FRUCTUS CARDAMOM!. ^43 



fering from resin in being insoluble in alcohol. The corky layer is 

 remarkable from its cells having imdnlated walls. 



Chemical Composition— The odour of galangal is c|^ie to an 

 essential oil, which the rhizoma yields to the extentof only OT per 

 cent., and which we found to be very slightly deviating the plane ^ol 



polarization to the left. . 



Brandes ' extracted from Galangal, by means of ether, an inodorous, 



examination. 



Kampfi 



The pungent principle of the drug, which is probably analogons to 

 tliat of ginger, has not been studied. 



Galangal is shipped from Canton to other ports ^ of 



merce 



Jive 



Hance 



China, to India and Europe, but there are no general statistics to 

 an idea of the total production. From official returns quoted by Hance, 

 the export of the year 1869, which seems to have been exceptionally 

 large, amounted to 370,800 lb. From Kiung-chow, island ot Hainan, 

 2,113 peculs (281,733 lb.) were exported in 1877. 



Uses-The drug is an aromatic stimulant of the nature of ginger, 

 now nearly obsolete in British medicine. It is still a popular remedy 

 and spice in Livonia, Esthonia and central Bussia, and by the iartars 

 is taken with tea. It is also in some requisition m Kussia amon^ 

 brewers, and the manufacturers of vinegar and cordials, and tinaii:y as 



a cattle medicine. -n-nj i„,if nf 



Substitute-The rhizoma of Alfina Galanga WiM., a P^^^j^t ot 

 Java, constitutes the drug known as RadAx GalangcE majons or Gieatei 

 Galangal, packages of which occasionally appear m the ^fJ^^J'^l- 

 sales. It may be at once distinguished ^-om the Chinese drug by s 

 much larger size and the pale buff hue of its internal substance, the 

 latter in stroncr contrast with the orange-brown outer skin. 



FRUCTUS CARDAMOMI. 



Semina Cardamomi minoris; Cardamoms, Malabar Cardamoms; 



F. Cardamomes; 



damome^i 



^ Botanical Ori^-Elettaria^ ^"f f 'f '; Ttri 2 Ut W ^ 

 cZamomum Roxb.), a flagdike perennial p^^^^^^^^^^^ |^ ^^^ 



large lanceolate leaves on long sheathing stales ana thrown 



flexuose horizontal scapes, 6 to 18 inches m l^^g^^' ^^H^.^^^is ovoid, 

 out to the number of 3^ or 4, close to the ground. The f uit oxoi , 

 three-sided, plump and smooth, with a ^^shy green peiica^p^ 



The Cardamom plant grows abundantly, both ^.^^^ ^^"^^^ ^,,^ 



■ vation, in the moist ^shad/mountain ^-es^ of North^C^^^^^^^^^^ Coor^.^^^,^ 

 }J ynaad on the Malabar Coast; at an ele^;utlon ot -^"^ ^° . ^.^^^^j,^ ,^,,,i 

 tbe sea. It is truly wild in Canara and_ m the /^^^^^^'^^J^^p^.^tiire of 

 Travancore forests ^ The cardamom region has a mean temperai 

 22 C. (72^ F.), and a mean rainfall of 121 inches. 



T o^ivp trrouu west of Ivlalabar, is in- 

 \ Archiv der Pharm. xix. (1839)52. ^ PiTi^^ L^Salis, known (as we are 

 •*From Elettari, the Mallyalim name of PT\!,prl W Di" King, Calcutta) in the 

 M P^^»t— Fig- in Bentley and Trimen's ^" f™7i Jj.., ^^ dealers in cardamoms. 

 ^ifd. Plants, part 24 (1877). soutn oi a 



The small " Cardamovi" island in the 



