836 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[April 19, 1873. 
There are two modes of preparing the root—the wet 
and the dry process. In the first, the grated root is put 
into water for four or six days, and afterwards kneaded 
with water, and pressed to extract the juice. The fecula 
which remains is sifted and baked in earth ovens, some 
fresh manioc paste, which has fermented, being always 
added. There are no less than fourteen varieties of the 
manioc distinguished in the province of Amazonas, some 
of which mature in six and others in twelve months. 
The dry process is carried on as follows :—The manioc 
is rasped by hand, water added within, and then put to 
be pressed ; afterwards dried, sifted, and subsequently 
baked. In making the starch, the deposit in the water is 
left for some time to allow the starch to settle down ; 
it is washed three times, dried in the sun, and is then fit 
for sale. 
The carima, or fine, creamy starch, is prepared by 
softening the puba manioc in water, after which it is 
strained and pressed in a sieve, and made into little balls, 
in which shape it comes to market, although sometimes 
reduced to farina. It is used in gruels and other food 
preparations, according to the custom of each locality. 
The exports of tapioca from Brazil were 200,725 bushels 
in 1868, and as high as 332,823 bushels in 1866. In 1871 
the exports were about seven million litres, valued at 
<£‘26,050. The value of the imports of farinaceous sub¬ 
stances from Brazil (nearly all tapioca) have been as 
follows in the last nine years :— 
1863 £4,193 
1864 5,413 
1865 6,404 
1866 . 8,024 
1867 . 13,812 
1868 . 15,188 
1869 8,974 
1870 12,960 
1871 . 14,092 
Twenty years since about 11,000 cwt. of tapioca used 
to be imported annually from Brasil, now we only receive 
about half that quantity. 
At Santiago, one of the Cape Yerdes, the crude farina 
of manioc costs about Is. 6d the decalitre, and when pre¬ 
pared fetches as much as lOcZ, the pound. One estate, the 
Praia Rei, on the island of St. Thomas, West Coast of 
Africa, produces about 150,000 litres of farine of manioc. 
In Angola, 150,000 lbs. are manufactured annually. 
At Mozambique, the Portuguese also prepare a good 
‘deal, which is sold for export at 2i to 3J francs the 
decalitre (17J pints) ; dried slices of the root are sold 
in great quantity in the markets at 5d. to 5id. the deca¬ 
litre. 
The common mess of the Balonda Africans is porridge 
made of the manioc. The meal is stirred into boding 
water; as much as can be moistened is put in, one man 
holding the vessel, and the other stirring the porridge 
with all his might. It is very unsavoury, and no matter 
how much one may eat, two hours after he is as hungry 
as ever. When made thin it is like starch made from 
diseased potatoes. 
Eastern Starches. 
The water lilies are much used by the Chinese for food- 
The seeds of Netumbium speciosum provide an excellent 
meal, used like gruel, and the sliced roots furnish a species 
of arrowroot. The root of Nigmpkcea alba, in Sweden, 
and of Nymphcea lotus, edidis and rubra, are used for food 
in Egypt and. the East. The starch from the roots of 
Sagitaria sagiti'folia is employed by the Chinese, and 
from the Alisma Plantago by the Kalmucks. 
At the Paris Exhibition, in 1867, arrowroots were 
shown in the Indian department from Sarun, from 
Palhully, from Dacca, from Dehra Doon, North Malabar, 
Penang, and Singapore. Although not so stated, I pre¬ 
sume most of these would be from Mar ant a and some few 
from Curcuma and the Palms. 
The Maranta arundinacea, a native of America, was 
introduced into India about 1840, by Mr. Elphinstone, 
and is now cultivated in several of the provinces, especially 
in the Presidency of Madras. It takes twelve or fifteen 
months to attain its full development. About a year, 
with good irrigation, brings the plant to maturity in the 
East, and the roots then contain the maximum of fecula. 
Thus after twelve months’ culture they will afford 16 per 
cent, and subsequent yields were found on careful investi¬ 
gation by a good botanist (M. Lepine, of Pondicherry) 
to be— 
Months. 
14 . 
Per Cent. 
15 . 
. 14 
16 . 
. 12 
17 . 
. 11 
19 . 
The fecula is obtained from the underground shoots, 
which are white, fleshy, about nine inches long .by one 
and a half to two inches in diameter. They contain about 
twenty per cent, of fecula, but by the rude processes of 
rasping and washing not more than twelve per cent, on 
the average is obtained. Arrowroot is in extensive use in 
India, and some is also shipped to Europe. 
The root of Curcuma rubescens yields a starch like 
arrowroot. In Travancore it forms a large part of the 
diet of the inhabitants, but has never been tried much in 
Bengal. 
C. angustifolia yields an arrowroot in Tikor, Benares, 
and Madras ; and C. leucorrhiza in Berar. Specimens of 
these may be seen in the India Museum. 
The wild ginger plant, which furnishes starch, grows 
everywhere in the district of Chittagong ; it is very diffi¬ 
cult to eradicate from land, as the smallest root, or piece 
of a root, that has an eye, will spring up again. The 
plant dies off in December. A rough experiment was 
made with this root by the Civil Assistant-Surgeon of 
Chittagong, Dr. W. B. Beatson, and the yield was esti¬ 
mated at an ounce of starch from one pound of the root. 
The experiment, however, was not precise enough to be 
satisfactory, and he was inclined to think that the yield 
would be much larger, for the microscope shows the root 
to be loaded with starch granules. The supply of the root 
being inexhaustible, any quantity of starch might be ex¬ 
tracted from it yearly and become a valuable article of 
commerce. 
There would be no expense for cultivation, and, allow¬ 
ing for the cost of digging the root, and manufacturing 
the starch, by bruising and macerating the root in water, 
and drying the deposit, the product would be cheaper than 
Arracan rice, which is largely exported to Europe to be 
used, not as food, but in starch manufacture for laundry 
purposes, stiffening fabrics, etc. J 
It is not easy to decide whether the wild arrowroot 
plant found in Cuttack is identical with the cultivated 
arrowroot. A cup of arrowroot made of the one is not 
distinguishable from one made of the other—except, per- 
haps, by a slightly earthy taste observable in the’wild 
arrowroot, which is easily accounted for by its imperfect 
preparation. The cultivation and more perfect manufac¬ 
ture of the garden arrowroot have been comparatively 
recently introduced into the province, so that it is neither 
generally grown nor its produce used by the natives. It 
is made from plants of his own growing by a native 
Christian of Khundittur, who sells his produce among 
the European residents of Cuttuck, his price being a little 
under 6d. per lb. This arrowroot is of excellent quality, 
and the process of manufacture is as simple as can be. 
The tubers are taken up in the cold season, washed, put 
into a large wooden mortar, and mashed. The mash is 
then taken out and well washed in cold water, the water 
drained off, and set to stand in flat vessels, in which it 
deposits. a large proportion of the starch, which is re¬ 
washed in cold water and set to dry in the sun. The 'wild 
arrowroot, know in the bazaars as “ Palooa,” grows abun- 
