488 BOTANY AND PHARMACOGNOSY. 



Inner Structure. — See Fig. 212. 



Ginger which is bleached by means of sulphur fumes or bleach- 

 ing powder (chlorinated lime) or that is coated with lime should 

 not be used. 



Constituents. — Volatile oil, possessing the aromatic odor 

 of the drug, i to 3 per cent., and consisting chiefly of a sesqui- 

 terpene, some dextro-camphene and phellandrene ; a colorless, 

 viscid principle gingerol, which has the pungent taste of the drug, 

 0.5 to 1.5 per cent. ; two resins, one of which is acid in character; 

 starch, 20 per cent. 



Commercial v.^rieties. — The following are derived from 

 Zingiber officinale: (i) Natural Jamaica ginger occurs in long, 

 slender, flattish, branching, light yellowish-brown pieces, the peri- 

 derm being completely removed. (2) Bleached Jamaica ginger 

 is the natural Jamaica rhizome coated with lime. (3) Cochin 

 ginger occurs in shorter, broader and thicker pieces than the 

 Jamaica variety, is light brown in color and has only part of the 

 periderm rernoved. (4) African ginger, somewhat resembles 

 Cochin ginger but is of a dark grayish-brown color. (5) Race 

 ginger occurs in irregular, more or less twisted, branching pieces 

 with the dark-brown periderm partly removed, the remaining 

 surface being more or less brownish-black. 



Japan ginger is said to resemble Cochin ginger and to be 

 derived from other species of Zingiber, as Z. Zermnbet, Z. Cassii- 

 munar, Z. Mioga and Z. Cemcnda. 



Preserved Ginger is made by boiling the young rhizomes 

 while fresh, after removing the periderm, in syrup. In this form 

 it occurs in translucent, yellowish-brown fragments, which are 

 used as a confection. 



CONVALLARIA.—LILY-OF-THE- VALLEY.— The dried 

 rhizome and roots of Convallaria majalis (Fam. Liliaceae), a 

 perennial herb (p. 238) indigenous to Europe, Asia and the higher 

 mountains of Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina and 

 extensively cultivated for its flowers. The rhizome and roots 

 should be collected late in summer and carefully dried. The leaves 

 and flowers have also been used in medicine. 



Description. — Rhizome horizontal, cylindrical, and sometimes 

 branched, jointed, in pieces from 3 to 17 cm. long, internodes 10 to 



