121 CARUM CARUI 



Official Parts and Names. 1. CARUI FRUCTUS ; the dried fruit : 

 2. OLEUM CARUI; the oil distilled in Britain from Caraway fruit 

 (B. P.). The dried fruit (Garui Fructu*) (I. P.). CARUM; the 

 fruit (U. S. P.). 



1. CARUI FRUCTUS OR CARUM. General Characters, Varieties, and 

 Composition. Caraway fruits, or as they are commonly termed 

 caraways, when seen in commerce, are usually separated into their 

 two constituent parts or mericarps, which are ordinarily called cara- 

 way seeds ; or in some cases, the mericarps are loosely attached to 

 the central axis or carpophore of the fruit. These mericarps or half- 

 fruits vary in length in the different commercial varieties from about 

 B of an inch in the English caraways to nearly i of an inch in the 

 Mogador kind; they are slightly arched, somewhat tapering at 

 each end, and are marked with 5 fine pale-coloured longitu- 

 dinal ridges, with intervening dark brown shining spaces, in each 

 of which is a large and conspicuous vitta. Caraways have an 

 agreeable aromatic odour; and a pleasant, somewhat sweetish, 

 and spicy taste. 



There are several commercial varieties of caraways ; those 

 commonly distinguished in this country being English, German, 

 Dutch, and Mogador. Those used in the United States are 

 either of home growth or imported from Europe. These varieties 

 vary chiefly in length, plumpness, and colour ; the English being 

 shorter and plumper than the others, and of higher commercial 

 value ; the American are shorter than the German ; and the 

 Mogador are longer, paler coloured, and more stalky than the 

 other varieties. Caraways are also exported from Finland, 

 Russia, and other parts of the North of Europe. 



The properties of caraway fruits depend entirely on a volatile 

 oil, which is commonly known as oil of caraway, and is described 

 below. 



2. OLEUM CARUI (OLEUM CARI, U. S. P.). Oil of Caraway. 

 Oil of Caraway is readily obtained by distillation of the fruits with 

 water ; the amount, however, varies a good deal in the different 

 rieties of caraway ; thus from about 3 to 6 per cent, ordinarily, 

 but in some cases a larger quantity may be obtained. It is said 



