488 BOTANY AND PHARMACOGNOSY. 



ing powder (chlorinated lime) or that is coated with lime should 

 not be used. 



Constituents. Volatile oil, possessing the aromatic odor 

 of the drug, i to 3 per cent., and consisting chiefly of a sesqui- 

 terpene, some dextro-camphene and phellandrene ; a colorless, 

 viscid principle gingerol, which has the pungent taste of the drug, 

 0.5 to 1.5 per cent. ; two resins, one of which is acid in character; 

 starch, 20 per cent. 



Commercial varieties. The following are derived from 

 Zingiber oiUcinale: (i) Natural Jamaica ginger occurs in long, 

 slender, flattish, branching, light yellowish-brown pieces, the peri- 

 derm being completely removed. (2) Bleached Jamaica ginger 

 is the natural Jamaica rhizome frequently coated with lime. (3) 

 African ginger consists of grayish-brown pieces which are partly 

 peeled on the flattened sides, in section exhibit garnet resin dots, 

 and the taste is intensely acrid. (4) Calcutta ginger resembles 

 African ginger, but has a greater proportion of cork, and yields 

 a higher percentage of ash than the other commercial gingers. 

 (5) Calicut ginger also resembles African ginger. (6) Cochin 

 ginger is a scraped ginger, internally is of a light cream color 

 and exhibits numerous black resin dots. (7) Japan ginger is 

 probably derived from Z. Zerumbet. It belongs to the class of 

 scraped and limed gingers, and has a short and mealy fracture. 

 The resin dots are reddish, and it differs from all the other gingers 

 in having numerous compound starch grains varying from 4 to 

 25 fx in diameter. 



In fresh ginger and in the confection " crystallized ginger " 

 the contents of the secretion cells are oily and of a yellow color, 

 but in old dried rhizomes the contents are darker and insoluble 

 in alcohol, ether, glacial acetic acid, potassium hydrate and chloral 



hvdrate. 



CONVALLARIA. LILY-OF-THE-VALLEY. The dried 

 rhizome and roots of ConvaUaria inajaUs (Eani. Liliacese), a 

 perennial herb (p. 238) indigenous to Europe, Asia and the higher 

 mountains of Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina and 

 extensively cultivated for its flowers. The rhizome and roots 

 should be collected late in summer and carefully dried. The 

 leaves and flowers have also been used in medicine. 



