CHI′CA. The red colouring matter deposited by a decoction of the leaves of Bignonia Chica in cooling. Used by the American Indians to stain their skin. It is soluble in alcohol, ether, oil, fat, and alkaline lyes, and slightly so in boiling water.
Chi′ca. See Maize beer.
CHIC′ORY. Syn. Wild suc′cory; Cichor′ium Inty′bus (Linn.), L. A plant belonging to the natural order Compositæ. It is indigenous to this and many other countries of Europe, and is extensively cultivated for the sake of its roots, which are sliced, roasted, and ground, to form the chicory of the shops. Nearly 100 millions of pounds are annually consumed in Europe. Much of the chicory used in Britain is of home growth; but still more is imported in a raw state from Holland and other parts of the Continent. A blue dye has been prepared from the leaves of this plant.
The FRESH ROOT OF CHICORY (ra′dix chico′rii re′cens) is reputed to be alterative, attenuant, diuretic, febrifuge, hepatic, resolvent, and tonic; and in large doses aperient. It is now seldom used in medicine, although it appears to possess similar qualities and equal activity to those of dandelion. “An infusion of the root, mixed with syrup, becomes thick; forming the GOMME SACCHO-CHICORICE of Lacarterie.” (Fee.)
Analysis of Chicory (the raw root):—
| Moisture | 77·0 |
| Gummy matter (like pectin) | 7·5 |
| Glucose, or grape sugar | 1·1 |
| Bitter extractive | 4·0 |
| Fatty matter | 0·6 |
| Cellulose, inulin, and woody matter | 9·0 |
| Ash | 0·8 |
| ——— | |
| 100·0 |
The ROASTED ROOT is prepared by cutting the full-grown root into slices, and exposing it to heat in iron cylinders, along with about 11⁄2% or 2% of lard, in a similar way to that adopted for coffee. When ground to powder in a mill, it constitutes the CHICORY of the grocers (CHICORY COFFEE, SUCCORY C.; RADIX CHICO′RII TORREFAC′TA, R. C. T. CONTRI′TA); so generally employed both as a substitute for coffee and as an adulterant of that article. The addition of 1 part of good, fresh roasted chicory to 10 or 12 parts of coffee forms a mixture which yields a beverage of a fuller flavour, and of a deeper colour than that furnished by an equal quantity of pure or unmixed coffee. In this way a less quantity of coffee may be used, but it should be remembered that the article substituted for it does not possess in any degree the peculiar exciting, soothing, and hunger-staying properties of that valuable product. The use, however, of a larger proportion of chicory than that just named imparts to the beverage an insipid flavour, intermediate between that of treacle and liquorice; whilst the continual use of roasted chicory, or highly chicorised coffee, seldom fails to weaken the powers of digestion and derange the bowels. “There can be no doubt that roasted chicory must, when taken largely, have a tendency to excite diarrhœa.” (Pereira.)
Pur., &c. The ground chicory of the shops, like ground coffee, is almost universally adulterated. Pigments are added to it to colour it, and various vegetable substances to lessen its value. The following articles have been reported to have been detected in roasted chicory, or to have been known to be used to adulterate it:—Venetian red, reddle, and red clay; roasted acorns, beans, carrots, damaged dog-biscuits, damaged bread, damaged wheat, horse-chestnuts, mangel wurzel, parsnips, peas, rye, and sugar; coffee flights (coffee husks), coffina (roasted lupins), Hambro’ powder (roasted peas coloured with reddle), and the marc of coffee; exhausted bark (from the tan yards), logwood dust, mahogany dust, &c. It has also been asserted that the scorched livers of bullocks, horses, and dogs have been applied to the same purpose; but of this there is not sufficient evidence. The only way to avoid being thus cheated or poisoned is to buy the chicory whole, and to grind it at home.
Microscopic appearance of chicory root.