January 28 , 1871 .] THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
G03 
ordinary degree, the little Fenestella, so frequently 
found fossil in the carboniferous limestone. 
An excellent object for the low-power binocular 
is a transverse section of the dissepiment, showing 
the spermopliore "with the seed attached. 
Very few of the articles of our materia medica 
can vie with the poppy and its products in profit 
and interest either to the chemist, botanist or micro - 
scopist. Papaver Rliceas (Linn.). 
This richly-coloured plant, the pest of our corn¬ 
fields, is more especially abundant on the new red 
sandstone strata. It occurs more frequently in the 
South than the North of England. The capsules 
differ from those of P. somniferum in shape. They 
resemble the schoolboys’ whip-top, with ten or more 
stigmatal rays in the coronet. 
It is remarkable for its splendid red colour, which 
probably is the only useful property it possesses. 
The P. Rliceas is often confounded by the tyro with 
P. clubium and P. Aryemone, but may be distin¬ 
guished from the former by the shape of its capsule 
being globular and by the spreading bristles on the 
flower-stalk. From the latter it is instantly known 
by the smoothness of the capsule. 
The colour of the petals of P. Rliceas is usually 
described as scarlet, but is in reality an exceedingly 
rich crimson. Treated by Riffard’s process ( Journ . 
de Pharm. vol. xii. p. 412), viz. by the action of ether 
and alcohol, the petals yielded a dark red colouring 
matter, which is deliquescent, insoluble in ether, but 
soluble in alcohol and water. 
Acids partially destroy and chlorine quite decolo¬ 
rizes the red pigment. It is readily distinguished 
from the colouring matter of the rose and cabbage 
by becoming nearly black by alkalies, instead of the 
usual blue or green. The petals yield about 40 per 
cent, of Riffard’s product. 
According to Meier ( Report. Pliarm. (3) vol. xli. 
p. 325) the red colouring matter of P. Rliceas consists 
of what he calls rlioeadic and papaveric acids. The 
former differs from the latter by being precipitable 
by acetate of lead. Most likely, however, the true 
red colour has yet to be isolated. 
In Bristol the syrup is much used as a popular 
remedy for measles, under the name of oil of kermes. 
(To he continued.) 
KAFUR KACHRI. 
(Heclycliiiini spicatum ). 
BY M. C. COOKE, M.A. 
Many articles employed in Oriental medicine are 
still involved in great obscurity, so that it is impos¬ 
sible to state with any certainty whence they are 
originally derived, or what plants yield them. This 
seems to be pre-eminently the case with the products 
of Scitaminaceous plants. What can be more ob¬ 
scure than the sources of the different kinds of Ze- 
rumbet and Zedoary? and the Galangals are not 
satisfactorily determined, whilst Cardamoms were 
in a deplorable condition until Mr. 1). Hanbury ex¬ 
erted himself to clear away some of the mystery 
which enshrouded them. Then there are other and 
minor products, undoubtedly belonging to the same 
Order of which we know exceedingly little, and 
doubt much. This is the case with the species of 
Curcuma which afford a starch of the nature of 
arrowroot. Who can identify, with any certaintyr 
the sources of the Curcuma arrow-roots of India ? 
The Kafur-Jeachri of the bazaars of India is one 
of the substances which seem to be involved in 
the least obscurity; and though it is not of any 
great importance, a brief account of it may not be 
the less acceptable. The native names have been 
verified by Mr. Moodeen Sheriff, and may be relied 
upon. He gives Kafur-kachri, or Kapur-kachri, as 
the Hindustani name, the latter being also applied 
in Bengal and the Dukhan to the same substance. 
Vilayati-kachur is another Dukhani synonym; and 
the Tamil and Telugu names are respectively 
Shimai-kich-chilik-kizhangu, and Sima-kiclicliili- 
gaddalu, meaning “ Europe or Foreign Long Ze- 
doarv.” 
On reference to the Indian Pharmacopoeia, we 
find it stated that this is the Sitruttee of the bazaars, 
aivl was considered by Dr. Ro}de to be very pro¬ 
bably the Sittarittee, or Lesser Galangal of Ainslie. 
The Supplement to the Pharmacopoeia sets this 
question at rest, for it is declared that Sittarittie 
and Sutruttee, which are used in some works sy¬ 
nonymously with Kafur-kachri as the Hindustani 
names of this root, are incorrect, because they be¬ 
long as Tamil names to the Lesser Galangal, which 
is the product of a different plant. We may here¬ 
after endeavour to clear up some of the doubts re¬ 
garding the Galangals, so that it will be unnecessary 
to refer to them here. 
There is no reasonable ground for doubt that the 
Kafur-kachri is the root, or rhizome, of Hedychium 
spicatum (Smith), figured and described in the ‘ Bo¬ 
tanical Magazine’ (plate 2300), which is a native of 
the Himalayas. 
The root when entire is reddish-brown, marked 
with white rings, bearing considerable resemblance 
to the true Sit-ruttee or Lesser Galangal, whence, 
perhaps, the confusion of names. It differs, how¬ 
ever, from Galangal in being very white and friable, 
internally starchy in structure, fragrant, and slightly 
warm or aromatic in taste, but not peppery or pun¬ 
gent. In smell, taste and internal colour, as well as 
medicinal properties, it resembles the Long Zedoary; 
but neither in smell nor structure can the two be con¬ 
founded after having been seen together. The pecu¬ 
liar, strong aromatic odour of the Kafur-kachri is, at 
any time, almost of itself sufficient to identify this 
drug; it is an odour never to be forgotten, and not to be 
confounded with any other. The starchy character 
of the substance of the root is so characteristic, that 
it cannot escape notice; the interior may be scraped 
away with a knife, or pounded into a white flour, as 
if it were nothing else but pure starch. Indeed, a 
little of this substance scraped with a penknife upon 
a slip of glass, in a 
drop of water, and 
submitted to the mi¬ 
croscope, seems to 
consist as absolutely 
of starch granules 
as many prepared 
starches. The pro¬ 
portion of foreign 
matter is exceed¬ 
ingly small. The 
granules partake of 
the character of Cur¬ 
cuma arrow-root, ex- 
cex)t that they are Starch of Hedychium spicatum. 
