Curcuma longa, Linn. (Turmeric)

 

 

The Wealth of India. A Dictionary of Indian Raw Materials and Industrial Products. Raw Materials, Vol. II, Delhi, 1950. Entrée: Curcuma longa, Linn.

Zingibéracée. Plante vivace (perennial). 2–3 ft.high with a short stem and tufted leaves. The rhizomes, which are short and thick, constitue the turmeric of commerce. Turmeric is used both as a colouring material and as a condiment. The characteristic yellow matter, distributed throughout the plant, is especially concentrated in the rhizomes.

Uses.– Turmeric (rhizomes or powder) is an auspicious article in all religious observances in Hindu households. It is a normal constituent of condiments, curry powders and prepared mustards. It is used also for dyeing wool, silk and unmordanted cotton to which it imparts a yellow shade in an acid bath. In spite of its poor light-fastness it is still used for dyeing cotton, sometimes in combination with other natural dyes like indigo and safflower to impart different shades. Turmeric was in use, until recently [années 1930], in England for dyeing wool and silk in the formation of olive browns and other compound colours. It is used as a colouring matter in pharmacy, confectionery and food-industry. Turmeric paper is an official reagent in the British Pharmacopoeia for testing alkalinity. A diluted tincture of turmeric is suitable for use as a fluorescence indicator even in brown and yellow solutions.

In Indian systems of medicine, turmeric is used to some extent as a stomachic, tonic and blood purifier. It is also prescribed as an antiperiodic alterative. Mixed with warm milk it is said to be beneficial in common cold. The juice of the fresh rhizome is used as an antiparasitic for many skin affections. Externally, it is applied to indolent ulcers, and a paste made from the powedered rhizome along with lime forms a remedy for inflamed joints. A decoction of the rhizome is said to relieve the pain of purulent ophthalmia [ophtalmie, noter phth en anglais]. Oil of turmeric, distilled from the dried rhizomes, has feeble antiseptic properties. It is an antacid and, in small doses, acts as a carminative [fait expulser les gaz intestinaux], stomachic, appetiser and tonic. In large doses (2–4 cc. of concentrated solution), however, it appears to act as an antispasmodic inhibiting excessive peristaltic movements of the intestines.