CURCUAIIX. 



CURRENCY. 



350 



but curcumin in a pure state can only be obtained by digesting the 

 alcoholic extract of turmeric in ether, and evaporating the etherial 

 tincture to dryness. Its appearance in the mass is brownish-yellow, 

 but when powdered, a full yellow. It is tasteless, odourless, almost 

 insoluble in water, but readily soluble in alcohol and ether. The 

 alkalies colour it a reddish-brown, and readily dissolve it. The alco- 

 holic solution evaporated with boracic acid becomes red. Hydro- 

 chloric acid also reddens it. The alcoholic solution of curcumin pro- 

 duces coloured precipitates, with several salts, such as acetate of lead 

 and nitrate of silver (Pereira). The frequent use of turmeric as a test 

 renders a knowledge of these points necessary. (See Freseuius, 

 ' Chemical Analysis,' by Bullock, p. 31.) 



Turmeric has aromatic qualities which render it useful in languid 

 habits, where digestion is difficult, and the circulation slow. The 

 repute it enjoyed as a cure for jaundice and dropsies was founded on 

 the doctrine of signatures (Cullen, ' Mat. Med.,' i. p. 25). It is of some 

 importance a* a dye, but it is as a condiment, both in the East and 

 in this country, that it merits notice, as it is an ingredient in all curry 

 powders and curry pasta. When in excess the colour is too brown, 

 and one flavour predominates, which is contrary to sound apician law. 

 The same observation applies to Cayenne pepper. " With us, tur- 

 meric and Cayenne pepper prevail in them far too powerfully." 

 Acton's 'Modern Cookery,' p. 227. The preceding table, extracted 

 from the ' Pharmaceutical Journal,' vol. iv. p. 364, supplies an infinite 

 variety of receipts for preparing curry powder, But whichever is 

 preferred should have added to it some mushroom-powder. The meat, 

 n^h, or whatever article is employed as the basis of the curry should 

 always be so perfectly boiled that it can be eaten with a spoon. This 

 necessarily destroys the natural flavour of the meat. The mushroom- 

 powder contains oimazome, the source of flavour in meat, and con- 

 sequently it restores what the long cooking has dissipated. The 

 curry-powder should not be added to the dish till a few minutes before 

 it is to be served to table. 



In the East, ready mixed ingredients are carried about from place to 

 . forming extensive articles of commerce, under the name of 

 curry-stuff. These differ, according to the localities and taste of the 

 natives ; but whatever be the basis of a curry, the superiority of Indian 

 t<> European curries, is the addition of fretk acid reyttaMcs. It was 

 a great error therefore in M. Soyer, in his ' Modern Housewife ' to 

 enjoin sugar as an ingredient. The Ceylon curry-stuff consists of " a 

 piece of green ginger, two cloves of garlic, a few coriander and cummin 

 fruits (seeds commonly), six small onions, one dry chili or capsicum, 

 six or eight corns of pepper, a small piece of turmeric, half a dessert 

 spoonful of butter, half a cocoa-nut, and half a lime." Simmonds', 

 ' Dictionary of Trade Products.' 



CURCUMIN. A resinous colouring matter found in turmeric-root. 

 The root is first exhausted with boiling water : boiling alcohol then 

 dissolves curcumin from the residue. It may be further purified by 

 solution in ether. 



Curcumin is amorphous, nearly insoluble in water, but very solu- 

 ble in alcohol and ether. It is bleached by exposure to the sun's rays. 

 It readily dissolves in alkalies with a deep red-brown colour. Hence 

 the use of papers imbued with turmeric (turmeric papers) for the 

 detection of an alkaline re-action. Curcumin consists of 



Carbon 68'5'J 



Hydrogen 7-34 



Oxygen S3-H7 



100-00 



(TRDS AND WHET. [CASH*.] 



CURFEW. The custom of covering up their fires about sun-set in 

 summer, and about eight or nine at night in winter, at the ringing of 

 bell called the nurre fen, or curfew bell, is supposed to have been 

 introduced by William I., and to have been imposed upon the English, 

 aa a badge of servitude. But the custom appears to have prevailed 

 throughout Europe prior to this period ; and was intended as a pre- 

 caution against fires, which were then very frequent and destructive, 

 so many houses being built of wood. Henry I. appears to have 

 restored the use of lamps and candles at court in the night after the 

 ringing of the curfew bell, which had been prohibited by his pre- 

 decessors. (Will. Malmesb. fol. 88.) 



Although spoken of by modern writers as a tyrannical custom, we 

 find the curfew mentioned to a late period as a common and approved 

 regulation. Among the charges directed for the wardmote inquests in 

 London, in the mayoralty of Sir Henry Colet, in 1495, it is said, "Also 

 yf there be anye paryshe clerke that ryngeth curfewe after the curfewe 

 be ronge at Bowe Chyrehe, or St. Bryde's Church, or St. Gyles- 

 withnut-Cripelgate, all such to be presented." (Knight's ' Life of 

 i ,'olet.') The same charge remained in the wardmote inquest, as 

 printed in 1649. Hutchins, in his ' History of Dorsetshire,' vol. ii., 

 speakn >uder church, in that county, mentions land given 



" to find ,1 man to ring the morning and curfew bell throughout the 

 year." In the same volume, under Ibberton, is mentioned an acre 

 1 for ruling the eight o'clock bell, and 41. for ringing the morning 

 bell. At Barking, in Essex, the tower of the fire-bell or curfew still 

 stands, and bears the name, though no longer used for ita pristine 

 purpoe. I: ' Virgidemiarum,' printed in 1S!>!) (b. iii. 



sat. 4), speaks of the gift of a new rope to riug the curfew bell as of 

 occasional occurrence in his time : 



(( Whoever gives a paire of velvet shoes 

 To the Holy Rood, or liberally allowes 

 But a new rope to ring the curfew hell, 

 But he desires that his great deed may dwell, 

 Or graven in the chancel window glasse, 

 Or in the lasting tombe of plated brass." 



The curfew bell, strictly as such, had probably fallen into disuse 

 previous to the time of Shakspere, who in ' Romeo and Juliet ' 

 applies the term to the morning bell : 



" The second cock hath crow'd, 

 The curfew bell has rung, 'tis three o'clock." 



In the ' Antiquarian Repertory,' old edit., vol. i., is an engraving of 

 an iron implement which is called a curfew, or cover-fire, formerly 

 belonging to Goatling, the historian of Canterbury, and presumed to 

 be of very ancient if not of Norman origin, but which in reality is no 

 more than an ex tempwe oven, lately if not still used in many parts of 

 England for baking small viands : the hearth is first heated, the viand 

 placed upon it, and then covered with this implement, the embers 

 being raked round and above it. The practice of ringing the church 

 bell at eight o'clock in the evening is still continued in many parts of 

 England ; and in many places where it is no longer rung, it has only 

 been discontinued within memory. 



CURIA. [COMITIA.] 



CURRANTS. The fruit of the various species of Kibes (for the 

 botanical account of which, see RIBES, in NAT. HIST. Div.) has been 

 used in medicine to allay thirst, and it i.s said to lessen the secretion of 

 bile. The juice of the red currant is sometimes employed in making 

 punch, and mixed with water forms the raw de groseilles of the French. 

 1 1 is also made into a jelly, and the berries are used for making tarts 

 and puddings. When ripe the fruit makes an excellent wine, which 

 is much used in the rural districts of England. The juice of the black 

 currant is even more generally employed for making jelly, and the 

 fruit is likewise used for tarts and puddings, and wine. 



All the sorts are hardy plants, growing freely and bearing a plentiful 

 crop of fruit. They thrive almost as well in one situation as another, 

 whether it be open or shady, free or confined. This permits of the 

 ripening of the fruit throughout a long period, so that it may be 

 obtained as early as June and as late as October. Common garden 

 soil is suited to them, which should be tilled and recruited from time 

 to time with fresh manure. The largest crops are produced in a 

 strong loam or improved clay soil. They are earlier in 'a light soil. 

 Previous to planting, the soil should be dug two feet deep, and this 

 may be done at any time from October to February or March. They 

 are chiefly propagated by cuttings obtained early iu the spring. These 

 should consist of the previous year's shoots taken from bearing- 

 branches, and be from ten inches to a foot in length. They should 

 be planted 4 or 5 inches deep and may be watered in spring. In the 

 summer all the shoots or buds should be removed except three. In the 

 following autumn they may be transplanted. Currant bushes are 

 best planted by themselves, and the distance between the rows should 

 not be less than from 7 to 9 feet. They will grow freely against a 

 wall, and when thus planted with a south or south-west aspect will 

 produce ripe fruit three weeks earlier than standards with a north or 

 north-east aspect : fruit may be preserved good till October, and if 

 matted, as late as November. Grown on espalier rails the fruit is 

 produced in the finest order. 



The fruit of the currant should be gathered in dry weather, as when 

 gathered in rain it loses its flavour. 



CURRENCY. In this article it is proposed to present some of the 

 fundamental principles of this great subject, a full inquiry into which 

 is beyond the scope and objects of our undertaking. The term currency 

 is used to express the circulating medium of exchange, by means of 

 which sales and purchases are effected without the necessity of a 

 recourse to barter. Various contrivances have been adopted at different 

 periods of the civilisation of nations for this purpose : stamped pieces 

 of leather passed as money among the ancient Lacedemonians coriuni 

 formd fublicd percusium, (Seneca, 'De Benef.' lib. v. cap. 14) and Car- 

 thaginians. Salt in lumps was used as money among the Abyssiniaus 

 (Smith, ' Wealth of Nat.' b. i. cap. 4). The shells called cowries con- 

 stitute the received currency in parts of Hindostau and the interior of 

 Africa. When the Spaniards first visited Mexico, the natives, it is 

 said, used cocoa nuts as the medium of exchange. Tobacco made up 

 in bars or rolls, hi Virginia and some other states of North America, 

 in the early periods of their settlement, were made legal tender by law 

 (Tatham ' Histor. Essay on Tobacco '). But there are obvious objec- 

 tions to each of these or similar materials of a currency, either from 

 bulk, weight, want of invariability of value, want of durability, or some 

 other requisite to a convenient medium of circulation. These reasons 

 have driven all civilised nations to the employment of gold and silver, 

 coined into pieces of different values, as the basis of their current 

 money. [BULLION.] But as population increases, and the wants of 

 men multiply, and the movement of commerce becomes more rapid 

 and oftener repeated, the quantity of gold and silver money requisite 

 for carrying on the increasing number of the operations of trade and 





