116 THE NEW ZEALAND FAMILY HERB DOCTOR. 
CENTAURY (Eyrraraza Oznraurm), 
Our artist has given a very good picture of it. It has long 
been esteemed a very good tonic by the regulars, as can be seen 
by looking up the Edinburgh Pharmacoposia. It yields its bitter 
principle to water and spirit. The infusion or decoction is an 
ounce to the pint; a wineglassful three or four timesaday. In 
cases of debility, indigestion, biliousness, chronic liver com- 
plaint, want of appetite, the centaury will be found a 
beneficial medicine. The plant is an annual,*flowers late in 
summer, and 1s found growing wild in grass paddocks. 
AMERICAN CENTAURY (Sassatra Ancunaris), 
The American Centaury is like the European, an annual 
or biennial herbaceous plant, with a fibrous root and an 
erect, smooth, four-sided stem, winged at the angles, simple 
below, sending off branches above. The leaves, which 
vary considerably in length, are single, oval, and entire, 
smooth, embracing half the circumference of the stem at the 
base. The flowers are white, numerous, growing on the ends 
of the branches, and ‘orming together a large terminal spike. 
The virtues of the American centuary are almost identical 
with the other, both being simply tonics. The infusion is 
the usual way of taking it, one ounce to the pint; dose, a 
wineglassful. The tincture, two ozs. to the pint; dose, from 
a tea- to a tablespoontful three or four times a day. 
GILANGAL ROOT. 
Two varieties are described by authors—large and small. 
According to Dr. Hance the small gilangal is derived from a 
closely allied plant, called Alpina officinalarum. Both forms 
are brought from the West Indies. The larger variety is 
cylindrical, three or four inches long, as thick or often thicker 
than a man’s thumb; often forked ; reddish-brown externally ; 
marked with whitish rings or orange brown internally ; rather 
hard and fibrous; hard to powder; of an agreeable aromatic 
odour, and a pungent, hot, spicy, permanent taste. The small 
