192 A Treatise on 
fome Authors fuppofe is meant Cardamom, or, at 
leaft, Meleguette. Serapio treats of Cardamom un- 
der the Name of Cacula , and diftinguifhes two 
Species : The greater he calls Hil or Heil ; the ldfer, 
Hilbane , Hilbave , or Hilbua . All the modern 
Greeks interpret the Cacula of the Arabians by the 
Word ; and Myrepfus alfo, after the 
Arabians , frequently mentions the k uftejAiapov [xiyos, 
^ the great and the fmall Cardamom. 
Hence we may infer, that the Arabians and mo- 
dern Greeks were acquainted with two Species of 
Cardamom. Moreover, from what may be ga- 
thered from DiofcorideSy Galen , and Paulus Mgineta , 
we may conclude, that what was ufed under this 
Name by the ancient Greeks was the fame with our 
leffer Cardamom. 
Maithiolus fpeaks of three Sorts of Cardamom, 
which at this Time are found in the Shops (viz.) 
1. Cardamomum majus , the greater Cardamom ; 
2. Cardamomum medium , the middle Cardamom \ 
3. Cardamomum minus , the leffer Cardamom. 
1 . Cardamomum majus , Matihiol. FruSlus Longouze , 
Steph. de Flacourt , Hift. Inful. Madagafc. This is a 
dry Fruit of an oblong Figure almofl like a Fig, 
and about the fame Bignefs, with a broad circular 
Crown divided into three Sections on its upper 
Part. The outfide Covering is thin, membranace- 
ous, tough, and fibrous, marked with Strie, or 
Furrows, running along it, and of a brown or 
reddifh Colour. It is divided within into three 
Cells, containing a great Number of uneven, film- 
ing, reddifh Grains or Seed, which are feparated 
and covered by feveral Membranes intermixed with 
them. Some Writers have called them Meleguette , 
from their refemblance to the Millium indicum , 
which Matthiolus tells us goes among the Italians 
by the Name of Melega , They have a quick aro- 
matick 
