228 
SELECTED ARTICLES. 
To a gallon of cinnamon water,* first reduced nearly to 
32°, add four ounces of iodide of potassium and forty grains 
of iodine, previously dissolved in a minimum of cold water. 
Upon the instant of admixture the solution becomes quite 
turbid, owing to the production of a yellowish sediment, and 
this, in less than a minute, becomes crystalline, and then gra- 
dually subsides. The supernatant solution, which appears 
almost entirely deprived of iodine and oil of cinnamon, is now 
drawn off with a siphon, and the crystals and residual fluid 
thrown upon a single filter, which, when sufficiently drained, 
is enveloped in several folds of blotting paper, and transferred 
to a chalkstone, where, by the absorbent powers of the latter, 
and the occurrence of spontaneous evaporation, the product 
is rendered perfectly dry and pure. With the quantities 
stated, above 60 grains of the compound are obtained. A 
temperature at, or very close to 32°, is necessary to the suc- 
cess of this process. At 40° the brown powder, already no- 
ticed, is alone produced, and in much diminished quantity. 
This brown sediment, however, is identical with the crystal- 
line product, for it may be converted into crystals simply 
by reduction of temperature, and I have even found it to 
undergo the same change when collected on a single filter, 
and set to dry on a bibulous stone at the temperature of 45°. 
The crystals are capillary, quadrilateral prisms, without 
pyramidal terminations. They are of a beautiful brown or 
bronze color, and have a strong metallic lustre. Their taste 
is extremely hot and pungent, resembling closely that of oil 
of cassia, but partaking also of that of iodine. In alcohol and 
ether they are readily dissolved, and from these solvents they 
are again deposited with their original appearance upon the 
occurrence of spontaneous evaporation. They are decom- 
posed by water, which extracts from them iodide of potas- 
sium, and causes the separation of oily drops of a dark color, 
which are either a mechanical mixture or a peculiar compound 
of iodine and the oil of cinnamon. The action of water, how- 
* This water should be prepared by introducing into a still one pound 
of cassia bark, and two gallons of water, and drawing off one gallon. 
