638 ZINGIBERACE^. 



m 



Great Britain imported of ginger as follows : 



1868 1869 1870 1871 1872 



52, 194 cwt. 34,535 cwt. 33,854 cwt. 32,723 cwt. 32, 174 cwt 



In 1876 the imports were G2,164 cwt., valued at £169,252. 



o 



1872 



From Egypt - 4,923 cwt. 



,, Sierra Leone ------- G,167 ,, 



„ British India 13,310 „ 



British West Indies 7,543 „ 



other countries ------ 231 „ 



19 



Total 32,174 



The shipments from Jamaica during the years 1866 to 1876 varied 

 from 599,786 ib. in 1872 to 1,728,075 in 1867. In 1876 there were 

 exported 1,603,764 ft, valued at £28,882/ 



Uses — Ginger is an agreeable aromatic and stomachic, and as such 



a — ' "o 



is often a valuable addition to other medicines. It is much more 

 largely employed as a condiment than as a drug. 



RHIZOMA CURCUMiE. 



Radix Gurcumce ;^ Turmeric; ¥. Curcuma; G. Gelbwurzel,Kurhima. 



Botanical Origin— Curcuma longa^ L. — Turmeric is indigenous to 

 Southern Asia, and is there largely cultivated both on the continent and 

 in the islands. 



History — Dioscorides mentions an Indian plant as a kind of Gypcrm^ 

 (Kvireipoi) resembling ginger, but having when chewed a yellow colom 

 and bitter taste: probably turmeric was intended. Garcia de Orta 

 (1563), as well as Fragoso (1572), describe turmeric as Crocus indicus, 

 A list of drugs sold in the city of Frankfort about the year 1450, names 

 Curcuma along with zedoary and ginger.^ , 



In its native countries, it has from remote times been highly esteeme 

 both as a condiment and a dye-stuff; in Europe, ib has always been 

 less appreciated than the allied spices of the ginger tribe. In an 

 inventory of the effects of a Yorkshire tradesman, dated 20th bept., 



'/ 



into 



Description— The base of the scrape thickens in the first year i"'^*^ 

 an ovate root-stock; this afterwards throws out shoots, forming lateia^ 

 or secondary rhizomes, each emitting roots, which branch into fibres o^ 

 are sometimes enlarged as colourless spindle-shaped tubers, rich i 

 starch. The lateral rhizomes are doubtless in a condition to develop^ 

 themselves as independent plants when separated from the V^*^^^^ 

 The central rhizomes formerly known as Curcuma rotunda, and 



1 Statist. Abstract (as riuotcd p. G33, note » Fig. in Bcntley and Trimen's 



3)' P; 71. PlcuiLi, part 9. (1S7G). ^ . . Tr„iie, 



Curcuma from tlie Persian Jcurhim, a * Fluckigcr, Die Franlfurler Liste, 



name applied also to saffron. The origin 1873. 11. . „f ty 



of the word Tumenc is not known to us ; 'Raine, Wilh and ^"^^''^''^''^^q^rtees 



Verra mentoseems to be acorriiption of Archdeaconry of Bichmond l^" 



**• Society), 1853. 277. 



