Chemistry of Essential Oils

128 THE CHEMISTEY OF ESSENTIAL OILS

remaining ashes are subsequently extracted by hot water, and a kind of

potash called Kamalni is obtained therefrom.

" Consul Dr. Knappe has forwarded a collection of the samples A,

B, C, D, E, and F and an elaborate report to the Foreign Office in

Berlin. Sample A is the only one which we had examined in Hong-

Kong."

Schimmel & Co. have obtained specimens of raw materials of various

parts of the plant and examined the oils yielded by them. The results

of their investigations are summarised as follows :—

" Cassia Budsticks.—Small, thin stalks, about 1 mm. thick and

5 mm. long, which possess a strong and pure cinnamon taste. Six

hundred and fourteen kilos distilled by us yielded 10 kilos 120 grms.,

or 1*64 per cent., of a beautifully bright oil with excellent sweet taste,

indicating a high percentage of aldehyde.

" We determined the specific gravity to be 1

*

0463, the aldehydic

contents 92 per cent.

" Cassia Leaves.—The dried, leather-like leaves of the cassia plant

with the strong petioles and small twigs. On mastication of leaves

and petioles separately, both communicated a faint but pure taste of

cinnamon, whilst the twigs exhibited strong cinnamon taste.

" In order to obtain exact results we caused a certain quantity of the

material to be sorted into leaves and stalks. One hundred kilos material

yielded—

Leaves 85 kilos.

Small twigs 15 „

" On distillation the leaves yielded a beautiful, sweet-tasting oil,

with specific gravity 1-056 at 15~ C. The aldehydic contents were de-

termined as 93 per cent.

" The thin twigs showed a less percentage of essential oil than the

leaves, but this possessed a similar sweet taste to the oil from the leaves.

The specific gravity was 1

*

045 at 15° C. The aldehyde amounted to

90 per cent.

" The following parts of the cassia plant have been distilled by us

with the appended results :—

1. The Cassia bark (i^e Cassia lignea of commerce).
   Yield of essential oil: 1-5 per cent.
   Aldehyde in oil: 88'9 per cent. Specific gravity 1*035.


2. The Cassia buds (the Ftores cassiae of commerce).
   Yield of essential oil: .'550 per cent.
   Aldehyde in oil: 80'4 per cent. Specific gravity 1
   
   
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     26. 
         
     
     
     
     
   
   
   
   


3. Cassia budsticks.
   Yield of essential oil: 1-64 per cent.
   Aldehyde in oil: 92 per cent. Specific gravity 1*046.


4. Cassia leaves, leaf-stalks and young twigs mixed.
   Yield of essential oil: 0*77 per cent.
   Aldehyde in oil: 9-3 per cent. Specific gravity 1

55. " Nos. 1 and 2 are completely excluded as raw materials for the pre-
    paration of cassia oil on account of the price.
    " No. 3 is also out of the question, because the value, about $4 per
    picul, is still higher than that of broken cassia and because the yield
    would not be sufficient.
    "It can, therefore, be assumed with safety, that the cassia oil of
    commerce is distilled in China from the leaves, leaf-stalks, and young
    twigs of the cassia plant, probably together with various refuse pro-
    ducts worthless for other purposes."