SCITAMINEjE. 405 



vessels. As to tlie drug, it consists of small nearly globular 

 central tubers, fx'om wLich spring numerous lateral rhizomes 

 about the size of ginger. It is of a dark-grey colour externally 

 and marked with circular rings. Internally it is \eTj hard 

 and hornvj of a greyish black, but when cut in thin slices of a 



•/ - *_-/%/ 



greyish-orange. The odour and taste are camphoraceous. 



Chemical cowposit ion. — A proximate analysis of this curcuuia 

 afforded : 



Essential oil, resin, &c. 4'47 



Resins, sugar, &c ]-2l 



Grum, organic acids, &c 10' 10 



Starch 18-75 



Crude fibre 25'20 



Ash 



7-57 



Moisture 976 



Albimiinoids, &c. 22*94 



100-00 



Commerce. — The drug comes overland from Bengal. Yalue, 

 Rs- 4 to Rs. 5 per maund of 41 lbs. Guibourt appears to have 

 become acqiuiinted with it from its admixture with the turmeric 

 of commerce. 



Curcuma Amada, — Roxh,, Rose. SciL t. 99, a native 

 of Bengal, is the Am-haldi or Ara-ada (mango ginger) of the 

 natives of India. The lateral tubers, which are of the size and 

 s]iai)e of ginger, and of a pale yellow colour, ha^'e an agreeable 

 odour like the rind of the mango fruit. They are much used in 

 Bengal as an ingredient in c/atfneys, and are considered to be 

 carminative, stomachic, and cooling. In their medicinal pro- 

 perties tliey resemble ginger. The plant is hardly known iu 

 Western India, and is not the Amba-halad or mango turmeric 

 of Bombay, which is Curcuma aromatica. 



INDIAN ARROWROOT. 

 Indian or Curcuma Arrowroot is obtained from 



the following plants : — 



Curcuma auf/u^ti/olia, Roxb., a native of the tropical Ilima- 

 lava and Oudh. 



