ON  AFRICAN  TURMERIC, 
61 
to  the  above  Curcuma,  which  on  inquiry  would  be  apparently 
confirmed  by  their  aboriginal  appliances  and  other  peculiarities 
indicating  a  remarkable  affinity  to  turmeric. 
Similar  kind  of  rhizomes  are  produced,  probably  from  this 
Canna,  to  a  limited  extent  in  the  Portugese  Island  of  St.  Thomas, 
a  small  sample  of  which  I  purchased  in  1850,  at  St.  Anna  de 
Chaves,  and  deposited  as  specimens  in  some  of  the  economic 
museums  in  this  country. 
African  turmeric  is  cultivated  by  the  inhabitants  of  Sierra 
Leone,  chiefly  for  the  the  rich  yellow  dye  it  yields.  Grass  cloths, 
mats,  baskets,  and  other  aboriginal  manufactures  are  colored 
from  a  peculiar  preparation  of  the  roots,  which,  retaining  their 
permanency  of  hue,  become  highly  esteemed  as  articles  of  traffic. 
The  brilliant  flowering  spike,  large  bright  green  leaves,  and  lux- 
uriant development,  render  the  plant  one  of  the  most  conspic- 
uous ornaments  of  the  colonial  gardens.  Its  inflorescence  oc- 
curs in  April,  and,  in  fact,  throughout  the  rainy  months,  the 
tubers  attaining  their  maturity  about  December  or  January ; 
they  are  then  dug  up  and  exposed  to  the  sun,  previous  to  their 
collection  for  the  markets.  The  price  hitherto  has  been  merely 
nominal,  being  solely  dependent  on  the  demand.  In  some  parts 
of  India,  this,  and  other  species  of  Cannce,  have  been  considered 
sacred  to  Buddha,  owing  to  an  ancient  tradition  which  ascribes 
their  source  to  the  sprinkling  on  the  earth  of  a  few  drops  of 
blood,  from  an  accidental  wound  of  his  foot  against  a  stone. 
Hence  the  seeds  are  occasionally  used  in  the  formation  of  rosa- 
ries, which  constitute  important  adjuncts  in  certain  religious 
rites  and  ceremonies. 
The  long  palmate  tubers  become  much  shrivelled  up  by  age, 
are  marked  with  longitudinal  wrinkles,  and  undergo  such  exter- 
nal alterations  as  lead  to  a  considerable  modification  of  form. 
Paper  tinged  with  a  decoction  of  the  bruised  root  furnishes  char- 
acteristic changes,  precisely  in  accordance  with  those  obtained 
from  turmeric,  and,  in  a  series  of  brief  experiments  made  by  my 
friend  Dr.  G.  0.  Rees  and  myself,  they  appeared  to  correspond 
in  several  respects  with  those  stated  by  pharmaceutical  authori- 
ties. The  color,  however,  produced  from  alkalies  is  of  a  deeper 
tint,  and  as  a  test  indicates  a  superior  sensitive  action  to  their 
influences.    The  yellow  coloring  matter  (Curcumin  ?),  on  which 
