26 CANELLA ALBA 



in more or less broken quills or pieces, which vary in length from 

 two inches to a foot or more, in width from half an inch to one or 

 two inches, and in thickness from one to two or three lines. The 

 "bark is generally somewhat twisted, and in some samples it is very 

 much bruised and fissured longitudinally in consequence of the 

 beating to which it has been subjected to in its removal from the 

 wood. Externally it has a pale orange-brown or buff colour, and is 

 usually marked by slight transverse wrinkles, and evident rounded 

 depressions or scars. Internally it has a yellowish-white colour, 

 and is nearly or quite smooth. It breaks with a short granular 

 fracture, and the fractured surface shows distinctly the two layers 

 (mesophlteum and endophlteum) of the bark, of which the canella 

 of commerce is essentially composed. It has an aromatic, agreeable 

 odour, resembling a mixture of cloves and cinnamon, and a bitter, 

 pungent, acrid taste. 



The principal constituent of Canella alba bark is a volatile oil, 

 which was formerly said to be scented with oil of cloves, and sold 

 for it. The amount of oil obtainable from canella alba bark varies 

 from about 0*75 to 0'90 per cent. Canella alba bark also con- 

 tains about 8 per cent, of mannite, which was formerly regarded 

 as a peculiar saccharine substance, and named canellin ; and also 

 a bitter principle, which has not been isolated. 



SUBSTITUTES. Canella alba bark has been confounded with 

 Winter's Bark, obtained from Drimys Winteri, Forster, a tree of 

 the order Magnoliaceae, and hence has been called Spurious 

 Winter's Bark. The bark of a tree botanically allied to Canella 

 alba, namely, the Cinnamodendron corticosum, Miers, which will be 

 afterwards described, has been, however, known and used as 

 Winter's Bark, both in England and elsewhere for a long period 

 of time, and is, therefore, probably the bark referred to by writers 

 for which canella alba bark was said to be substituted. Both 

 kinds of Winter's bark may be readily distinguished from 

 Canella alba bark by their general characters, and also chemi- 

 cally as follows : A decoction of Cinnamodendron bark and also 

 of true Winter's bark is blackened by a persalt of iron, which is 

 not the case with that of Canella alba bark. By the addition of 



