arrowroot

[Eng. arrow; root. The translation of a term originally applied by a tribe of native American Indians to the root of Maranta a rund in ace a), which had long been used by them to counteract the effect of wounds inflicted by poisoned arrows. Other derivations have been given. It is, however, noteworthy that in Ger. arrowroot is pfeil wurz: pfeil being = arrow, and wurz = root.] 1. Bot . The English name of the botanical genus Maranta, the type of the endogenous order Marantaceæ, called by Lindley, in his Nat . Syst . of Bot ., the Arrow-Root tribe; but altered in his Vegetable Kingdom to Marants. The flowers of Maranta are in long, close, spike-like panicles, with irregular corollas, each having a single perfect stamen, with half an anther. The veins of the leaves run out obliquely from the midrib to the margin. The root is a fleshy corm, which, when washed, grated, strained through a sieve, and again repeatedly washed, furnishes the substance so much prized as food for invalids, which is described under No. 2. 2. Comm.: The starch extracted from the Thizomes of a Maranta, and imported into this country in large quantities from the East and West Indies, and from Africa, each importation taking the name of the place from which it comes. Thus we have East Indian arrowroot, Bermuda arrowroot, St. Vincent arrowroot, Natal arrowroot, . Attempts have been made to call every starch arrowroot which bore the slightest resemblance to the EAST INDIA ARROWROOT. Magnified 10) diameters. true Maranta; for example, Potato or British arrowroot, from the Solanum tubero- sum ; Tous-les-mois, or French arrowroot, from the Canna edulis ; Tapioca, or Brazilian arrow- root, from the Manihot utili i- ma, . This has failed since the pa ing of the Adulteration Act, and it is now un- derstood by public analysts, mag is- trates, ., that arrowroot must consist entirely of the starch which is extracted from the rhizomes of a Maranta, and that any admixture of potato or other starch is regarded as an adul- teration. WEST INDIA ARROWROOT. Magnified 100 diameters. East Indian arrowroot is said by some to be prepared from the tubers of the Curcuma an gest i folia . Such we believe to be the cas in Southern India, where it is a favourite food among the natives; but the article sold in this country as East Indian arrowroot is certainly the starch of a Marant, and not a Curcuma. This is readily determined by the microscope. Natal arrowroot has given much trouble to the public analysts, owing to the granules somewhat resembling those of potato-starch. It has, however, been lately proved to be a genuine Maranta starch. Portland arrowroot: A name applied to a starch prepared, some years ago, in Portland, from the roots of the Arum maculatum . It is not now an article of commerce. Arrowroot is adulterated either by the mixing together of various qualities of arrowroot, or by the admixture of other starches, such as potato or tapioca. Neither of these methods renders the arrowroot deleterious; but when we consider that the price of the different qualities of genuine arrowroot varies from 6d. to 2s. 6d. per pound, and that the price of potato or tapioca flour seldom exceeds 6d. per pound, we then see how the public may be cheated in pocket. The adulteration by potato or tapioca flour is readily detected by the microscope.