CORTEX C ASSISE LIG2\E.E. 53.3 



Allied Products. 



Cassia Twigs. — The branches of the cassia trees, alluded to at page 

 .529, would appear to be collected from the same trees which yield tlie 

 cassia lignea. Gamier {I.e. at p. 528) says that the youngest branches 

 are made into fagots, adding that they have the odour of bugs. 



Cassia twigs are not as yet exported to Europe, but they constitute 

 a very important article of the trade of the interior of China. In 1872 

 no less than 456,533 lb. of this Wood of Cassia or Casna Twigs were 

 shipped from Canton, for the most part to other Chinese ports. — The 

 imports of Hankow, in 1874, of these twigs were 1925 peculs (259,GG7 

 lb.) valued at 5677 taels (1 tael about equal to os. \\d)} 



In the Paris Exhibition of 1878 we had the opportunity of examining 

 some bundles of cassia twigs from western Kwangtung. The branches 

 were as much as 2 feet in leno-th and of the thickness of a finger. We 



found their bark to possess the usual flavour of cassia lignea. 



Cassia Buds, Flores Cassite—T\\Q&Q are the immature fruits of 

 the tree yielding Chinese cassia lignea, and have been used in Europe 

 since the middle ages. In the journal of expenses (A.D. 1359-60) of 

 John, king of France, when a prisoner at Somerton Castle in England, 

 there are several entries for the spice under the name of Flo 7^ de Candle; 

 it was very expensive, costing from 8s. to 13.?. per lb., or more than 

 double the price of mace or cloves. On one occasion two pounds of it 

 had to be obtained for the king's use from Bruges.2 From the Fonn 

 of Curif written in 1390. it appears that cassia buds {"Flo ch qucynd ) 

 were used in preparing the spiced wnne called Hipiwcras. 



Cassia buds are shipped from Canton, but the exports have much 

 declined. Rondot, writing in 1848,' estimated them as averaging 4U0 

 peculs (53,333 lb.) a year. In 1866 there were shipped from Canton 

 only 233 peculs (31,066 lb.); in 1867, 165 peculs (22,000 lb.) Ihc 

 quantity of cassia buds imported into the United Kingdom in 18/U 

 was 29,321 lb.;« the spice is sold chiefly by grocers. The great maiket 

 for this drug is Hamburg, where in 1876, according to the otJiciai 

 statistics, 1324 cwt. of cassia buds were imported. . 



In Southern India, the more mature fruits of one of the varieties oi 

 Cinnamomum iners Reinw. are collected for use, but are very inienor 

 to the Chinese cassia buds. . , 



Folia Malabathri or Folia Indi-is the name given ^^ the dried 



aromatic leaves of certain Indian species of ^^''"^«r,^"'f 'iHame 

 etnployed^ in European medicine, but now obsolete. Under tl^e nai 

 '{aj.pat, the leaves are still used in India; they are collected in M^.ore 

 from wild trees. . 



7s/,,>;.^._This is the designation in Quito of the calyyj a t.^^^^^^^^ 

 the laurel tribe, used in Ecuador and Peru in the P'^^^ ?^J 

 Though but little known in Europe, it has a remarkable history. 



.'ii^tunis of Tt 

 t him for 1872, j 

 - Doiiet d'Arc( 

 gj BoU de Fro 



'fSe?p. 245, note 8. LevauiehandeJ, ii. (1879) C63 



Comrneixe d'exportailon dc la Chine, 45. 



7 For further 1 



