RHIZOMA GALANGiE. 641 



pointed out by Vogel as early as 1815, and lias since that time been 



utilized as a chemical test. 



Borax added to an alcoholic solution of curcumin gives rise to a 

 crjstallizable substance, which Ivano^Y-Gajewsky (1870) isolated by 

 heating an alcoholic extract of turmeric with boracic and sulphuric 

 acids. It forms a purple crystalline powder with a metallic green 

 lustre, insoluble in water, but soluble in alcohol. Its solution is coloured 



dark blue by an alkali. 



According to the same chemist there also exists in curcuma an 

 alkaloid in very small quantity. Kachler (1870) found in the aqueous 

 decoction an abundance of hioxalate of ijotassmrii. 



ommerce 



United 



Kingdom 64,280 cwt. of turmeric ; in 1870, 4^,900 cwt. — a very large 

 proportion being furnished by Bengal and Pegu. The export from 



1870-71 



,780 



greater portion was shipped to Sind and the Persian Gult, and on]y 

 910 cwt. to Europe.^ 



Uses 



curry 



powder, and as such is often sold by druggists ; but as a medicine it is 

 obsolete. It is largely consumed in dyeing. 



Substitute— Coc/im Turmeric is the produce of some other species 

 of eurcuma than G. longa. It consists exclusively of a bulb-shapecl 

 rhizome of large dimensions, cut transversely or longitudinally into 

 slices or segments. The cortical partis dull brown; the inner substance 

 is horny and of a deep orange-brown, or when m thm sliavmgs ot a 

 brilliant yellow. Mr. A. ForbS Sealy of Cochin has been good enough 

 to send us (1873) livino- rhizomes of this Curcuma, which he states is 

 mostly grown at Alwaye, north-east of Cochin, and is never used m 

 the country as turvicA^c, though its starchy tubers" are employca lor 

 making arrowroot. The rhizomes sent are thick, short, conical, and ot 

 enormous size, some attaining as much as 2^ inches m diameter. 

 Internally they are of a bright orange-yellow. . P„,.^„nin 



The beautiful figures of Roscoe ' show several species of Cm mi a 

 and Zingiber provided with yellow tubers or rhizomes, all prooaoiy 



containin 



curcumin 



RHIZOMA GALANGiE 



Hadix GalangcB' mvnoris; Galangal; F. Racine de Galcmga; 



G. Galgant 

 Botanical Origin-^ Z^^Tzm officinarum Hance,'' a flag-like plant, 



Iftum. duoted at p. 571, note 2. f r ^^St'S::^"^ a dSicSS " 



J^i<^(iment of the Trade and Navigation the a°<';^,^* °^Xng 



ofBomhayfor 1871-72, pt. ii. 95. vuice f I^^;"% ^^f^ .?onV^j/,Botany, xiii. 



jMonandrous Plants of the order Scila- ^"^'^T'^?^^ Sen's Jo^/r^- of Bot., ii. 



Sr> ^^---Vool, 1S2S, especially Zinrjiher S71 \l jl^^^^y ^^^ TrinTen's Med. 



^cmmunar. (18/^) ^'*^ ; oi (igTS) — Dr Thwaites of 



Galamja appears to be derived from the Plof' P^^ ?|^ ^j ^l^nt in cultivation, 



^^^^^^"ame Khidavjan, winch in tnrn p^^^^' ^tood enongh to send us a fine 



Sf/ >°^ tl^« Chinese Kau-liavr, Kia>nj, ^^^''^ AloiS^^^ flower, 

 signifyintr, as Dr. F Pm-t^v Smi'tli has in- coloured aiawnig u 



2S 



