SPICES AND CONDIMENTS. 



219 



bark would contain more lime and magnesia than the more delicate cin- 

 namon. Some of his figures are as follows : 



* Containing wood. 



From these analyses Hehner concludes that the ash in cinnamon 

 varies between comparatively narrow limits. Cassia vera, or Malabar 

 cassia, contains as much as cinnamon, Cassia lignealess ; that one quarter 

 of the ash is soluble in water in cinnamon, less in C. vera, and still less 

 in C. lignea; that cinnamon ash contains less than 1 per cent, of oxide of 

 manganese, C. vera more than 1 per cent., and C. lignea far more, even 

 up to 5 per cent. This is the most noteworthy feature and is shown 

 in the color of the ash, cinnamon ash being white, while those of cassias 

 are gray or brown. Cassia vera, the Malabar cassia, is not so readily 

 distinguished from cinnamon as C. lignea, but its occurrence is less fre- 

 quent. The percentages of lime and magnesia were not distinctive, 

 as had been expected. For cinnamon, 40.09. 36.98, and 40.39 were the 

 amounts of lime in three specimens. In one of Cassia lignea 25.29 per 

 cent, was found. In one of C. vera, 52.72. The less fibrous C. lignea 

 contained the least lime. Of magnesia there was 2.G5, 3.30, and 3.86 

 in the cinnamon and 5.48 and 1.10 in the Cassia lignea and vera respect- 

 ively. Little seems to have been learned, therefore, which would form a 

 sound basis for distinguishing these barks. The presence of manga- 

 nese is more or less accidental and cannot be considered as an essen- 

 tial element of the ash or one from which such definite conclusions could 

 be drawn as to serve as the basis of legal testimony. Our results, in 

 fact, failed to show any large amount in any of the specimens. 



Of the proximate organic constituents, the presence of volatile oil, 

 tannin, mucilage, coloring matter, resin, an acid, starch, and lignin is 

 noted by Ilassall, without any details in regard to their proportions. 

 The essential oil, according to Pharmacographia, however, amounts to 

 only one-half to 1 per cent, of the bark of cinnamon and must be less 

 in the inferior cassias. Beyond this no data are found. We have ex- 

 amined a number of specimens of the ground bark bearing different 



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