C I N 



476 



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> when the patient's itoiruch can bear it ; and the other 

 preparations must be retorted to when its use is inexpe- 

 Of time, the extract appears to be the leist 1- 

 1 to do any good. The practitioner must be guid- 

 ed, in a great measure, by the habits and delicacy of the 

 patient. See MEDICIM.. 



It is utterly impossible to say in what manner the Pe- 

 ruvian bark acti on the human constitution. In general, 

 :t is considered tonic, antiseptic, and astringent, and it 

 may possess all of these qualities in a very pre-eminent de- 

 gree ; but still no clue is furnished by them to develope 

 the mode in which it acts in the cure of disease. Thus, 

 ample, every physician is well acquainted with the 

 yrnptoms of intermittent fever, but there are few suffi- 

 daring to arrogate any decided knowledge of the 

 cause* of these symptoms ; every practitioner has some 

 hypothesis of his own, but if he be a man of common 

 lenie, he will never make that the basis of his practice. 

 li like manner, experience has shewn, that Peruvian bark 

 almost universally cures this fever ; but how this cure is 

 induced, it is impossible to determine, until we are assu- 

 red of the nature of the diseased action which it over- 

 comes. The effects of bark are very powerful ; and it is 

 a very remarkable fact, that its action is imperceptible 

 on the human constitution. The only effects of an over- 

 dose, are headache and nausea. Whatever difference of 

 opinion may prevail respecting the mode in which the 

 Peruvian bark produces its effects, there is no doubt of 

 the very decided character of these effects. In intermit- 

 tent fever it was first used, and what is very rare in the 

 history of medicine, still maintains its pre-eminence over 

 every other remedy in general application. Experience 

 too has taught almost the whole host of medical men, 

 i hat it may be administered very safely in large quanti- 

 ties, in all stages of the disease, without any other pre- 

 paration than that of previously evacuating the stomach 

 by an emetic, or by a cathartic. It has been supposed 

 ouMt useful when exhibited before the recurrence of the 

 paroxysm. It may be given even in the hot stage, though 

 U. is then more liable to induce nausea. But the more 

 common mode of practice is to administer it during the 

 interval of the paroxysm. Frequently very smart at- 

 tacks of intermittent fever have been cut short by the 

 timeous use of this medicine. The usual dose is from 

 ne to two scruples every fifth or sixth hour during the 

 interval* of the paroxysms, and this should be continued 

 lor some time (which must be determined by circumstan- 



ie) to prevent a relapse. 

 In 



remittent fever, particularly the bilious remittent 

 of hot climates, even where the remission is very obscure, 

 bark may be administered with great freedom, and very 

 generally with much advantage. 



It n given in diseases of debility, such as typhus, cy- 

 r.anchi maligna, in passive hzmorrbagies, confluent small- 

 pox, in dysentery. It is also employed in scrofula, ill- 

 conditioned ulcers, Sec. In the fir t of these classes it 

 doe* not appear so beneficial as wine, from the weak 

 *tate of the organ* of digestion. When the patient i* 

 . onvalescent, it is considered more useful. 



Bark has been used very freely in rheumatism, particu- 

 arly among the London practitioners, and very generally 

 with advantage. It is the object of another article to 

 enter more fully into the uses of this very valuable re- 

 sedy. 



Half a drachm is the usual dose ; but, under particu- 

 lar circumstances, the quantity may be very much aug- 

 ertted. Two ounces have been taken, in urgent cases, 

 i the course of twenty-four hours. 



The powder, 'as before rusted, it the molt efficacious 



form in which it may be administered, either mixed up Cmrinnatu* 

 with water, milk, jelly, or any other simple vehicle, or 

 combined with some stimulant aromatic matter*. It 

 sometimes excites vomiting and purging, which must be 

 corrected by the usual means. See Thomson's (.'liemit- 

 try. Murray's Materia Medico. Pharmarop. Collcgior. 

 Lotuf. Edin. &c. Practice of Pkytic, (passim) Thomas 

 and Cullfn. See also MEDICINE, (c. M.) 

 CINC1NNATUS. See ROME. 

 CINERARIA, a genus of plants of the class Synge- 

 nesia, and order Polygamia Super flua. Sec BVOTA.NY, 

 p. 30^. 



CINNA. See ROME, 



CINNA, a genus of plants of the class Monandria, 

 and order Digynia. See BOTANY, p. 183. 



CINNAMON. This well known spice is the hart 

 of the Laurus cinnamomum, which is cultivated both <; 

 the spice islands and at Cayenne, though most abundant- 

 ly in the former, whence almost the whole of the cinna- 

 mon for the European market is brought. The charac- 

 ters of the launts cinnamomum are given under the arti- 

 cle BOTANY. It belongs to the class Eimeandria, or- 

 der Monogynia, and to the natural order Oleracese. 



Captain Perceval has given the fullest account of this 

 plant that has ever met our eye, and the following ac- 

 count is substantially derived from his History of Cey- 

 lon. The cinnamon gardens are within half a mile of the 

 fort of Columbo in Ceylon. They extend over a surface 

 of more than 15 miles, which is traversed by various 

 roads. There are also plantations of the shrub at Ma- 

 deira, and Point de Galle. It thrives best in a loos* 

 white sand. It has a slender trunk, rises to the height 

 of from four to ten feet, innumerable branches shoot from 

 the stem, and give it the appearance of the Portugal lau- 

 rel. The wood is light and porous like that of the 

 osier. It is used as fuel. Shoots spring up from the 

 roots in immense profusion. The leaves, when they first 

 burst, have a beautiful scarlet colour ; they then become 

 green, and have both the taste and the smell of cloves. 

 The blossom is white, and has no smell. The fruit re- 

 sembles an acorn. It is ripe at the end of autumn, when 

 oil is obtained by bruising and boiling it. The natives 

 anoint themselves with the oil, which is skimmed off, and 

 they also mix it with cocoa nut oil, and burn it in lamps. 

 During all audiences with the sovereign of Candy this 

 oil is burnt. Wheu the trees become too old, they are 

 cut down, and their places are soon occupied by young 

 shoots, that rise from the roots in vast profusion. For- 

 merly, many of these young twigs were cut as sticks, 

 which are highly prized ; but this is now prohibited. 



The natives divide the true cinnamon into four classes. 

 I. Raise curundu, or honey cinnamon, which is known by 

 its broad thick leaves. 2. Na icurundu,or snake cinnamon, 

 which is also known by the size of its leaves. 3. Car/u- 

 rn curunf/u, or camphor cinnamon, which is very inferi- 

 or to the former too. The root yields camphor by di- 

 tillation. 4. CaLattc curundu, which is harsh and astrin- 

 gent. Its leaves are also smaller. There are other spe- 

 cies of cinnamon, whiah are entirely rejected by the ser- 

 vants of government. 



Originally the cinnamon tree was wild, but one of the 

 Dutch governors raised it artificially. The cultivation 

 was neglected by his successors, until the capture oft 

 Ceylon by the British. The plantations are now in 

 regular rows, which facilitates the gathering of the 

 spice. 



The bark may be collected at any period of the year ; 

 but there are two seasons at which the regular harvests 

 arc gathered in. The first of these takes place between 



