Turmeric.
Curcuma.
A native of the East Indies, and a very singular plant. The leaves rise immediately from the root, and are long, broad, pointed at the ends, not dented at the edges, and of a very deep green colour. On other parts of the root stand the stalks, which bear the flowers; these are a foot high, and of the thickness of a goose quill. They have only a kind of films instead of leaves; the flowers stand in short thick spikes, and are of a red colour, longish and slender; they look very pretty in the spike, but do not last long; the root is oblong, thick, and of an irregular figure, whitish on the outside, and of a deep yellow within; it creeps under the surface of the ground.
Our druggists keep these roots dry. They are good against the jaundice; they open all obstructions, and promote the menses, and work by urine.
