128 ELEMENTARY BOTANY. 



16. The bark of Cinnamomum zeylonicum, of the Laurel fam- 

 ily, is the Cinnamon of commerce. The plant is cultivated 

 in India, Ceylon, Sunda Islands, West Indies, and South 

 America. It is a small tree, twenty to thirty feet high, with 

 oblong-lanceolate leaves. The trees are topped, every one or 

 two years, like Basket-willows, and thus from the main stem 

 many shoots are produced ; from these the bark is easily re- 

 moved in the spring, after a rainy period, when the activity 

 of the cells in the cambium zone is greatest. Circular inci- 

 sions are made at considerable distances from each other, and 

 connected by a longitudinal incision. The bark is then re- 

 moved by the help of the knife-blade. When partially drj'- 

 the outer bark is scraped off; the bark or bast is then whitish, 

 but as soon as dry presents the peculiar cinnamon color. If 

 vigorous growth takes place in November and December, the 

 bark can be again removed, but it is inferior. The refuse parts, 

 together with the leaves, are used in the manufacture of oil 

 of cinnamon, of which the bark contains 0.5 to 1 per cent. 

 This is used in perfumery. Cinnamon finds extensive use as 

 a spice ; it is also used in medicine. 



17. Several arboreous species of the South American genus 

 Cinchona, as C. calisaya, C. lutea, C. miaantha (Madder family), 

 furnish the Cinchona bark of commerce, the most important 

 febrifuge known. It is also called Peruvian or Jesuits' bark. 

 The outer part of the bark of old trees is removed as worth- 

 less; the entire bark of young trees or stems is used. The 

 taste of Cinchona bark is intensely bitter, but the odor is 

 weak. Among the numerous constituents are found cellulose, 

 gum, sugar, starch, mineral constituents (mostly calcic and 

 sodic carbonate) and many alkaloids. Of the latter, quinia is 

 the most important; it is crystallizable, slightly soluble in 

 .water, soluble in alcohol, ether and chloroform ; forms crystal- 

 lizable salts with several acids. The sulphate of quinia, or 

 Quinine, fine, white, silky, is the form most used in medicine. 

 The next most important alkaloid constituent is cinchonia, 

 which is about one-half less powerful than quinia. Various 



