DRUGS. 



the Cinnamon tree has been the subject of much controversy. Dr. 

 Thwaites believes it to be indigenous to Ceylon as he has found' 

 what he considers original woods of it in the central ranges of that 

 island. On the other hand, until the days of Ibn Batuta, no writer, 

 European or Asiatic, makes mention of Cinnamon amongst the exports 

 of Ceylon. Nees von Esenbach states that dar-chini is the Persian for 

 Chinese wood and that Cinnamon is simply Chinese-amomum, but I follow 

 Pliny, Ptolemy, Bruce, and the learned Cooley in placing the Regio Cin- 

 namomifera in the Troglodyte country. Cooley, following Bruce, states 

 that Gardafui, means the port (gard) of aromatics (aphaour) ; quasi 

 Aromatum Promontorium. Arrian (Vincent) mentions nao-via and three 

 other articles, all of which Vincent has translated as commercial sorts of 

 Cinnamon, as with fragrant gums (apmpa) and frankincense the exports of 

 Tabai, identified by the learned Dean of Westminster with Has Hafoon, 

 and which Arrian implies were also the products of Aromata or Guardafui. 

 Sir J. Emerson Tennent, K.C.S., who gives a clear summary of the 

 " Cinnamon Controversy," and adopts the views of Pliny, Ptolemy, and 

 Cooley observes that " Lankagodde, a learned priest of Galle, says the word 

 lawunga in an ancient Pali vocabulary means Cinnamon, but I rather think 

 this is a mistake, for lawanga or lavanga is the Pali for ' cloves/ that for 

 cinnamon being lamago" Above it will be seen that "Lawanga" is the 

 Tamil for Cassia. Lavunga scandens (Ham.), N. O. Aurantiaceae, is 

 the Lavunga-luta of Sanscrit books, and a native of Shilet. It is remark- 

 able that while the Indo-Germans prefer Cinnamon, the Mongolian races 

 prefer Cassia-lignea, the more refined bark being unsaleable amongst the 

 latter. The Cinnamon of Santa Fe is obtained from Nectandra cinnamo- 

 moides, and that of the Isle of France from Oreodaphne cupularis, both 

 Laurels. C. Zeylanicum is Laurus Cinnamomum (Linn. sp. pi. 528.) 

 Laurus Cassia, (Bot. Mag. fig 1636)> and C. nitidum, Nees. See also 

 "Orris root," and " Condiments and Spices." 

 



Laurus Camphora. Linn. 



Linn. Syst. Enneandria Monogynia. 



The solid volatile oil sublimed from the wood, Camphor. 



Vernacular. Karpura, Sans. Kafur, Arab., Hind., Dec., Malaya. 

 Ghansar, Hind. Carpooram, Tam. Payok, Paroak, Burmah. 

 Baroos, Malaya. 



Habitat. China, Japan, Cochin-China. Introduced into Java. 



Remarks. Camphor is first mentioned by Avicenna, Serapion, and 

 Simeon Seth, and by the last under the name of Kafavpa (Pereira). It is 

 strange that there really is no trace of this drug in Pliny and Dioscorides 

 and other ancient writers. It has nothing to do with Borneo Camphor, the 

 Lung naou heang or Dragon's Brain Perfume, so extravagantly prized as 

 a panacea in China. This is the product of Dryabalanops aromatica 

 (Gcert.)> N. O. 34. Dipterocarpacese, found in Borneo and Sumatra. An 

 authentic sample of it is required for the Museum. If common Camphor 

 73 j 



