI′NEY TAL′LOW. Syn. Piney resin, P. dammar. An oleo-resinous substance obtained from the fruit of Vateria indica, a tree common in Malabar, by boiling it with water. It is intermediate between fat and wax, makes good soap and excellent candles. It melts at 98° Fahr. Sp. gr. ·9250 to ·9265.
PI′NIC ACID. The portion of common resin or colophony which is soluble in cold alcohol of sp. gr. ·833.
PINK. A well known shade of light red. The name is also applied to several pigments, consisting of whiting stained with liquid dyes. See Red and Yellow pigments, &c.
PINK DYE. Prep. From washed safflower, 2 oz.; salt of tartar, 1⁄2 oz.; cold water, 1 quart; digest for 3 hours, express the liquor, and strain it. Used as a cosmetic, and to dye silk stockings, &c., of a rose colour. The colour is brought out by afterwards applying to, or passing the articles through, water soured with lemon juice. See Saucers (Pink).
PIP′ERIN. C17H19NO3. Syn. Piperina, Piperinum, L. Prep. (P. Cod.) Alcoholic extract of black pepper is treated with a weak solution of caustic potassa (1 to 100), and the residuum, after being washed with cold water, is dissolved in alcohol; the solution is next agitated with a little animal charcoal, and the filtrate is allowed to evaporate spontaneously; the product may be purified by the re-solution in alcohol and re-crystallisation.
Prop., &c. Colourless, or only slightly yellow; tasteless; inodorous; fusible; and crystallisable; insoluble in water; freely soluble in strong spirit, and in the acids; very feebly
basic; a few definite compounds have, however, been obtained with difficulty; reddened by oil of vitriol. It has been much employed in Italy and on the Continent as a febrifuge.—Dose, 2 to 10 gr., frequently repeated, during the apyrexia of intermittents.
Obs. An assay for its piperin is the only certain method of testing the quality of either black or white pepper. For this purpose a weighted quantity of the sample is reduced to powder, and is exhausted with alcohol of the sp. gr. ·883; the mixed tinctures are then evaporated to an extract, which is treated as above. See Pepper.