FOODS, FOOD-STUFFS, AND FOOD-ADJUNCTS. 29 



(320 F.) or dilute acid convert it into Dextrine, now 

 used in dressing muslins and crapes and for postage- 

 stamps and envelopes. The preparation of starch 

 from Rice and Maize and the manufacture of Dextrine 

 were of comparatively recent introduction in 1851;*" 

 Glucose, made by further fermentative change, was 

 not, as we have seen, introduced until 1855* At 

 present laundry starch is mainly made from Rice ; 

 dextrine from Potatoes ; and glucose from Maize 

 and Wood, in the United States, and from Potatoes 

 in Germany. 



The chief edible starches are the Arrowroots, 

 Tapiocas, Sagos and Maizenas, and these have been re- 

 cently successfully imitated by preparations of Wheat 

 (such as Semolina), Barley, Oat and Rice Meal. 



ARROWROOT is obtained from the rhizomes of 

 various species of Maranta, Curcuma, Canna, Tacca, 

 and Mani/iotthat from the West Indies and Ber- 

 mudas from Maranta arundinacea, L. ; that from the 

 East Indies, from Curcuma angustifolia, Roxb., mainly ; 

 that from Brazil, from Manihot utilissima^dhl., known 

 by the native names of 'Moussache' and ' Cipipa' ; and 

 that from Otaheite, from Tacca pinnatifida, L. fil., 

 ' Pia.'f Tous-les-mois or Touloula, from St. Kitt's, is 

 the product of a variety of Canna indicalL,., having the 

 largest starch -grains of any known plant. J Arrow- 

 root is now largely imported from Natal ; but it is of 

 inferior quality, fetching only 2^d. to 3jd. per Ib. in 



* Prof. E. Solly, Society of Arts Lectures on the 1851 Ex- 

 hibition. 



t Spon's ' Cyclopaedia of the Industrial Arts.' ' Encyclopaedia 

 Britannica,' vol. ii, p. 631. Archer, ' Economic Botany,' p. 84. 



J Smith, 'Domestic Botany,' p. 174. 



