CRUDE DRUGS. 



487 



periderm removed from the vertical sides only, and is known as 

 *" coated " or " uncoated " ginger ; in the Jamaica variety the peri- 

 derm is completely removed and the product is known as " peeled " 

 or " scraped " ginger. The latter is sometimes steeped in milk 

 of lime to protect it against the attacks of insects. The Jamaica 

 variety is the official ginger. 



Fig. 212. Transverse section o£ portion of rhizome of ginger: P, parenchyma con- 

 taining ovoid starch grains; O, oil cells; R, cells containing resin; SF, sclerenchymatic 

 fiber; T, tracheae; S, sieve. 



Jamaica Ginger. — Horizontal, laterally compressed, irregu- 

 larly branched pieces (Fig. 211), 4 to 10 cm. long, 4 to 20 mm. 

 broad, 5 to 10 mm. thick; externally light brown, longitudinally 

 wrinkled, with somewhat elliptical, depressed stem-scars, with few 

 fibers of fibrovascular tissue or adhering fragments of periderm ; 

 fracture mealy and with short projecting fibrovascular bundles; 

 internally, cortex light brown, o.i to 0.4 mm. thick; central cylin- 

 der with numerous circular groups of fibrovascular tissue and 

 yellowish secretion cells ; odor strongly aromatic ; taste pungent. 



