AMO 
the root in three pints of boiling water, is kept in the (hops. 
The cafes in which, ginger is more immediately fervice- 
ab.le, are flatulent cholics, debility and laxity of the fyftem, 
and in torpid and phlegmatic conflitutions, to excite a 
brifker adtion of the veffels. The manner of preparing it 
for life, in the Weft Indies, is as follows. 'When the ftalks 
are wholly withered, the roots are fit to take up; which 
is generally done in January and February. Being picked 
and cleared, they are gradually fealded in boiling water: 
after this they are fpread, and expoled to the fun till the 
whole is fufficiently cured ; they are then divided into 
parcels of about one hundred weight each, and put into 
bags for the market; this is called black ginger. The 
white ginger is never fealded, but every root is picked, 
waftied, and feraped, feparately, and then dried in the fun 
and air. To preferve this root in fyrup, it is dug when 
the (hoots do not exceed five or fix inches in height. Being 
picked and waftied, they are fealded till tender; then put 
into cold wtater, and feraped and peeled gradually : this 
operation may laft three or four days, during which time 
the roots are conftantly kept in water, frequently fhifted. 
They are then put into jars, and covered with a thin fy¬ 
rup, which, after two or three days, is fhifted, and a richer 
put on; this is fometimes again removed, and even a fourth 
put on ; but it fcldom requires more than three fyrups. 
The fhifted fyrups are diluted, and fermented into a fmall 
pleafant liquor, called cool drink. 
2. Amomum zerumbet, or broad-leaved ginger, or ze- 
rumbet: fcape naked, fpike oblong, obtufe. This is a 
native of the Eaft Indies, Cochinchina, &c. Alfo in Otar 
heite and the other Society ifles. With us it flowers from 
September to November ; when the ftalks perifh, in the 
fame manner as the true ginger. This is ufed externally 
in the Eaft, in cataplafms and fomentations; but not as 
fpice or medicine internally: though Garcias affirms, that 
it makes a better preferve with fugar than the other. > 
3. Amomum fylveftre, or great wild ginger: fcape na¬ 
ked, fpike elongate with oblong ventricofe braftes, leaves 
broad-lanceolate. This differs in nothing from the pre¬ 
ceding, only the ftalk rifes eight or nine feet high, having 
much larger leaves; and, inftead of the flowers and fruits 
being on the end of the fame ftalk, they are on another 
about three feet high, immediately fpringing from the 
root. It is a native of Jamaica, where it is frequent enough 
in the woods. Browne fays, that its common height is 
five or fix feet, and that the flower-ftalks feldom rife above 
one or two feet from the ground. The root is warm, and 
ftimulates very gently; it may be properly adminiftered as 
a ftomachic and alexipharmic. 
4. Amomum mioga, or Japanefe ginger: fcape very 
Ihort, capfule ovate, leaves enfiform acute. It is a na¬ 
tive of Japan, where it flowers in September. 
5. Amomum cardamomum, or cardamom : fcape very, 
fimple and ftiort, bradtes alternate, loofe. The cardamom 
has thick flefhy roots, which in the fpring fend forth 
many green reed-like ftalks, and rife to the height of fe- 
ven or eight feet, garnifhed with very long narrow leaves, 
fet alternately, clofely embracing them at the bafe. The 
ftalks decay entirely in autumn, and new ones arife from 
the roots in the fpring ; but it has not produced any flow¬ 
ers as yet in England, though the roots thrive and increafe 
greatly where the'y are properly managed. Cardamom is 
an objedt of confiderable commerce in Malabar. The In¬ 
dians themfelves make great ufe of it; they mix the feeds 
with their betel, thinking that it facilitates digeftion. The 
lefter cardamom, which in all probability will prove to be 
a different fpecies from this, affords an elegant and ufe- 
ful aromatic ; very warm, yet not fiery, or fubjeft, like 
pepper, to produce immoderate heat. The feeds, which 
are the part ufed in medicine, 'give out their warmth to 
watery as well as to fpirituous menftrua, but much more 
powerfully to the latter. The tindture of cardamoms is 
occafionally made ufe of as a pleafant warm cordial, as 
Well as for flavouring other medicines. *■ 
6. Amomum villofum : fcape ftiort reclining, bradles 
Vo l. I. No. 31. 
MUM. 481 
linear, fruit villofe. Native of the mountains of Cochin- 
china. The feeds are in great requeft among the Chinefe 
merchants, being much ufed in medicine in China. 
7. Amomum medium: fpike cauline, branched; fruit 
oblong, (freaked, valvelefs. Native of China, in the pro-' 
vince Yunan, to the weft of Canton. The feeds are ufed 
in agues, for culinary purpofes, and to increafe the ftrengch 
of any odours whatever. 
8. Amomum globofum : fpike cauline, branched ; fruit 
globofe with an even furface. Native of the mountains 
ot China and Cochinchina; and ufed medicinally in bpth 
countries, in diforders of the bowels, &c. 
9. Amomum hirfutum : fpike cauline, fimple, reclining ; 
fruit roundifh hirfutg. Native of Cochinchina, in woods.. 
10. Amomum granum paradifi, or grains of paradife : 
fcape branching, very ftiort. As yet we know very little 
about this plant. It is a native of Guinea, and of the 
iflands of Ceylon and Madagafcar. 
11. Amomum galanga, or galangale : fpike cauline, e- 
redt; fpathes fubtrifiorous; capfule three-cornered, ovate, 
fmooth. It is a native of China and Cochinchina, and is 
cultivated in both countries. The root and feeds are 
both ufed there medicinally. The root, as imported to 
us, has no very grateful fmell, and an unpleafant, bitter- 
iftij hot, tafle. It was formerly in common ufe as a warm 
ftomachic bitter, and generally made an ingredient in bit¬ 
ter infufions; but it is now alrruoft.wholly laid alide, on 
account of its unpleafant flavour. The fpirituous extrail: 
is excedively fiery; and the watery extradl is very hot and 
pungent. The effential oil has little fmell, and no great 
pungency. The pungent matter, therefore, feems to be 
of the fame nature with that of pepper; refiding, not in 
the volatile oil, but in a more fixed matter. In the Eaft, 
they ufe the freffi root in preferviog fifh and meat, and to 
flavour the fpirit which they draw from rice and fugar. 
For this purpofe, they bruife it grofsiy, and make it up 
into balls, with an equal quantity of rice. Thefe balls are 
hung up for a long time in a chimney, that they may im¬ 
bibe the foot. A quantity of this fubftance is broken into 
the liquor prepared by boiling for making fpirit, and is 
left in it all night; the next day the liquor is found in a 
ftate of fermentation, and is put into the dill; and they 
procure a fpirit from this mixture, not inferior to that 
which is drawn from the coco palm, and probably much 
more wholefome. The fame root is ufually given in the 
(hops for galangale and for zedoary. 
12. Amomum arboreum: ftem arboreous, fruit caly- 
cine. This is a tree about ten feet in height, with many 
twifted fpreading branches. It has fcarcely any tafte or 
fmell, and its ufe is unknown. The wood is very light, 
and not even fit for the fire. Native of the ifland of Su¬ 
matra, in a wood, on the eaftern coaft. 
Propagation and Culture. All thefe forts are tender, and 
require a warm .dove to preferve them in this country. 
They are eafily propagated by parting their roots ; the 
bed time for doing this is in the fpring, before they put 
out new '(hoots; for they ffiould not be tranfplanted in 
fummer, when they are in full vigour, nor do they fuc- 
ceed fo well when they are removed in autumn, becaufe 
they remain long after in an inactive ftate; and, during 
that time, if wet comes to the. roots, it often caufes them to 
rot. When the roots are parted, they fliould not be divi¬ 
ded into fmall pieces, efpecially if they are defigned to 
have flowers ; fo.r, until the roots have fpread to the fide 
of the pots, they rarely put out flower-items, for which 
reafon they fliould not be planted in very large pots. 
Thefe plants thrive beft in a rich light earth, fuch as may 
be found in the kitchen-garden; with this the pots fliould 
be filled within two inches of the top, then the roots 
fliould be placed in the middle of the pots, obferving that 
their crowns are upwards, and the pots filled up with the 
fame rich earth ; after this, the pots fliould be plunged 
into a hot-bed of tanner’s bark, and nmft be fparingl.y 
watered, until their ftalks appear above ground, when 
they will require a greater (hare of moifture, efpecially 
6 G - duiiqg 
