oe 
€URGUMA LONGA. ORD. XLV. Scitaminee. 739 
exciting a moderate degree of warmth in the mouth, and on being 
chewed it tinges the saliva yellow. It has been very generally 
employed for the purpose of dying,° and in eastern countries it is 
much used for colouring and seasoning of food.* 
“ This root gives out its active matter both to aqueous ‘ahd 
spirituous menstrua. In distillation with water, it yields a small 
quantity of gold-coloured essential oil, of a moderately strong 
smell, and a pungent taste: the remaining decoction, inspissated, 
leaves a bitterish considerably saline mass, Rect ed-spirit ele- 
‘vates little or nothing of its virtue; all the active parts being left 
behind in the inspissated extract.’* 
This root has had the character of being a powerful aperient and 
resolvent: it has been commonly prescribed in obstructions of the 
liver, and other chronic visceral affections. The disease in which 
it has been thought most efficacious is the jaundice; but though 
the use of this root is highly recommended by several practical 
writers,® it is now very rarely employed; and we are told by Dr. 
Cullen, that the decoctum ad Ictericos of the Edinburgh Dispen- 
satory, (Ed. 1756) “ never had any other foundation than the doc-. 
trine aE mgaatuees: in aes of the Curcuma = ee 
majus.””" ; pI 4 
4 & This sabstance is very rich in colour, and there is no other which gives a 
yellow colour of such brightness; but it possesses no durability, nor can mordants 
give it a sufficient degree: common salt, and ammoniacal muriat, are those which 
fix the colour best, but they render it deeper.” Hamilton’s translation of 
Berthollet’s Elements of the drt of Dying, vol. ii. p. 280. See also on this sub. 
ject, Hellot, L’art. de la Teint. p. 406. and Porner, Chym. Versuche z. Nuz. der 
Farbekunst, vol.t.1. Ath. Scharffs Recepte ib. versch. Gattungen. 0. Farb. 1. St, 
« Jt enters the composition of the Curry powder which is now much used here. 
f Lewis, M. M. 
* Of these we may more particularly refer to Bontius, (De Med. Indor. p. 115 iy 
F. Hoffman, (Meth. Med. in Med. rat. tom. dit. p. 542.) Coe, (on Bileary 
Concret. p. 285.) 
h Mat. Med. vol. 7. p. 25. 
