Du Mez—The Galenical Oleoresins. 
1075 
cording to Cripps and Brown a “good ginger” will yield from 
2.24 to 3.48 per cent. * 11 
Gingerol. Gingerol or zingiberol 12 is the constituent or mix¬ 
ture of constituents to which ginger is said to owe its pungency. 
It is a colorless, odorless, viscid fluid possessing an extreme 
pungency. Its exact composition has not been determined, the 
most recent investigations indicating that it is a mixture of 
phenols. 13 It is readily soluble in strong alcohol, carbon disul¬ 
phide, benzol and oil of turpentine, but only slightly soluble in 
petroleum ether. 
Gingerol is present in the rhizomes in amounts varying from 
0.6 to 1.82 per cent. 14 
Resins. The resins of ginger have been isolated and described 
by Thresh. 15 This investigator recognizes four individuals with 
respect to their physical properties and their behavior toward 
acids and alkalies, viz: a neutral resin, an a-resin, a /?-resin and 
a y-resin. 
The neutral resin is stated to be a black, pitch-like substance 
soluble in ether, alcohol, benzene and oil of turpentine, but in¬ 
soluble in petroleum ether and carbon disulphide. 
The a-resin is a soft, but brittle substance soluble in ether 
and alcohol, but insoluble in the remainder of the above men¬ 
tioned solvents. 
The /?-resin is also soft and brittle, but is soluble in all of the 
above solvents. 
The y-resin is firmer in consistence and is soluble in ether, 
alcohol and petroleum ether. 
The total resin content of the rhizomes varies to a considerable 
ginger: Cochin 1.38 per cent., Japan 1.38 per cent., Bengal 1.6 per cent., 
African 2.54 per cent. Zeitschr. Unters. Nahr. u. Genussm. (1907), 14, 
p. 549. 
11 Analyst (1909), 34, p. 519. 
12 The term gingerol was first used by Thresh in 1884 to designate the 
pungent principle of ginger. Year-Book of Pharm. (1884), 21, p. 516. 
Zingiberol is evidently a modification of the above, the idea being to bring 
the nomenclature in closer conformity with the name of the botanical source— 
Zingiberis officinale Roscoe. 
13 Garnet and Grier, Year-Book of Pharm. (1907), 44, p. 441. 
14 Thresh obtained gingerol in the following quantities: Jamaica ginger 
0.66 per cent., Cochin 0.60 per cent., African 1.45 per cent. Pharm. Journ. 
(1879), 39, p. 193. 
Gane reports the presence of the following percentages: Jamaica 0.84 per 
cent., Cochin 0.60 per cent., African 1.45 per cent., Fijian 1.82 per cent. 
Pharm. Journ. (1892). 51, p. 802. 
15 Pharm. Journ. (1879), 39, p. 193. 
