TURMERIC 441 



first mentioned in a price ordinance of Frankfurt in 

 1587. 



Jahus extracted from galangal, galangin, camphoride, 

 and alpinin. The latter, according to Testoni, is, how- 

 ever, a homogeneous mixture of the other two. Chem. 

 CentralUatt, 71, 26. 



Use. The galangal was formerly used in medicine, 

 as an aromatic stimulant like ginger, but its use in 

 European medicine, except as a flavouring, has become 

 nearly obsolete. It is still used, however, in Eussia as 

 a drug, and also in veterinary medicine. As a spice it is 

 chiefly used in the manufacture of vinegar and beer, 

 in cordials, and in liqueurs, especially in Eussia in a 

 liqueur known as Nastoika. 



Commerce. It is shipped from Canton to other ports 

 in China, to India, and Europe. It is difficult to get 

 statistics which give any idea of the total production, 

 but in 1869 Hance gives in the official returns the 

 export of the year, as 370,000 Ibs., which seems to have 

 been exceptionally high. In 1877, 281,733 Ibs. were 

 exported from Kung Chow in Hainan. 



THE GREATER GALANGAL 



The greater galangal, Alpinia Galanga, L., is a very 

 common plant in cultivation in Java and the Malay 

 Peninsula, where it forms an ingredient in curry, and is 

 also used as a local medicine. It is generally used fresh 

 and appears seldom to be dried, but packages of its dried 

 rhizomes occasionally appear in the London market. 



The plant is much larger than the lesser galangal, 

 attaining a height of 6 or 7 ft. The stems are numer- 

 ous, forming a thick clump, and bear numerous leaves, 

 lanceolate acute, about 18 in. long and 3J in. wide. The 

 stems are terminated by panicles of flowers about 6 in. 

 long, with short branches bearing numerous fragrant 

 small flowers with a white calyx, green petals, and a 

 white spathulate lip ornamented with red streaks, and 

 about 1 in. long. It has small red fruits about as big 



