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KAEMPFERIA ROTUNDA. ORD. XLV. Scifaminek) PAT 
a specimen of the Zedoary plant from India, which, upon examina- 
tion, was found to be a species of Amomum;? and it is observed by. 
Murray, that this opinion receives additional weight by the deserip- 
tion of Zedoary, or the Indorum Tamogcansi, given by Camelins.* 
It seems no easy task to discover with any tolerable probability, 
wkether this drug was used by the ancients or not; some have 
supposed it to be the Costus of Dioscorides, the Guiduar of 
Avicenna, the Zerumbet of Serapion.* But this we leave to those 
who are ready to decide upon what is merely conjectural, 
The roots of Zedoaria, longa and rotunda, are both produced by 
the same speciés of plant, and are indiscriminately used in the 
shops; the former are brought to us in oblong pieces, about the 
thickness of the little finger, two or three inches in length, bent, 
rough, and angular; the latter are roundish, about an inch in 
diameter, of an ash coloiir on the outside, and white within. - 
* This root has an agreeable camphoraceous smell, and a bit- 
terish aromatic taste. It impregnates water with its smell, a slight 
bitterness, a considerable warmth and pungency, and a yellowish 
brown colour: the reddish yellow spirituous tincture is in taste 
Stronger, and in smell weaker, than the watery. In distillation 
with water it yields a thick ponderous essential oil, smelling 
strongly of the Zedoary, in taste very hot and pungent.”* 
Cartheuser, who ascribes the virtues of Zedoary to a camphora- 
ceous volatile oil, considers it as a general remedy for most of the 
chronic diseases with which humanity is afflicted ;* but as the cam- 
® ¢¢ Plantam habui ex Cochinchina, figure Rheedeane convenientem, lectam a C). 
Joanne de Loureyro & comparatam sub itinere Chinensi, Cl. Car. G. Exeberg, 
Centurione & navis Gubernatore, de scientia botanices bene merito.” Mat. Med. 
p. 5. He calls it, A. scapo nudo, spica laxa truncata; and makes its synonyma 
tobe, Kua. Rheed. Malab. 11. p. 13. ¢. 7. Tommon itam, Rumph. Amb. 5. p- 
169. Xedoaria Camell. Stirp. Luz. p. 23. 
» See Rait, Hist. plant. vol. 3. in App. 
* See on this subject, $. G. Manitius. De etatibus Zedoarte relatio, Dresd. 1691. © 
* Lewis, M. M, p.684. 4 Sect. xiv. §. 3. 
No, 53.~vot. 4, 9B 
