Common Names

Gui (Chinese name)
Twak (Sanskrit name)
Yueh-kuei
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Parts Usually Used

Bark, oil obtained from bark and leaves
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Description of Plant(s) and Culture

The dried inner bark of the branches of a small, tropical, evergreen laurel tree. The bark is peeled off and as the pieces are dried, they curl up into quills.
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Where Found

Found growing around marshes.
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Medicinal Properties

Stimulant, alterative, analgesic, aromatic, astringent, carminative, diaphoretic, diuretic, expectorant, febrifuge, mild laxative
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Biochemical Information

Essential oil including phellandrene, eugenol, gums, sugar, coumarins, cinnamic aldehyde, methuleugenol; mucilage, tannin, sucrose and starch
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Legends, Myths and Stories

Cinnamon was probably the first spice used by man. Ancient records reveal that it was used for more than 5,000 years. The countless flavoring uses of this valuable spice need not be enumerated.

Cinnamon brandy is made by soaking crushed cinnamon bark a fortnight in brandy.

In the Far East, the cinnamon tree is grown in southern China, but is native to Kuangsi. Since ancient times, cinnamon has been used as medicine and the flavoring spice we know today.

Chinese herbalists tell of older people, in their 70s and 80s, developing a cough accompanied by frequent spitting of whitish phlegm. A helpful remedy, they suggest, is chewing and swallowing a very small pinch of powdered cinnamon. Should be of the highest quality, determined by a bitter-sweet taste. If too bitter and/or not oily, the quality is poor. This remedy can also help people with cold feet and hands, especially at night.
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Uses

Quills or sticks are used in spiced punches, teas, cooked fruit, pickling liquids. Ground spice used in sweet baked goods, cooked in fruit, and some meat and fish dishes.

Cinnamon raises vitality, warms and stimulates all the vital functions of the body, counteracts congestion, is antirheumatic, stops diarrhea, taken in milk for dysentery, colds, flu, sinusitis, bronchitis, nausea and vomiting, improves digestion, relieves abdominal spasms, counteracts gas, aids the peripheral circulation of the blood. Cinnamon tea offers helpful relaxation for the stomach upset by the tension and strain of modern living.

Makes an interesting liqueur.
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Formulas or Dosages

Dose: take a rounded tsp. of cinnamon to a cup of boiling water, stir it and drink while hot. Drink a small portion at a time, 4 to 5 times a day, or drink a cup as needed for griping and pain in the bowels due to gas. Use 1/4 tsp. to a cup of other herbs to flavor them. Put it in with the herbs when the tea is made.
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How Sold

Powder
Sticks
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Warning

Contraindicated in therapeutic doses for pregnant women or individuals with wasting and dryness; especially the essential oil, because the herb is a potential uterine stimulant.

Use this herb with care in feverish conditions and bleeding disorders.
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Bibliography

• The Herb Book, by John Lust, pgs., 352, 487, 512, 513, 539, 541.
• Back to Eden, by Jethro Kloss, pg., 211.
• The Herbalist Almanac, by Clarence Meyer, pgs., 42, 190, 197, 217, 237.
• Planetary Herbology, by Michael Tierra, C.A., N.D., O.M.D., pgs., 34, 42, 51, 52, 99, 101, 102, 110, 111, 138, 142, 150, 159, 245, 246, 279, 287, 361, 379, 414, 423.
• Herb Gardening, compiled by The Robison York State Herb Garden, pgs., 164.
• Indian Herbalogy of North America, by Alma R. Hutchens, pg., 71.
• Secrets of the Chinese Herbalists, by Richard Lucas, pgs., 44-45, 51, 149, 204-205.
• Old Ways Rediscovered, by Clarence Meyer, pg., 59.
• The Complete Medicinal Herbal, by Penelope Ody, pgs., 48, 134-135, 150-151, 179.
• Webster's New World Dictionary, Third College Edition, Victoria Neufeldt, Editor in Chief, pg., 253.
• The Magic of Herbs in Daily Living, by Richard Lucas, pg., 50.
• The Yoga of Herbs, by Dr. David Frawley & Dr. Vasant Lad, pgs., 32, 35, 50, 52, 57, 59, 61, 62, 64, 70, 88, 90, 104, 111-112, 117, 124, 136, 147, 148, 151, 183, 198, 224, 225.
• The Rodale Herb Book, edited by William H. Hylton, pg., 145.

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