Roscoe, Linn. Trans, vii. 354. Cl. I. Ord.l. Monandria Monogynia. Nat. ord. Scitamineae. Gen. Char. Anther doable, two-spurred. Filament petal-like, three-lobed, bearing tue anther in the middle. Sp. 1. C. longa.2 Spec. Plant. Willd. 1.7. Officinal. Curcuma longa radix, Dub. Turmeric.

Syn. Zedoire, Saffran des Indes (F.), Zedoar, Gelb wurzel(G.), Zedoaria (I.), Judwar (Arab.), Nirbisi (San.), Banhaldi(Beng.), Keang whang ( Chinese), Huldic (Hindoo).

This plant is a perennial, a native of the East Indies, growing in sandy open places in Ceylon and Malabar, where it is named Acua by the Brahmins; and flowering in April and May. The root is tuberous, oblong, whitish, and about the thickness of a finger, and studded with nodes, the relics of fleshy fibres: the leaves are palmated, broad, lanceolate, sub-sessile on their sheath; seriaceous underneath; colour an uniform green.3 The scape, which rises from among the leaves, is naked, and terminated by a lax, cylindrical, truncated, lateral spike of flowers.

The best tubers come from Ceylon, in firm, short, wrinkled pieces, of an ash-colour externally, and internally of a deep orange yellow. They should be heavy, and not worm-eaten.

1 The following is the formula for Bate's preparation : - Cupri sulph. Boli gall, aa grs. xv. Camphorae, grs. iv. Solve in aq.ferv. f iv., dilueque cum aq. frig. O iv. ut fiat Collyrium.

2 The excellent reasons given by Mr. Roscoe for separating this plant from the genus Amomum, induce me to prefer his authority to that of Willdenow in this instance.

3 Roxburgh; vide Asiatic Researches, vol. xi. p. 165.

Qualities.-The odour of curcuma is fragrant, and somewhat like that of camphor; the taste biting, aromatic, and bitterish, with some degree of acrimony. The tubers break with a short close fracture, are pulverulent, and internally of a brownish red colour. The active principles are partially extracted by water, and more completely by alcohol, ether, and oil. In distillation with water, a heavy, greenish essential oil is obtained, which deposits camphor. According to the analysis of John, curcuma yields volatile oil 1 part, yellow resin 11 parts, yellow extractive 12, gum 14, ligneous fibre, mixed with a substance insoluble in alcohol but soluble in potassa, 57, and water 6, in 100 parts. It seems to contain, independent of its aromatic and bitter principles, a large proportion of fecula, in conjunction with the ligneous fibre. From the action of the alkalies on this colouring principle, turning it to red-brown, curcuma is the best test of the presence of these bodies.

Medical properties and uses.-Curcuma is tonic and carminative. It was much employed by Avicenna, and other Arabians, in vomitings, colics, lientery, difficult menstruation, and as an antidote for venomous bites. It is certainly an agreeable stomachic, and useful in flatulent colic; but it is scarcely ever used by modern practitioners. The dose of the powdered tuber may be from grs. viij. to 3 ss., two or three times a day.