801 T AMINE JjJ. 431 



colourless and consists of polyhedral cells containing starch, 

 and generally rbomboidal masses of albuminous matter, which 

 can be easily seen when thin slices of the albumen in almond 

 oil are examined by polarized light. 



Chemical composition, — The parenchyme of the albumen and 

 embryo is loaded with fatty oil and essential oil, the former 

 existing in the seed to the extent of about 10 per cent. The 

 essential oil, which amounts on an average to 4' 6 per cent., 

 has the odour and flavour of the seeds ; it consists chiefly of a 

 liquid having the formula C^° H'^'-^ 0^ According to Fluckiger, 

 the raw oil is dextrogyre, and deposits after a time a camphor, 

 which he considers to be identical with common camphor, as 

 it agrees with that substance in optical properties and crystal- 

 line form. The water which comes over when cardamoms are 

 distilled, contains acetic acid. The ash of cardamoms, which, 



to Warnecke, amounts to 6'12 per cent, in common 

 with that of several other plants of the same order, is remark- 

 ably rich in manganese. 



Commerce. — The trade in Indian cardamoms seem^ to have 

 been declining for some years past. In 1880-81 the exports 

 to foreign countries were valued at Rs. 8,20,257, but the 

 returns for that year were the highest on record. For 

 subsequent years they were as follows: — 1883-84, Rs. 5,68,334; 

 1885-86, Rs. 5,60,012; and 1887-88, Rs. 2,04,858. In 

 1883-84, the United Kinjrdom received of the above, cardamoms 

 to the value of Es. 4,05,649, but last year only Rs. 52,G58. 



After the United Kingdom the other receiving countries are 

 generally in the following order of importance : — Arabia, 

 Germany, Persia. On the other hand, the imports of foreign 

 cardamoms seem to be on the increase. In 1880-81 they 

 were valued at Rs. 4,134, and taking the same years as have 

 been given for the exports, the imports were in 1883-84, 

 lis. 18,351; 1885-86, Rs. 92,205; and 1887-88, Rs. 2,60,450. 



During this year the bulk of the imports [viz., Rs. 2,51,211 

 worth) came from Ceylon, and of the total of these foreign 

 imports, Bombay received Rs. 2,16,455 worth. Of the internal 



