ARROW ROOT. 
using its juice as a remedy for wounds inflicted bv 
poisoned arrows. They likewise consider it efficacious 
against the stings of those venomous insects with which 
the countries of nearly all hot climates abound. 
The starch or powder of arrow-root is obtained by 
the following process. The roots, when a year old, are 
dug up, washed, and beaten to a milky pulp, in deep 
wooden mortars. This pulp is afterwards well washed 
in clean water, and the fibrous parts, that are found 
amongst it, are carefully separated and thrown away. 
It is next passed through a sieve, or coarse cloth, and 
suffered to stand for some time to settle. The water 
that remains is subsequently drawn off, and the white 
mass at the bottom is again washed. After this the 
water is entirely cleared away, and the pulp, when dried 
in the sun, is an extremely pure kind of starch ; which 
requires only to be reduced to powder to attain the state 
in which we import it. 
There is no European vegetable, if we except the 
salep or orchis root (219), which vields so large a propor- 
tion of nutritive mucilage as this. Consequently, as an 
article of diet for children, and persons recovering from 
illness, it has of late years been found extremely valu- 
able. Care, however, should be taken to obtain it ge- 
nuine, as the high price for which it is sold is frequently 
the cause of its being adulterated. It is even said that 
the article usually sold in London under the name of 
arrow-root, consists chiefly of starch made from 
potatoes. 
