Cryptocaria pretiosa, Mart. (Mespilodaphne pretiosa, Nees et Mart; Ocoteapretiosa, Benth. et Hook.5); Ger. Mispellorbeer; family Lauraceae) is a tree 5 to 15 m. high and a native of northern Brazil. It is known locally as Pao pretiosa, Casca pretiosa, Cane-lila, the famous cinnamon of the Orinoco, and as Pereirora. The drug consisting of twigs, bark and wood is known as Priprioca1). All parts of the plant are rich in volatile oil.

1) Report of Schimmel & Co. April 1905, 87.

2) Footnote 4, p. 499.

3) Report of Schimmel & Co. April 1909, 87.

4) Jaarboek dep. Landb. in Ned.-Indie, Batavia 1907, 67. 5) Th. Peckolt, Pharm. Review 14 (1896), 248.

Oil of the Bark

The bark consists of canaliculate pieces which are one meter in length, 6 to 8 cm. wide and 1 cm. in thickness. Odor and taste are pleasantly aromatic and cinnamon-like.

Upon distillation the bark yielded 0,83 2) to 1,16 p. c. of oil with a strong, cinnamon-like odor and a specific gravity of 1,1183) to 1,1202). Although the odor would seem to indicate cinnamic aldehyde, this substance does not appear to be present in the oil. When shaken with sodium acid sulphite, no crystalline product separated3). The behavior of the oil towards potassium hydroxide solution indicates the presence of a lactone2).

From a drug labelled new coto bark4), C. Hartwich5) obtained 1,2 p.c. of oil: d 1,108, aD - 2°40' On account of its cinnamon-like odor, the oil was shaken with bisulphite but did not react. However, 90 p.c. of the oil were dissolved by potassium hydroxide solution.

Oil of the Twigs and Leaves.

The oil obtained from the twigs and leaves has a pleasant odor reminding one of linaloe oil. d15o0,8912; aD + 7°20'; nD20o 1,469; A.V. 1,4; S.V. 13,3; S.V. after acetylation 165,2; soluble in 11/4 vol. of 70 p. c. alcohol and in every proportion in 80 p. c. alcohol. The oil appears to consist principally of linalool6).

Oil of the Wood6).

Upon distillation the oil separated into a heavier and a lighter portion. The combined oil had the following proper1) Bericht von Roure-Bertrand Fils October 1910,3. The report of the botanical anatomical investigation by E. G. and A. Camus recorded in this report is supplemented by four plates. - G. Laloue, Bull. Soc. chim. IV. 11 (1912), 602.

8) Report of Schimmel & Co. April 1913, 76.

3) Ibidem April 1893, 71.

4) Comp. also p. 415.

s) Arch, der Pharm. 237 (1899), 430.

6) Bericht von Roure-Bertrand Fils October 1910, 19.

ties: d1B.0,9808; aD + 7°12'; nD20o1,519; A.V. 2,1; S.V. 128,1; S.V. after acetylation 219,8. The oil contains large amounts of esters, presumably of geraniol and linalool. The acids obtained upon saponification consisted in part of benzoic acid (m. p. 119 to 12001)).