CASSIA 'LIGNEA. Cassia bark.
Selikeh„ . . . ARAB. Kahu-legi, . . MALAY. Ngu-si , BURS!. Havanga, . . MALEAL.
Kwei-pi, . . CHIN. Singrowla, . . NEPAL.
Moedercaneel, . HUT. Cassia lenhosa, . l'oRr.
Hout-Kassie, . „ Twachaf . . : . SANSK.
Casse en boil, . . FR. Tamala patra, . . „ Kassien . . GEE. Mukalla, . . . . SINGH. Dalchini • Tej, . . HIND. Dawul Kurundu, . „ Kidda • Kirramon, Him. Cassia lenosa, . . . Sr. Cassiglina, . . . . IT. Lawanga pattai, . TAM.
Kayu manis china, MALAY. „ patta, . TEL.
Cassia, an aromatic bark, is . mentioned in Exodus xxx. 24, Ps. xlv. 8, and Ezek. xxvii. 19, under the words kiddah and ketsioth. Dr. Wight was of opinion that coarse barks of the cinnamon tree, which could not be passed as true cinnamon, are classed as cassia. The Chinese cassia is from Cinnamon aromaticum, Nees ab Esenb., and C. Zeylanicum. Dr. Rule (p. 542) concurs as to the Chinese cassia being one of the producing plants, but adds that there are several distinct sources. At present this bark is produced in Java, on the Malabar coast, in the south of China, and in Cochin-China. Pereira's Materia Medica says ' 1. China Cassia-lignea, sometimes called China cinnamon, is the best kind. It is usually im ported from Singapore, rarely from Canton direct. Mr. Reeves says vast quantities of both cassia buds and cassia-lignea are annually brought to Canton from the province of Kwang-si, whose principal city (Kwei-sin-tu), literally the city of the forest (or grove) of cassia trees, derives its name from the forests of cassia around it.
The Chinese themselveS use a much thicker bark (which they call Gan Kwei-pi), unfit for the European market, but they esteem it so highly as to pay nearly ten dollars per pound for it. A very
fine quality is occasionally met with, and com mands the enormous price of 100 dollars per catty (one pound and three-quarters). A specimen of it furnished by Mr. Reeves is straight, semi cylindrical, eleven inches long, rather more than an inch wide, and about one-sixth or one-eighth of an inch thick. Externally it is warted, and covered with crustaceous lichens. Internally it is deep brown ; its odour and flavour are those of cassia. Mr. Reeves also mentioned that the best cassia-liguea is cut in the third or fourth moon, the .second sort in the sixth or seventh moon.
2. Malabar Cassia-lignea is brought from Bombay ; it is thicker and coarser than that of China, and is more subject to foul-packing ; hence each bundle requires a separate inspection. It may, perhaps, be coarse cinnamon, for Dr. Wight states that the bark of the older branches of the genuine cinnamon plant is exported from the Malabar coast as cassia.
3. Manilla Cassia-lignea is usually sold in bond for continental consumption. He had re ceived a sample of bark ticketed "Cassia vera from Manilla," the epidermis from which was imper fectly removed.
4. Mauritius Cassia-lignea is occasionally met with.' . The Kwei-pi, •Jult-Kwei, Kwan-Kwei, and Tulig-Kwei of China are the products of species of Cinnamonium. The Juli-Kwei, or fleshy cassia, is exceedingly pungent and spicy, and its price is quadruple that of the Kwei-pi, or skinny cassia.— Boyle, p. 542 ; Harris, Nat. Mist. of Bible ; Has sail's Food and its Adulterations ; Smith.