From the examination of various samples of ginger by the Analytical Commission of the Lancet,' it appears that this substance is occasionally mixed with sago meal (p. 15), potato flour (p. 15), wheat flour (p. 15), ground rice (p. 15), cayenne pepper (p. 51), mustard husks (p. 54), and turmeric powder.

TURMERIC.

Turmeric powder consists of the ground tubers of Curcuma longa, a plant which is extensively cultivated in the neighbourhood of Calcutta, in Bengal, as also in China and

Cochin China. The tubers are yellowish externally, and internally more or less orange coloured, passing into reddish brown. The odour is peculiar, though somewhat analogous to that of ginger; the taste is aromatic; when chewed, it tinges the saliva yellow. Its powder is orange-yellow; the tubers are frequently wormeaten.

The following varieties of turmeric are known in the English market, and described by Dr. Pareira:

1. China turmeric. 2. Bengal turmeric. 3. Madras turmeric, the most showy of all kinds of turmeric. 4. Malabar, Bombay turmeric. 5. Java turmeric.

The epidermis is made up of a single layer of transparent cells.

The tuber consists of transparent and colourless cells,

containing in their interior large masses of a yellow colour, which in most cases fill up the cavities of the cells. When broken up, these masses are found to consist not only of colouring matter, but also of numerous starch corpuscles. Lastly, scattered among these cells are a few coloured oil globules, numerous deep reddish-brown masses, and also dotted ducts.

Curcumin enters largely into the composition of curry powder and some other condiments. According to the investigations of the Analytical Commission, Turmeric is not subject to adulteration.

CINNAMON.

Cinnamon, the bark of Cinnamomium zeylanicum, is cultivated principally in Ceylon; the main Cinnamon-gardens lie in the neighbourhood of Colombo. The peeling of the bark from the tree is effected by making two or more longitudinal incisions, and then elevating the bark by introducing the peeling knife under it; the bark is then dried in the sun, and afterwards made into bundles with pieces of bamboo twigs.

Four kinds of Cinnamon are distinguished in the London market—the Ceylon, Tellicheri, Malabar, and Java; a fifth

kind, the Cayenne, occurs in the French commerce. The Ceylon is the most esteemed, and is characterised by being cut obliquely at the bottom, whereas the other kinds are cut transversely.

When examined with the microscope, a longitudinal section of the bark is seen to consist of cells and fibres, with

a few starch granules; and lying in the cavities of some cells are deep cinnamon-coloured masses of granular texture. Some of these cells have a peculiar stellate structure.

Adulterations of cinnamon, and their detection.-It is known that cinnamon bark, deprived of its volatile principles by distillation in the preparation of cinnamon water and oil, is often redried, and offered in the market as ordinary cinnamon. To detect this fraud, nothing more is necessary than to powder a portion of the cinnamon in a mortar, and examine carefully with the microscope the condition of the starch granules; if they are larger than natural, not properly formed, and distorted and irregular, the cinnamon has been subjected to the action of boiling water, for the purpose of extracting its essential oil. If the cinnamon has been exposed to the prolonged action of boiling water, the starch

granules become so broken up and dissolved, that they can no longer be detected.

A very common practice is to substitute Cassia for Cinnamon, either in the bark or in powder; the following is a short account of this substance:

CASSIA.

Cassia bark is much stouter than cinnamon; it breaks short and without splintering; moreover, cinnamon is paler and browner than cassia, which is usually redder and brighter; the taste of cinnamon is sweet, mild, and aromatic, whilst that of the other is less sweet, stronger, and followed by bitterness. It is, however, difficult to distinguish them

from each other by the above means, when in the form of powder; and the analyst must have recourse to microscopical examination. Sections of cassia bark, when viewed under the microscope, differ from those of cinnamon in the greater width and relative proportions of the several structures,

particularly in the size and number of the starch corpuscles. The cells of cassia are much more commonly, than those of cinnamon, filled with well-developed starch corpuscles, which are considerably larger than those of cinnamon, and many times more numerous; the woody fibres appear similar in both cases. Of the entire thickness, about one fourth is formed by stellate cells; the remaining three fourths being made up of the starch-bearing cells.

Powdered cassia may, therefore, at all times be discriminated from powdered cinnamon, by the size and abundance of the granules of starch.

Different kinds of cassia :

1. China cassia lignea, or sometimes Cassia cinnamon, the best kind of Cassia, and usually imported from Singapore; it is warted externally, and covered with crustaceous lichens.

2. Malabar cassia lignea, imported from Bombay, is thicker and coarser than that of China.

3. Manilla cassia lignea, is usually sold in bond for Continental consumption.

4. Mauritius cassia lignea is but occasionally met with.

Adulterations of cassia.-The Commission of the 'Lancet' has found cassia adulterated with baked wheat flour (p. 15) and sago powder (p. 15), even in large proportions; also with potato flour (p. 15), and East India arrow-root (p. 15); one sample was found to consist entirely of mixed spice, probably, however, sold by mistake.

NUTMEGS.

There are three species of Myristica which furnish nutmegs; the best description is obtained from the Myristica