THE RADIX GALANG^ OF PHARMACY. 



1871. About this period it was also known in Western Europe. St. 



Hildeo-ard, Abbess of Bingen, who died in A.D. 1179, names it as 



A 1 1 ( p i''Ji t , i * * i * i 



References to galgan, and comments upon its medicinal virtues. 1 

 Galangal. Qalangal is catalogued with other spices (as ginger, cinnamon, 

 cloves, and nutmegs) in the tariff of duties levied in the port of 

 Colibre (Collioure), in Roussillon, in A.D. 1252. 2 



A more interesting notice of the drug is contained in the 

 journal of expenses of John, King of France, from July 1st, 

 1359 to July 8th, 1360, during his residence in England, pre- 

 served in the Comptes de VArgenterie des Roisde France. Besides 

 purchases of sugar, mace, ginger, cloves, pepper, cardamoms, 

 calamus aromaticus, and many other drugs, we find three entries 

 for galangal, namely, for ^ Ib. 18d., for 2 Ib. 6s., and for 1 Ib. 22d. 3 

 As the price of gold happens to be also mentioned in one part of 

 the account, it is easy to form an estimate of the relative value 

 of galangal. This shows the price of 3s. per pound to be equi- 

 valent to 10s. of our present money not extravagant for a com- 

 modity transported from the remotest Asia to the centre of 

 England. 

 Professor Tho- In Professor J. E. Thorold Rogers's History of Agriculture 



rold Rogers. an( ^ p r { ces { n England, there are eleven entries indicating the 

 price of galangal in England between A.D. 1264 and 1376. The 

 highest was in 1307, when 2 Ib. of the spice purchased for the 

 Crown were paid for at the rate of 6s. Sd. The other entries in- 

 dicate the price as from Is. 6d. to 3s. per Ib. 



In the fifteenth century galangal was evidently in common 

 use ; for Saladinus, physician to one of the Princes of Tarentum, 

 circa A.D. 1442 1458, reckons it among the things necessaria el 



1 S. Hildega-dis Abbatissce Opera Omnia, accurante J. P. Migne ; Paris, 

 1855, p. 1134. 



2 Capmany, Memorias Historicas sobre la Marina, Comercio y Artes de la 

 Ciudaade Barcelona, 1779, tomo ii. p. 20. 



3 The original entries are as follows : 



" Lundy VI1 C jour d'octobre. Jehan Kelleshulle, espicier & St. Boutoul, 

 pour espices prises de li pour le Roy .... Galingal, demie livre 18d 

 Jeudy XIIP jour de ftvrier .... Galingal, 2 livres, 6s. Samedy XXVII 6 

 jour de juing .... Berthclemi Mine, espicier .... Galingal, une livre, 

 22^. 



L. Douet D'Arcq, Comptes de V Argenterie des Rois de France an XIV* 

 tiecle. Paris, 1851, 8vo, pp. 218, 232, 265, 266. 



