CURCUMA 



LONGA 



Turmeric 



Mordants. 



THE TURMERIC PLANT 



Clearing-acids. 



Medicine. 



Food. 



Mordants are rarely required with turmeric since the dye attaches itself 

 readily to wool, silk or cotton. Calcutta dyers, however, obtain a brilliant 

 yellow by mixing turmeric vtiihsajji matti (carbonate of soda, p. 51). The 

 use of borax (see p. 172) in Kumaon is dependent on an important chemical 

 feature of the dye. The dye is fleeting, but Fawcett (Monog. Dyes, Bomb., 

 1896, 16) says that the colour can be made more or less fast by adding to 

 the alum solution a preparation of pomegranate rind. The use of vege- 

 table acids to clear dyes is common all over India, and these are often 

 spoken of as making them permanent, though that is not so. Thus, for 

 example, Duncan (Monog. Dyes Assam, 1896, 22-3) observes that in 

 Cachar a light yellow dye is produced by boiling turmeric with a " sour 

 lemon-like fruit called thaikar." Alkalis deepen the colour, making it 

 almost red, while alum purifies it. For this reason a common test in India 

 India Test-pa r. for alkalis is paper saturated with an alcoholic solution of turmeric. The 

 action of the alkalis turns the paper brown. In Europe turmeric is still 

 employed in dyeing compound shades of wool, usually in conjunction with 

 orchil (a purple lichen-dye from Itoccella tinctoria) and indigo extract. 

 It is rarely used on silk (Rawson, Gardner and Laycock, Diet. Dyes, etc., 

 1901, 339). Lastly, turmeric is said to be employed in the adulteration of 

 mustard and to colour varnishes. For the uses of turmeric in MEDICINE 

 the reader is referred to the Dictionary or to the Pharmacographia Indica, 

 (iii., 407-14), where also will be found a long discussion of the Indian 

 ceremonial utilisations of the dye. As a FOOD adjunct turmeric is chiefly 

 employed in curries, of which it is an indispensable ingredient, and in 

 colouring food-stuffs, etc. The leaves are used as a condiment, especially 

 with fish, which are wrapped up in them and then fried. 



The reader will find much useful information regarding commercial 

 turmeric in Hanausek's Microscopy of Technical Products (Winton and 

 Barber, transl., 1907, 262-6), the appearance under the microscope of 

 the various grades, their adulterants, and methods of examination of the 

 same being fully exemplified. 



Production and Trade. Recent returns do not show the total area 

 under this crop. Mollison speaks of 5,300 acres as the Bombay por- 

 tion in 1898, and the official statistics for 1905-6 show the area to have 

 been 5,581 acres, of which 4,414 acres were in Satara district alone. Some 

 years ago the total for all India was estimated at 56,500 acres, but the ex- 

 tensive use of the tuber and the remunerative character of the crop would 

 suggest that the total Indian acreage may be considerably larger than that 

 mentioned, though, as stated, it is impossible to furnish the exact acreage. 



The exports of turmeric to foreign countries show considerable fluctua- 

 tions. Milburn (Or. Comm., ii., 542-3) gives the imports into England by 

 the East India Company in 1805 as having been 422 cwt., valued at 1,052, 

 and the duty 2 16s. per cwt. The EXPORTS from India amounted 

 in 1899-1900 to 48,000 cwt., valued at Rs. 5,78,199. In 1901-2 the 

 figures were 82,436 cwt. and Rs. 9,40,215 ; in the following year they 

 rose again to 126,076 cwt. and Rs. 9,87,577 ; but sank in 1903-4 to 68,234 

 cwt. and Rs. 4,52,653 ; in 1906-7 to 62,246 cwt. and Rs. 7,08,967. The 

 bulk of the trade goes to the United Kingdom, the Straits Settle- 

 ments, Aden, Ceylon, Germany, Arabia, Persia and Turkey-in-Asia. Of 

 the foreign traffic Bombay contributed 33,477 cwt. in 1906-7; Madras 

 16,231 ; and Bengal 11,988, but ordinarily Madras supplies more than 

 Bombay. The total amount of turmeric exported coastwise in 1903-4 



448 



Trade. 



Satara District. 



Exports. 



Countries to 

 which exported. 



Local Traffic. 



