ORIENTAL COMMERCE. 



[Calcutta. 



Arrow, or Aroo Root, is prepared from a root resembling the galangal ; 

 the plant {Mnranta) is common in the East and West Indies. It is ob- 

 tained by the following process : — the roots, when a year old, are dug up, 

 washed in water, and beaten in deep wooden mortars to a pulp ; it is then 

 put into a tub of clean water, well washed, and the fibrous part thrown 

 away. The milky liquor, being passed tlirough a sieve or coarse cloth, is 

 suffered to settle, and the clear water is drawn off ; at the bottom of the 

 vessel is a white mass, which is again mixed with clean water, and drained; 

 lastly, the mass is dried in the sun, and is pure starch. 



Bit Nobkn, or Salt op Bitumen, (Bitlaban, and Cula-nemer, Hind.) 

 a specific in high repute among the natives of India. The article is nothing 

 more than muriate of soda, or common salt, [Nemec, Hind.), fused with 

 the fruit of the Phyllanthus Embl'ica y a species of myrabolans, whereby it 

 acquires some of the qualities of the fruit, and also, as appears by analysis, 

 a portion of iron. Mr. Henderson {Dissert, on the Bit Noben 9 or Fetid 

 Salt of the Hindoos), and Dr. Fleming {Axial. Res., Vol. XI.) have inves- 

 tigated this article minutely. It has been occasionally brought to England. 

 A small quantity was imported in the year 1818, under the name of 

 Black Salt. 



Borax, SmVborate of Soda, {Sohaga, Hind., Tancana, San.) is dug 

 up in a crystallized state from the bottom of certain lakes in Thibet, and is 

 of two sorts, viz. 



Rough Borax, or Tincal, which is in a very impure condition, con- 

 sisting partly of six-sided crystals, but chiefly of smaller irregular ones, of 

 a white or green colour, joined together in one lump by a fetid, greasy 

 substance, mixed with sand, stones, and other impurities. Tincal should 

 be chosen in the cleanest and brightest solid pieces, resembling white sugar 

 candy, greasy to the touch, and of a strong rank smell. 



Refined Borax, which should be chosen of a pungent but somewhat 

 sweet taste, perfectly white, resembling crystals of alum, of rather a greasy 

 appearance, but free from all impurities : it readily dissolves in hot water, 

 and swells and bubbles in the fire. A ton of rough borax is 16 Cwt; of 

 refined, 20 Cwt 



Castor Oil is obtained from the seeds of the Ricinm, or Paltna 

 Christi, (Areud, Hind., Kranda, San.) of which there are several varieties. 

 It is separated from the seeds by boiling or expression ; the former method 

 procures the largest quantities, but it has less sweetness, and becomes rancid 

 much sooner than that obtained by expression. Genuine castor oil is viscid 

 when obtained by expression ; the oil that is somewhat opaque is newer, 

 and said to be more effectual in medicine than that which is pellucid and of 



