Amjuiy,r"i£8.arm'}    Examination  of  Commercial  Ginger.  319 
An  examination  of  the  figures  given  in  Table  6  shows  that  all  of 
the  samples  of  commercial  powdered  ginger  conform  to  the  Govern- 
ment standard  for  starch  and  lime.  All,  except  No.  2,  contain  less 
than  8  per  cent,  of  crude  fiber.  They  all  come  within  the  limits  for 
insoluble  ash,  although  the  total  ash  is  too  high  in  Nos.  I,  2,  3  and 
4.  The  samples  are  all  lower  in  volatile  ether  extract  than  any  of 
the  authentic  samples,  analyses  of  which  are  given  in  Table  1,  and 
Nos.  1,  4  and  5  show  less  cold-water  extract.  No.  7  was  obtained 
as  exhausted  ginger,  and  is  notably  low  in  water-soluble  ash,  cold- 
water  extract,  alcohol  extract,  volatile  ether  extract  and  non-volatile 
ether  extract. 
MICROSCOPICAL  EXAMINATION  OF  SAMPLES  OF  COMMERCIAL  POWDERED 
GINGER. 
The  foregoing  samples  of  commercial  powdered  gingers  were  also 
examined  microscopically.  Nos.  1  and  2  show  the  presence  of 
Cayenne  pepper  and  of  olive  endocarp  (Fig.  5). 
No.  4  contained  aggregations  of  starchy  material  about  0-5  mm. 
in  diameter,  in  which  were  distributed  reddish  oil  globules  resembling 
those  of  capsicum,  which,  together  with  the  pungency  characteristic 
of  capsicum,  suggested  the  addition  of  tincture  of  capsicum. 
No.  5  contained  numerous  fragments,  about  0-5  mm.  in  diameter, 
with  polygonal  non-lignified  cells  containing  numerous  yellowish- 
brown  globular  masses  from  20  to  30  /jl  in  diameter. 
Nos.  3,  4,  5  and  6  all  contained  a  considerable  amount  of  fibrous 
material,  as  well  as  thick- walled  isodiametric  cells  which  were  strongly 
lignified.  While  the  presence  of  this  foreign  material  may  have 
been  due  to  failure  in  properly  garbling  the  ginger  rhizomes,  the 
amount  was  such  as  to  warrant  one  in  looking  upon  the  samples 
with  suspicion. 
No.  7,  which  was  obtained  as  an  exhausted  ginger,  contained 
numerous  fragments  of  quillaja  or  soap  bark,  as  also  the  typical 
calcium  oxalate  crystals  of  quillaja. 
SOME  GENERAL  CONCLUSIONS. 
In  considering  the  data  obtained  in  both  the  microscopical  and 
chemical  examination  of  the  samples  of  commercial  powdered  ginger 
and  those  of  known  purity,  the  conclusion  is  reached  that  commer- 
