Dictionarium polygraphicum. Turmerick.

Dictionarium Polygraphicum:
Or, The Whole Body of Arts Regularly Digested.
Vol II.
London: Printed for C. Hitch and C. Davis in Pater-noster Row, and S. Austen in St. Paul's Church Yard. MDCCXXXV.
1735
Turmerick is a root us'd by dyers to give a yellow colour. This root is yellow both within and without side, very hard, as if petrified, and not unlike either in figure or size to ginger. The leaves it produces are like those of black hellebore; its flowers rise in manner of a spica, or ear, and its fruit is rough like new chesnuts.

It comes chiefly from the East-Indies; though it grows allo in the island of Madagascar.

It should be chosen large, resinous, hard to break, and heavy.

Some persons have mistakenly imagined there was a native red turmerick; their error was owing to this, that the yellow root, as it grows old, turns brown, and when pulveriz'd, reddish.

It is much us'd by glovers, &c. to dye their gloves; as also by founders, &c. to give a gold colour to their metals.

The Indians use it to colour their rice and other foods yellow; for which reason, it is by some call'd English saffron.

Our dyers don't find it gives so steady a yellow as the luteola or greening weed; but it is admirable for brightening and heightening the red colours dyed with cochineal, or vermilion, as scarlets, &c.