74 ODOROGRAPHIA. 



kinds are found in the Bombay markets, viz., the Chinese 

 and the Indian ; the latter was supposed Ijy Royle to be 

 the " Lesser Galangal " of Ainslie* called " Sittarittee," but 

 Modeen Sheriff states that the sittarittie of the Tamils is the 

 true lesser galangal, which statement appears to be correct. The 

 root of Indian Kapur-Kachri when entire is reddish-brown, 

 marked with white rings, bearing considerable resemblance to the 

 true " Lesser galangal," whence, perhaps, the confusion of names. 

 M. C. Cookef says, " It differs from Galangal in being very white 

 and friable, internally starchy in structure, fragrant, slightly warm 

 and aromatic in taste, but not peppery or pungent. Its peculiar, 

 strong odour is at any time almost of itself sufficient to identify 

 this drug ; it is an odour never to be forgotten, and not to be 

 confounded with any other." Dr. Thresh describes the odour as 

 intermediate between Storax and Ehubarb, and Dr. Dymock to 

 that of orris, but more powerful, and strongly camphoraceous. 

 This last authority describes the appearance of the drug as met 

 with in the Indian market as follows : — It occurs in slices, mostly 

 circular, but sometimes the section is made in a sloping direction. 

 The slices are half to three quarters of an inch in diameter, and 

 vary much in thickness, from one-fifth to three-eighths of an inch ; 

 they are wdiite and starchy, and when freshly pared exhibit a faint 

 line dividing the cortical from the central portion. The edges of 

 each slice are covered by a tough reddish-brown bark, marked with 

 numerous scars and circular rings ; here and there rootlets remain 

 attached. 



Chinese Kapur-Kachri is a little larger than the Indian, white, 

 and less pungent. The bark is smoother and of lighter colour. 

 A microscopic examination of the Indian rhizome shows it to 

 consist of a delicate parenchyma, most of the cells of which are 

 loaded with large ovoid starch granules, partaking of the character 

 of Curcuma arrowroot, except that they are somewhat smaller ; 

 that is, they are ovate or elliptical, rather regular in outline, but 

 flattened, so that when seen sideways they are lenticular, with 

 rounded ends. At first, a mounting of this starch seems to 

 consist of two kinds of starch mixed together, but a few moments' 

 examination proves that the narrow granules are only the broad 



* Mat Med. Incl., i. p. 140. 

 t Pliarm. Journ. [3], i. p 603. 



