

8 C IT AMINES. 427 



Chemical composition. — The drug yielded to analysis : — 

 Ether extract (essential oil, fat, and soft resins) ,., 6"9G 



Alcoholic extract (sugar, resins) 7*29 



Water extract (gum, acids, &c.) 13'42 



Starch 1508 



Crude fibre 12-61 



Ash 



6-80 



Moisture 7'66 



Albuminoids, modifications of arahin, &c 30' 18 



10000 



The root liad a pungent odour, similar to a mixture of cam- 

 plior and nutmeg, the soft resin had a bitter and burning taste. 

 The colouring matter had many of the reactions of curcumin,. 

 but was more readily bleached than true curcumin, and the 

 colour of the powder was very fugitive. The water extract 

 gave a crystalline precipitate with lead acetate, which was 

 found to be due to the presence' of malic acid. The root 

 contained more mucilaofe and su2:ar than that of Curcuma aro- 



a^ ^^v* «v*j- 



matica. We were unable to separate any of the " soapy extrac- 

 tive" mentioned in the analysis of Cassumuuar root by Luca* 



Costus SpeciosUS, Sm.^ Lam. III. L^ t. 3 ; Eheede^ Hort. 



MaL xi.y t. 8. 



Vernacular. —Ken {Hind, and Beng.)^ Penva T?r (Afar.), 

 Kemuka (Sans.). Roxburgh notices a preserve made of the 

 fresh roots which is considered wholesome and nutritious. 

 C. speciosu^ is the Tjana-kua of Eheede and the Hcrha spiralis 

 hirsuta of Eumphius. Ainslie, quoting Brown's History of 

 Jamaica, says that the root is there used as a substitute for 

 ginger, but is very inferior to it. {Mat. Ind. ii., 167.) In the 

 Calcutta Exhihifion Catalogue^ the root is described as depura- 

 tive and aphrodisiac ; similar properties are attributed to it in 

 the Concan, where it is very abtmdant in moist situations. The 

 rhizome resembles the great Galangal in growth and structure, 

 but has no aromatic properties, the taste being mucilaginous 

 and feebly astringent; it could only be used as a substitute for 

 ginger by being preserved with a quantity of that root suffi- 

 cient to flavour it. 



