202 PHILIPPINE RESINS, GUMS, AND OILS 



KALINGAG OIL 



The bark of Cinnamomum mercadoi is used locally as medicine 

 and would probably, on account of its strong sassafras odor and 

 taste, make a good ingredient for root beers. 



Bacon * made a chemical investigation of this bark and re- 

 ported his results as follows: 



* * * I obtained 25 kilos of bark from the Lamao region, Bataan 



Province. This bark was ground and distilled with steam, giving 260 



grams (1.04 per cent) of a light yellow oil. The oil had an odor like 



30° 

 sassafras and the following properties: Specific gravity -^5^=1.0461; 



N^ = 1.5270; A-^^ =+4°. * * * 



The oil was distilled at 10 millimeters and gave the following fractions: 



Fraction No. 1 redistilled at ordinary pressure had a boiling point 235° 



to 238° at 760 millimeters; specific gravity, ^ =1.0631; N '^=1.5335; 



30° 

 A-jy =-(-0.9. By oxidation with chromic acid this fraction gives pipero- 



nylic acid melting at 227°. Piperonal was obtained by heating with 

 alcoholic potash and then oxidizing with potassivun permanganate. 



These results leave no doubt but that the oil from Chviamomum mer- 

 cadoi Vid. is almost entirely safrol, and it is remarkable in this respect, 

 as most oils from Cinnamomum species contain only small amounts of safrol 

 and large percentages of cinnamic aldehyde. * * '^■' 



Cinnamomum mercadoi is a small to medium-sized tree up to 

 65 centimeters in diameter. It is usually straight but not very 

 tall. The leaves are opposite, smooth, leathery, pointed at both 

 ends, distinctly three-nerved, and from 8 to 20 centimeters in 

 length. The fruits are about 2 centimeters long and surrounded 

 to the middle by the persistent calyx. 



This species is very widely distributed and well known, but 

 rather scarce. Quantities of bark sufficient for commercial 

 utilization could be collected, if it were of sufficient value. 



CINNAMOMUM MINDANAENSE Elm. (Fig. 65). MINDANAO CINNAMON. 

 Local names: Kalingag (Surigao) ; canela (Span, in Zamboanga). 



* Bacon, R. F., Philippine terpenes and essential oils, IIL Philippine 

 Journal of Science, Section A, Volume 4 (1909), page 114. 



