CINNAMON 271 



The student should observe 



(a) The uniform colour and absence of cork, 

 (6) The narrow wavy longitudinal lines, 

 (c) The odour and taste. 



Constituents. The principal constituent of cinnamon bark is 

 the volatile oil, of which it yields 0'5 to TO per cent. ; the bark con- 

 tains also tannin and mucilage. Inferior qualities are generally more 

 mucilaginous and contain a volatile oil of inferior fragrance. The 

 drug yields about 4 per cent, of ash. 



The volatile oil (sp. gr. 1-000 to 1-030 ; O.R. ~ 0-5 to - 1) contains from 

 55 to 65 per cent, of cinnamic aldehyde together with eugeriol (4 to 8 per 

 cent.), terpenes and small quantities of numerous other bodies. The amount 

 of cinnamic aldehyde present may be determined by the official process of 

 assay. 



Uses. Cinnamon is used chiefly as a flavouring agent in astrin- 

 gent powders and tinctures. It has aromatic and mildly astringent 

 properties. 



Varieties. As already mentioned four grades of cinnamon bark 

 are recognised on the London market. In addition the following 

 may be noted. 



Jungle Cinnamon. Obtained from wild plants ; the bark is darker, 

 coarser, less carefully trimmed and less aromatic ; it closely resembles 

 cassia bark (see below). 



Saigon Cinnamon. Official in the U.S. Pharmacopoeia ; obtained 

 from an undetermined species of Cinnamomum ; quillsa bout 15 cm. 

 long, 10 to 15 mm. wide, and 2 to 3 mm. thick ; greyish or greyish 

 brown with lighter patches ; warty and ridged ; taste sweeter, odour 

 stronger than Ceylon cinnamon. 



Java Cinnamon. From C. Burmanni, Blume ; odour less delicate 

 than that of cinnamon ; volatile oil contains about 75 per cent, of 

 cinnamic aldehyde ; used in Holland ; the cells of the medullary 

 rays contain small tabular crystals of calcium oxalate, whereas in 

 cinnamon they contain minute needles. 



CASSIA BARK 



(Cassia Lignea, Chinese Cassia) 



Source, &C. Cassia bark is obtained from Cinnamomum Cassia, 

 Blume (N.O. Laurinece), a medium-sized tree, probably a native 

 of Cochin China, but cultivated now in the south-eastern provinces 

 of the Chinese Empire (Kwang-si and Kwang-Tung). This tree yields 

 the bark known in English commerce as cassia bark or Chinese cassia 



