y 



\ 



321 



Th 



The officinal Canella alba is the bark of the branches of this 



/ 



freed from its outward covering, and dried in the fhad 



It is brought 



Europe in Jong quills,^ which are about three quarters of an inch 



ally 



yellowifh 



diamete 



fo 



th 



cinnamon, and both 



colour, with ; 



This bark 



aromatic, 



I 



ai 



aft 



and internally of a whitiili or light brown 



hue, and commonly intermixed with thicker pieces, which are 



probably obtained from the trunk of 



moderately warn 



refembles that of 



proof fp 



is 



(( 



; its fmell is agreeable, and 



sxtraded moil perfedly by 



In didillation with water it yields an eflential _oil of 



yellowifh colour, of a thick 



onfiften 



difficultly 



feparable from the aqueous fluid, in fmell fufficiently grateful, though 

 rather lefs fo than the bark itfelf : the remaining decodion, infpiifat 



P 



leave 



d of great bitternefs, in confiflence not uniform, feem- 

 ingly compofed of a refinous and gummy matter, imperfedly mixed. 

 On infpifrating the fpirituous tindure, the fpirit which diftils has no 



great fmell or tafle of the Canell 



b 



fo far impregnated with 



more volatile oil as to turn milky on the admixture of water: the 

 remaining extrad retains the bitternefs of the bark, but has little more 

 of its warmth or flavour than the extrad made with water."* 



i ^ 



The ufe of C 



W 



alba now fuperfedes that of the old bark of 



the authority of both the London and Edinburgh ph 



macopoeias. It has been fuppofed to pofTefs a confiderable fhare of 

 medicinal power, and is faid to be an ufeful medicine in the fcurvy, 



d fome other compl 



but it is now confidered merely in th 



charader of an aromatic, and like many of the fpices is chiefly employed 

 lor the purpofe of corroding and rendering lefs difagreeable the more 

 powerful and naufeous drugs. It is therefore an ingredient in the 

 pulv. aloet. Pharm. Lond. ar^d in the tindura amara, vinum' amarum, 



" this 



vmum rhei, &c.^ of the Pharm. Edinb., Swartz tells us that 

 bark, together with the fruit of Capficum, was formerly a comm 

 ingredient " 



of the Ant 



the 



the food and drink of the Caribs, the ancient natives 



d 



even 



Hieagre pot of the neg 



1 



.t prefent it makes a neceflfary addition 

 "1 



Lewis, i/.iTf. /. 186, " 



SCILLA MARITIMA 



d 



