The Canel Bark-Tree, called the Winter's Bark-Tree.
Also see: The Winter's Bark Tree.
Canella alba.
A VERY beautiful American tree. It grows fifty foot high, and is commonly much blanched. The bark is of a greyish brown: the leaves are very like those of the bay-tree, and the flowers are purple; they are singly very small, but they stand in a kind of umbels, and make a very pretty figure: the fruit is a berry which stands in the cup of the flower: It is of the bigness of a pea, and of a deep blackish purple when ripe. It is frequent in Jamaica in wet places.
The inner rind of this tree is the part used in medicine; ii is brought to us rolled up in quills, in the manner of cinnamon, and is of a spicy taste, and of a whitish colour. Its proper name is canella alba, white canel; but the druggists have accustomed themselves to call it cortex winteranus, winter's bark. It has the same virtues with that, but in a much less degree; and they are easily known asunder, that being the whole bark of the tree, and composed of two coats; this being only the inner bark, and therefore composed only of one. It is good in weaknesses of the stomach, and in habitual colics. Some recommend it greatly in palsies and all nervous complaints, but its virtues of this kind are not so well established.
