24 Report of Schimmel § Co. 1922. 



From the distillation water 0.3 per cent, of an entirely different oil could be 

 extracted with light petroleum: d i7 o 1.0281, d 15 o 1.0297, « 160 — 2°2', acid v. 2.49, alde- 

 hyde content 82 percent, soluble in 1.75 vol. of 70 percent, alcohol and in 0.75 vol. 

 of 80 percent, alcohol, further addition of alcohol caused slight turbidity. A mixture 

 of both oils had the following constants: duo 1.0075, di 5o 1.0091, « 170 — 3° 23', acid v. 

 2.49, aldehyde content 70 per cent, soluble in 2 vols, of 70 per cent, alcohol ; slight 

 turbidity on further addition of alcohol. The oils referred to were amber-yellow, their 

 odour reminded one somewhat of Ceylon cinnamon oil, but they did come near the 

 quality of the latter. 



Cinnamon Leaf Oil. — Little has been published so far on cinnamon leaf oil from 

 South Kanara; the more interesting therefore what C. K. Menon 1 ) says about it. The 

 cinnamon tree, Cinnamomum zeylanicum, Nees which according to Tschirch occurs in 

 the south-west of British India in very different forms 2 ), all belonging to the same 

 species, however, grows abundantly in the coast district of South Kanara at elevations 

 varying from 100 to 700 fest — and fairly up to 3500 feet on the Ghat slopes. The 

 local distillers distinguish four kinds of trees from the taste of the leaves, viz., "mitta" 

 (sweet), "picWka" (insipid), "tej v (pungent), and "hadira" (bitter). They collect the leaves 

 only of the last two for oil extraction, the first two are reported to be useless for this 

 purpose. In Ceylon the leaves are macerated in sea-water and subsequently distilled, 

 but in South Kanara the first operation is not carried out. In that district the rude 

 apparatus for distilling the leaf oil consists of three earthen pots, serving respectively 

 as boiler, covering pot and receiver, with two short bamboo tubes to conduct the steam 

 from the boiler to the condenser. The large earthenware pot which acts as the boiler 

 is placed over a furnace; water is poured into it to a depth of 9 inches. Fairly 

 matured green leaves are packed into it. A small earthenware pot is kept with 

 its mouth down over the boiler, the joint being well plastered with clay and cow-dung 

 mixed. A small bamboo tube, about a foot long and half an inch in diameter, is 

 thrust through a hole in the top of the upper pot. To the free end of this tube, 

 another about three feet in length is attached, the two joints being wrapped up in 

 cloth and plastered well with the clay mixture. The longer tube is led into the con- 

 denser, fixed in a tank containing cold, muddy water. A thick wet cloth is spread 

 over the mouth of the condenser, and around the bamboo tube. The muddy water is 

 replaced as it gets heated. The water in the boiler is heated to boiling point; the 

 steam and the extracted oil are condensed against the cool sides of the condenser. 

 The oil being heavier than water, sinks to the bottom. 



The working season lasts only from November to March, after which the young 

 leaves appear, and these would not yield sufficient oil to repay the labour. In North 

 Mangalore Forest Division of the South Kanara district cinnamon areas in the un- 

 reserved lands are divided into working circles; each one is intended to provide leaves 

 for five stille annually during the working season. The number of local distillers is 

 fixed, and each working circle is auctioned to a single individual. 



Menon suggests that cinnamon growth should be concentrated within small and 

 compact areas, instead of continuing the present system. The plant can easily be 

 grown from seed. The average annual production is about 25 tins of oil (1 tin — 

 24 bottles = 18 litres), which is sent to Bombay, the chief market for South Kanara oil. 



x ) Perfnm. Record 12 (1921), 31. — 2 ) Cf. also page 20 of this Report. 



