THE NARROW-LEAVED GINGER.
683
. a rker colour, and covered with a corrugated epidermis. African ginger* n smallish races, which have been partially scraped, and are pale-°mured. East India ginger is unscraped; its races are dark asli-colourede *ternally, and are larger than those of the African ginger. Tellicherry9 lt >ger is i n large plump races with a remarkable reddish tint externally.ft- Black ginger. (Radix Zingiberis nigri.)—Jamaica black ginger is°t frequently found in the shops. The Malabar dark ginger is in un-s ^ r aped short pieces, which have a homy appearance internally, and area dirty brown colour both internally and externally.yOMMERCE.—Ginger is imported in bags, weighing about a hundredei ght each. The quantities on which the duty of eleven shillings per" h has been paid for the last four years, are as follows:—
14 18351836
Brit. W. Indies.
East Indies.
Total.
Brit% W. Indies.
East Indies.
Total.
cwts.
cwts.
cwts.
cwts.
cwts.
cwts.
... 6,496
867 «=
7,363
In 1837
.... 9,157
3,520 =1,911 —
12,677
... 4,426
1,911 =»
6,337
1838
.... 9,305
11,216
0
^ composition. —Ginger was analyzed in 1817 by Bucholz (Gmelin’sQtl db. d. Chem.), and in 1823 by Morin ( Journ. de Pharm. ix. 253).
Bucholz's Analysis.
Pale yellow volatile oil . 1‘56Aromatic, acrid, soft resin . 3-60extractive soluble in alcohol 0 65Acidulous and acrid extrac-tive, insoluble in alcohol 10'50
cum.1205
Starch (analogous to basso-«n) .... 19-75
Apotheme, extracted byPotash (ulmin ?) . . 26 00
“assorin .... 830Woody fibre . . . 8-00
Water .... 1190
White ginger . . 102-31
Morin’s Analysis.
Volatile oil.
Acrid soft resin.
Resin insoluble in ether and oils.Gum.
Starch.
Woody fibre.
Vegeto-animal matter.
Osmazome.
Acetic acid, acetate of potash, andsulphur.
The ashes contained carbonate andsulphate of potash, chloride of potas-sium, phosphate of lime, alumina, sili-ca, and oxides of iron and manganese.
„f ' Volatile oil of Ginger .—Is pale yellow, very fluid, lighter than water, odour thatff'Oger, taste at first mild, afterwards acrid and hot.tb e resin .—Obtained by digesting the alcoholic extract of ginger first in water,
Wo* 1 ln e *h er i and evaporating the etherial tincture. The residual resin is yellowish^9 Pi*' s °fr’ combustible, has an aromatic odour, and a burning aromatic taste. Isl v soluble in alcohol, ether, oil of turpentine, and hot almond oil.
’-fk I!Ys iological Effects. —Ginger is one of the acrid aromatics, whosec *' s have been already noticed {vide p. 72). Its dust applied to thein c ° Us membrane of the nostrils acts as an irritant, and provokes sneez-^ le rinzome chewed is a powerful sialogogue. The powder mixed
'Uth r --- — t ” r ~ - - -o o -r ’ # -
not water, and applied to the skin, causes a sensation of intenseaiU ^ Angling. When taken into the stomach it operates as a stimu-% ’ / lrst > to the alimentary canal, secondly, to the body generally; butW Cla % to the organs of respiration. Like some other spices (the^ or instance), it acts as an excitant to the genital organs. Fur-*is i ril ° re , it is said to increase the energy of the cerebral functions. It^ Ss acrid than pepper.
tHi s SEs> —-it- 8 principal consumption is as a condiment. Its powers inWa y are considerable, while its flavour is by no means disagreeable,