March i, 1882.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
777 
BRITISH PHARMACEUTICAL CONFKRENCK. 
RESULTS OP EXPERIMENTS MADE 
CINNAMON AND CASSIA, 
Bij J. Woodland, F.L.S., F.C.S., etc. 
result 
proper 
which 
i ascertain, if possible, the substance which 
xlizecl decoction either of cinnamon or 
ie its blue colour, I made experiments 
own constituents of the drugs with the 
ding that the volatile oils possess the 
ibsorbing iodine to a considerable extent, 
liarity the other known constituents of 
em to lack, and as far as the experiments 
sseut determine, the oils are the only 
colorizing power, 
d cassia both take away 
by iodine to a decoction 
the drugs seen 
made at pres. 
co istituenl s b; 
The oils of 
the blue colov. 
of starch, and that of the former drug possesses this 
property to a much greater extent than is the case 
with t iat of cassia, although not in any constant 
proportion, the amount of iodine that is absorbed by 
the oils being dependent upon the age of the sample 
in an inverse ratio, as the greater the age of the 
oil the smaller is the quantity of iodine solution 
absorbed by it. This decolorization is more especially 
seen when the oil and iodine are dissolved in the 
same medium, such as rectified spirit or carbon 
bisulphide, but if the oil be diffused in water, and 
iodine solution with starch paste added, although the 
decolorization takes place quickly at first, yet after 
a time it proceeds but slowly, owing to the im- 
perfect contact of the reacting agents. Iodine also 
dissolves in b >th of the oils, more quickly in that 
of cinnamon, and if the iodine be in excess, it im- 
parts to the solution in oil of cinnamon a rich red- 
dish-brown colour, whilst the more slowly formed 
solution in oil of cassia has a dull greeuish-brown 
colour, with a very slight appearance of red after 
shaking. 
The quality of cinnamon or cassia bark being de- 
pendent upon thi 
the: 
■s ■ ll.U 
roatmg 
1 solu- 
e made 
it occurred t 
■ have tl 
P infusior 
I tion of 
E which show that although the quality of a bark of 
oiuu.unou or cassia cm bj quickly ascertained, the 
total amount of oil will not be indicated on account 
of the time taken by the oil to absorb the iodine. 
■ Decoctions of commercial samples of the powdered 
Shiga were made, 1 gram of each been taken, and 
four of tfiem absorbed a decinormal solution of iodine 
in the following quantities :— 
Cinnamon. Cassia. 
I No. 1 look 69 c.c. to impart No. 1 took 37 c.c. 
a coloration. 
No. 2 took 4*5 c.c. to impart No. 2 took 2'1 c.c 
a coloration. 
No. 3 took 4 , 9c.e. to impart No. 3 took 3 3 c.c. 
a coloration. 
No. » took 11 8 c.c. to impart No. 4 took 2 '3 c.c. 
a oolotation. 
The iodine Solution was added until after shaking 
well, a tliitinot colour was seen in tho froth. Of 
I lie four samples ol cinnamon, nnmbeis '_' and .'I ivito 
poor ones, as there was not much odour onittod by 
them, and from these and other experiments made, 
a aatnpl' of an average quality ought, if 1 gram bo 
boded uilli water ami then t ool d, In lake at least 
6 co. of a deoioorraa] solution ol iodine to colour 
the fro h. Cassia bark require* a mnoh smaller amount 
ot tod ne to colour the froth, first, on accouut of tho 
oil not absorbing so much as before-mentioned, and, 
secondly, on accouut of the bark containing a smaller 
percentage of oil. 
In ascertaining if there is any other ingredient or 
principal in the cinnamon bark which absorbs iodine, 
great difficulty was experienced in expelling the whole 
of the volatile oil, for after boiling the powder with 
a strong solution of salt for four hours, the odour of 
the oil was still perceptible, and the decoloiiziog 
properties etill evident. Hence I conclude that a 
considerable quantity of this ingredient must be left 
behind after the distillation of the bark with salt 
water, ns I am informed is the process in Ceylon,* 
and I should like to have the experience of anyone 
who has wituesscd the operation, there or elsewhere, 
related. 
After trying various chemicals, I found that litharge 
liberates the oil to the largest extent, and also the 
most quickly, but as with the others, incompletely, 
although whether its actioD is chemical or physical, 
I am not prepared to say. The oil was finally got 
rid of by boiling the powdered bark for a consider- 
able period with a strong brine, afterwards with a 
small percentage of slacked lime to convert the residue 
of the oil into cinnamate of calcium, and on acidifying 
one portion slightly with acetic acid and adding 
iodized starch, the colour was not removed, and no 
odour was perceptible on heating ; through the other 
portion earbonic anhydride was pissed, to convert any 
slaked lime into the carbonate, which was then boiled, 
and to the cool decoction iodized starch added with 
a negative result. These experiments lead me to sup- 
pose that the oil is the ingredient that alone poss- 
esses the decolorizing property, but what compounds 
are formed beyond that of hydrolic acid when the oil 
and iodine combine I am not at present able to state. 
The same difficulty was experienced in attempting 
to exhaust the drug of its oil with benzol, carbon, 
bisulphide, chloroform, ether, rectified spirit, and al- 
cohol, although, they were used both hot and cold, 
as the residue whe i slightly heated invariably gave off 
the odour of the oil, and a decoction bleached iodized 
starch paste. 
It having recently come to my knowledge that oil 
substituted for oil of cinnamon, a few 
were performed, by somo of which a 
an be made between the two oils. If 
sp. gr. 1*36 be added to oil of cinnamon 
of cas 
experi 
distiin 
nictrit 
♦ Read before the British Pharmaceutical Conference, 
ISO 
(1 part of the latter to 2 of the former), and the 
mixture shaken, a bright orange-coloured liquid is 
first obtained, upon tho surface of which lloats an oral »e 
resinous substance which slowly becomes deeper in 
colour until a beautiful cherry-red colour is visible, 
by which time it has changed to a liquid that floats 
ou a lighter coloured substratum, which also in a short 
time becomes nearly of the same tint, bubbles then 
commence to appear, and shortly afterwards spont- 
aneous ebullition occurs with the evolution of nitrons 
fumes, and vapours of benzoic aldehyde ; by the time 
this ebullition has ceased, the amber coloured liquid 
commences to clear itself and finally a r'-ar amber 
liquid is left, with orange globules lloatiug on the 
surface. 
Upon oil of cassia nitric acid sp. gr. l'S6 has quite 
a different action, as after mixing 1 part of oil of 
cassia with 2 of nitric acid, a dirty green supernat- 
ant resinous mam ( 1 ..wly turning brown i is s > n 
floating on a yellowish liquid, ami no further change 
is undergone; if a largo excess of tho acid boaddtd 
after the tirst addition, tho resinous mass ohaugl 
a dcop reddish-brown, and the subnatant liquid takes 
a cherry- red colour. Tho same reaction occurs if ■ 
Urge excess of nitric »eid be added to oil ol cai 
at first, but in iMlhi-r of ihoo eases im there- «n v 
* A* in tin' case of the SiHhim Cinchona bark.— 1 . . 
