228 THE MEDICINAL PLANTS OF THE PHILIPPINES 



In Mauritius the fruit is used for dysentery, and the flowers, 

 together with an equal quantity of those of Spilanthes Acmella. 

 are made into a decoction and prescribed for dropsy. 



BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION. The banana plant with its huge 

 waving leaves and succulent stem is universally familiar. The 

 flower stalk rises through the center developing a drooping 

 spike, the flowers in short rows in the axils of its large pur- 

 plish bracts. According to Blanco there are 57 varieties of 

 this plant in the Philippines, the following being the most 

 common edible varieties : bugulag, lakatan, letondag, obispo, 

 higo, morado, butuan, bentikohol, sabd, tampuhig. 



HABITAT. Common everywhere in the islands. 



ZINGIBERACEJE. 



Ginger Family. 

 Zingiber officinale, L. (Amomum zingiber, L. and Blanco.) 



NOM. VTJLG. Ajengibre, Jengibre, Sp.; Luya, Tag.; Laya, 

 Bic.; Ginger, Eng. 



USES. The rhizome is used principally as a condiment in 

 the Philippines. Its flavor is extremely agreeable, much ap- 

 preciated in Europe by the English who are the greatest con- 

 sumers of the condiment. In the Philippines a decoction is 

 made of ginger and brown sugar, called tahu by the Chinese 

 who drink it regularly as we do coffee in the early hours of the 

 morning. It is an excellent drink, aromatic, tonic, stomachic 

 and stimulant, and would probably be highly useful as well as 

 economical as a part of the ration of European and native 

 troops in the field. Hot tahu or tahu is an active diuretic, and 

 during the last epidemic of cholera in Manila some physicians 

 used it with very satisfactory results. 



Ginger is a good carminative and is official in the pharma- 

 copoeias of Europe, America and India. It is used with good 

 effect in flatulent colic, atonic diseases of the intestines so com- 

 mon in the Philippines and in chronic rheumatism. 



