CASSIA. 203 
Boeckmann. Its boiling-point was found to be 242° C., and its 
sper 1-076 * 2: 
An examination of pure cinnamon-leaf oil from cimnamon 
trees cultivated in the Seychelle Islands has been made by Messrs. 
Schimmel (1890). The oil was found to correspond remarkably 
with the thin cinnamon-root oil from Ceylon. It consists chiefly 
of eugenol and its sp. gr. is 1°060. 
Cassia. 
The dried bark known in commerce as “ Cassia Bark,” “ Cassia 
lignea,” and “China Cinnamon ” is produced in the hot climates 
of Asia from several species of Cinnamomum. The trees differ 
considerably from each other in foliage, inflorescence, and aro- 
matic properties, but the distinctive difference of several species 
has not yet been clearly established. 
Cassia lignea or China cinnamon is annually brought in large 
quantities to Canton from the province of Kwangse in the south 
of China, whose principal city, Kwei Lin Foo (literally the city 
of the Forest of Cassia trees), derives its name from the forests 
of Cassia around it. 
Until as lately as the year 1884 the exact botanical source of 
Chinese Cassia lignea was not known with certainty, although it 
was generally attributed to the tree now proved to yield it, viz., 
Cinnamomum Cassia, Blume, which is cultivated in China and is 
probably a native of Cochin China. 
The investigations which led to the identification of the tree 
were made by Mr. Charles Ford, the Superintendent of the 
Botanical and Afforestation Department, Hong Kong, who, with 
the consent of his Government, proceeded to the Cassia planta- 
tions on the West River for the purpose of reporting on the 
cultivation and collection of Cassia lignea, as well as of bringing 
back for distribution from the Hong Kong Botanic garden 
living and dried botanical specimens of the authentic plant. He 
completely succeeded in the object of the expedition, and described 
his journey and its results in a Report to the Hong Kong Govern- 
ment. This Report was printed as a Government Notification 
(No. 339), and was republished by Mr. Thiselton Dyer, with 
* This boiling-point differs slightly from the recorded observations of other 
chemists; see ‘ Hugenol” in the Article on Cloves. 
