GINGER 121 



Constituents. Volatile oil, possessing the aromatic odor of the 

 drug, 1 to 3 per cent, and consisting chiefly of a sesquiterpene, 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 

 officinale: (1) Natural Jamaica ginger occurs in long, slender, flattish, 

 branching, light yellowish-brown pieces, the periderm being com- 

 pletely 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 pro- 

 portion 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 0.004 to 

 0.025 mm. in diameter. 



The powder of African ginger is dark yellow or dark brown, more 

 aromatic and pungent, and has numerous fragments of cork. 



In Japan ginger there are numerous compound grains varying 

 from 0.004 to 0.025 mm. in diameter, while in Calcutta ginger there 

 are numerous spheroidal grains 0.015 to 0.025 mm. resembling those 

 of wheat. 



Standard of Purity. Ginger is the washed and dried, or decor- 

 ticated and dried, rhizome of Zingiber officinale Roscoe. It con- 

 tains not less than 42 per cent of starch, not more than 8 per cent 

 of crude fiber, not more than 1 per cent of lime (CaO), not less than 

 12 per cent of cold water extract, nor more than 7 per cent of total 

 ash, not more than 2 per cent of ash insoluble in hydrochloric acid, 

 nor less than 2 per cent of ash soluble in cold water. 



starch grains; P, parenchyma cells; H, F, hyphse and spores of a fungus 

 which are usually present in African ginger and easily detected in mounts 

 prepared with sulphuric acid. 



In Calcutta ginger occur a large number of spheroidal starch grains resembling 

 those of wheat, and in Japan ginger there are numerous compound grains. 

 Adulterated ginger may contain fragments of tissues of Capsicum (F), stone 

 cells of endocarp of olive (N), or tissues of soap bark. 



