Am"jJu°iy?i9(Sarm"}    Examination  of  Commercial  Ginger.  309 
way  the  grains  vary  from  irregular-spherical  to  ellipsoidal,  ovoid, 
ovoid-pointed  and  somewhat  rectangular  as  viewed  on  the  side 
{Fig.  3).  While  occasionally  a  grain  may  show  distinct  lamellae, 
this  is  not  the  rule.  For  some  reason  ginger  starch  grains  do  not 
polarize  well.  Very  few  of  the  grains  show  a  distinct  cross,  and 
usually  the  contrast  in  the  parts  of  the  field  is  faint,  unless  they  are 
mounted  in  oil  and  heated  to  6o°  C, 
The  starch  grains  of  Japan  ginger  are  the  most  easily  distin- 
guished. In  addition  to  the  typical  grains,  which  vary  from  20  to 
35  fx  in  length,  there  are  numerous  compound  grains  varying  from 
4  to  25  fji  in  diameter  (Fig.  3,  f).  They  differ  from  the  ordinary 
compound  grains  by  being  more  or  less  irregular  and  of  varying 
size,  and  apparently  more  easily  detached  from  one  another  than  is 
usually  the  case.  In  Calcutta  ginger  there  appears  to  be  a  larger 
proportion  of  spherical  grains,  reminding  one  of  those  of  wheat,  and 
varying  from  ,15  to  25  fi  in  diameter.  The  larger  grains  are  ovoid, 
pear-shaped,  or  ovoid  and  beaked,  and  not  more  than  30  to  40  \i  in 
diameter  (Fig.  3,  b).  In  Jamaica  ginger  the  grains  are  uniformly 
larger  than  in  the  other  gingers,  it  being  not  unusual  to  find  them 
45  jx  long  and  occasionally  60  /jl  long  (Fig.  3,  The  starch  grains 
of  African,  Calicut  and  Cochin  gingers  are  quite  similar,  and  vary 
in  diameter  from  20  to  45  [i  In  Calicut  ginger  there  are,  however, 
a  few  compound  grains  and  a  considerable  number  of  helmet-shaped 
grains  (Fig.  3,  c).  In  Cochin  ginger  the  grains  show  a  stronger 
polarization  than  those  of  the  other  gingers,  even  when  mounted  in 
water  (Fig.  3,  d).  In  African  ginger  there  is  a  preponderance  of 
ellipsoidal,  ovoid  and  pear-shaped  grains,  which  on  an  average  are 
from  25  to  30  /jl  in  length  (Fig.  3,  a). 
Secretion  Cells. — In  ginger  there  are  two  kinds  of  secretion  cells, 
one  kind  being  found  with  the  parenchyma  and  being  nearly  spher- 
ical, and  another  associated  with  the  fibrovascular  bundles  and 
elongated.  Those  found  in  the  parenchyma  vary  in  number  from 
IO  to  50  per  square  millimeter  as  viewed  in  transverse  section,  and 
are  more  numerous  in  the  cortex  than  in  the  stele,  and  furthermore 
occur  in  greater  number  near  the  endodermis  (Fig.  2).  The  cells 
vary  in  diameter  from  45  to  150  yu.  The  largest  of  these  cells  are 
found  in  Japan  ginger.  In  fresh  ginger  and  in  the  confection  known 
as  "  crystallized  ginger,"  the  contents  are  oily  and  of  a  light  yellow 
color,  changing  to  a  golden  yellow  with  sulphuric  acid.    In  most  of 
