FRUCTUS CORIANDRL 



32a 



an essential oil, the largest proportion of which was found by Gladstone 

 (1864-1872) to be a hydrocarbon, C^^H^^, to which he gave the name 

 Anethene. This substance has a lemon-like odour, sp. gr. •84?6, and 

 boils at 172'' C. It deviates a ray of polarized light strongly to the 

 rig]]t. Nietzki (1874) ascertained that there is, moreover, present 

 another hydrocarbon, C^'^H^^ in a very small proportion, which boils at 

 155-160°. A third constituent of oil of dill is in all probability identi- 

 cal with carvol (see page 307) ; we prepared from the former immed- 



oysK 



Uses 



cai 



frequently prescribed as a vehicle for more active medicines. The seeds 

 are much used for culinary and medicinal purposes by the people of 

 India, but are little employed in Continental Europe. 



FRUCTUS CORIANDRI. 



Semen Coriandri; Coriander Fruits, Coriander Seeds, Corianders; 



F. Fruits de Coriandre ; G, Koriander. 



Botanical Origin— Coriandrum sativum L., a small glabrous, 

 annual plant, apparently indigenous to the Mediterranean and Caucasian 

 regions, not known growing wild, but now found as a cornfield weed 



throughout the temperate parts of the Old World. It is cultivated in 

 "^ ' ■ ^ ' ' " ^ " ' Paraguay. In 



led on, but oniy 



many countries, and has thus found its way even to 

 England the cultivation of coriander has long been card 



to a very limited extent. 



to occur in the famous Egyptian 



History — Coriander appears w. *- - — ^. ^ 



papyrus Ebers ; it is also mentioned, under the name of Kustumburu, 

 m early Sanskrit authors, and is also met with in the Scriptures.^ 



ous properties.^ The ripe fruits which are entirely free from the foetid 

 smell of the growing plant, were used as a spice by the Jews and the 

 itomans, and in medicine from a very early period. Cato, who wrote 

 on agi-iculture in the 3rd century B.C., notices the cultivation of 

 coriander. Pliny states that the best is that of Egypt. ^ It is of fre- 

 quent occurrence in the hook *' De opsoniis et condimentis " of _ Apicius 

 poelius, about the 3rd century of our era. Coriander is also included 

 111 the list of Charlemagne, alluded to pages 92, 98, etc. 



Coriander was well known in Britain prior to the Norman Conquest 

 and often employed in ancient Welsh and T^-^^-f^ mpdmine and 

 cookery. 



Cultivation— Coriander, called by the farmers Col, is cultivated in 

 le eastern counties of England, especially in Essex. It is sometimes 

 sown with caraway, and being an annual is gathered and harvested the 

 nrst year, the caraway remaining in the ground. The seedhng plants 

 are hoed so as to leave those that are to remain in rows 10 to 12 inches 



'Exod. xvi, 31; Num. xi. 7. 



English 



tl 



2 Petnis de Abbauo, 7'rcccL de Ve^icmif, 

 Venetiis, 1473. capp. 25. 46. 



