XIV TURMERIC 441 
first mentioned in a price ordinance of Frankfurt in 
1587. 
Jahus extracted from galangal, galangin, camphoride, 
and alpinin. The latter, according to Testoni, is, how- 
ever, a homogeneous mixture of the other two. Chem. 
Centralhlatt, 71, 26. * 
Use.— The galangal was formerly used in medicine, 
as an aromatic stimulant like ginger, but its use in 
European medicine, except as a flavouring, has become 
nearly obsolete. It is still used, however, in Eussia as 
a drug, and also in veterinary medicine. As a spice it is 
chiefly used in the manufacture of vinegar and beer, 
in cordials, and in liqueurs, especially in Russia in a 
liqueur known as Nastoika. 
Commerce , — It is shipped from Canton to other ports 
in China, to India, and Europe. It is difficult to get 
statistics which give any idea of the total production, 
Rut in 1869 Hance gives in the official returns the 
export of the year as 370,000 lbs., which seems to have 
been exceptionally high. In 1877, 281,733 lbs. were 
exported from Kung Chow in Hainan. 
THE GREATER GALANGAL 
The greater galangal, Alpinia Galanga^ L., is a very 
common plant in cultivation in Java and the Malay 
Peninsula, where it forms an ingredient in curry, and is 
also used as a local medicine. It is generally used fresh 
and appears seldom to be dried, but packages of its dried 
rhizomes occasionally appear in the London market. 
The plant is much larger than the lesser galangal, 
attaining a height of 6 or 7 ft. The stems are numer- 
ous, forming a thick clump, and bear numerous leaves, 
lanceolate acute, about 18 in. long and 3^ in. wide. The 
stems are terminated by panicles of flowers about 6 in. 
long, with short branches bearing numerous fragrant 
small flowers with a white calyx, green petals, and a 
white spathulate lip ornamented with red streaks, and 
about 1 in. long. It has small red fruits about as big 
