Curcuma.

Botanical name: 

The rhizome of Curcuma longa, Linné (Nat. Ord. Zingiberaceae). Southern and eastern Asia, and extensively cultivated in China, Hindustan, and other countries.
Common Names: Turmeric, Curcuma.

Principal Constituent.—Curcumin, a yellow coloring matter.
Preparation.—Specific Medicine Curcuma. (A coloring agent.)

Action and Uses.—While turmeric is a mild aromatic stimulant, it is almost wholly used as a test for alkalies, and to color ointments and other pharmaceutical products.


The Eclectic Materia Medica, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, 1922, was written by Harvey Wickes Felter, M.D.