■*■ 



36o 



h. 



rurmeric is a native of the Eafl Indies, and common in the gardens 

 of the Chinefe ; it grows abundantly in Malacca, Java, and Balega.* 

 It was firft cultivated in England by Mr. P. Miller in iyS9*^ "^be 

 root of this plant has been long officinally known, and pafTed under 

 different names, as Crocus indicus. Terra merita, &c. ^ In its dried 

 ftate, as imported here, it is various in fhape ; externally of a pale 

 yellow colour, wrinkled, folld, ponderous, and the inner fubftance 



of a deep faffron or gold 



dour is fo me what fragrant, and 



the taile it is bitteriih, llightly acrid," exciting a moderate degree 

 of warmth in the mouth, and on being chewed it tinges the faliva 

 yellov7. It has been very generally employed for the purpofe of 

 dying,Vand in eaftern countries it is much u fed for colouring and 

 feafoning of food.° 



(( 



This root gives out its adlive matter both to aqueous and fp 



g 



tuous menftrua. In diftillation with water, it yields a fmall quantity 

 of gold-coloured eifential oil, of a moderately ilrong fmell, and a 

 pungent taile : the remaining decodion, infpiffated, leaves a bitteriih 

 xoniiderably faline mafs. Rediiied fpirit elevates little or nothing of 

 its virtue ; all the adive parts being left behind in the infpiilated 



extrad."^ 



This root has had the charader of being a pow^erful aperient and 

 refolvent : it has been commonly prefcribed in obftrudions of the 

 liver, and other chronic vifceral afFedions. The difeafe in which it 

 has been thought moil efficacious is the jaundice'; but though the 

 ufe of this root is highly recommended by feveiral pradical writers 



J- 



H ■ h 



* Vide Konig, Rumphius, and Bontius. • * Hort. Kew. 



« The Chinefe ufe it as a fternutatory. 



This fubftance is very rich in colour, and there is no other which gives a yellow- 

 colour of fuch brightnefs ; but it poffeffes no durability, nor can mordants give it a 

 fufficient degree : common fait, and ammoniacal muriat, are thofe which fix the colour 

 beft, but they render it deeper/* Hamilton's tranflation of BerthoUet's Elements of the 

 Art of Dyings vol. ii. p. 280. See alfo on this fubjeft, Hellot Uart de la Teint. p. 406. 

 and Porner, Chym. Verfuche z. Nuz. der Farbekunjiy vol. i. i. Jkh. ScharfFs Recepte 

 iib, verfch. Gattungen, v. Farh, j. St. , , 



« It enters the compofition of the Curry powder which is now much, i^fed here. 



.' f Lewis, M. M.. ' 



8 Of thefe we may more particularly, refer to Bontiu?, (De Med. Ltdor. p. iiS-j 

 F. Hoffman, (Meth.Med. inMed. rat. fm,m.J>. 542.; Coe, (an Bikary Concret..p,%%S-) 



it 



i 



\ 



-''t 



X 



