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Cassia

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Cassia

British Pharmacopoeia 1867

Cassia Pulp Cassiae Pulpa

“The pulp obtained from the pods of the Purging Cassia, Cassia Fistula… Imported from the East Indies; or recently extracted from pods imported from the East of West Indies.”[1]

Characteristics

“Blackishbrown, viscid, sweet in taste, and somewhat sickly in odour; usually containing the seeds and disspiments.”[2] Used in preparation of:

  • Confection Sennae

Alexandrian Sena Senna Alexandrina

“The leaflets of Cassia lanceolate…; and Cassia obovata… Imported from Alexandria; carefully freed from the flowers, pods, and leafstalks of the same, and from the leaves, flowers, and fruit of Solenostemma Argel.” [3]

Characteristics

“Lanceolate or obovate leaflets, about an inch long, unequally oblique at the base, brittle, greyish-green, of a faint peculiar odour, and mucilaginous sweetish taste. The unequally oblique base, and freedom from bitterness, distinguish the Senna from the Argel leaves, which moreover are thicker and stiffer.”[4] Used in the preparation of:

  • Confectio Sennae
  • Infusum Sennae
  • Mistura Sennae composita
  • Syrupus Sennae
  • Tinctura Sennae

Tinnivelly Senna Senna Indica

“The leaflets of Cassia elongate… From plants cultivated in Southern India.” [5]

Characteristics

“About two inches long, lanceolate, acute, unequally oblique at the base, flexible, entire, green, without any admixture; colour and taste those of Alexandrian Senna.”[6] Can be used as a replacement for all preparations that contain Alexandrian Senna.

Preparations of Cassia Pulp

Confection of Senna / Confectio Sennae [7]

  • Senna, in fine powder, coriander fruit, in fine powder (3 oz), figs (12 oz), tamarind (9 oz), cassia pulp (9 oz), prunes (6 oz), extract of liquorice (3/4 oz), refined sugar (30 oz), and distilled water
  • dose: 60-120 grains

A Compendium of Domestic Medicine, 1865

Only entry in compendium comes under treatment for Piles [8]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassia Cassia is often considered to be cinnamon in North America, and can also be combined with senna, as is the case with cassia/senna tea.

Diseases Treated with Cassia

  • Piles, or Haemorrhoids: confection of cassia included in treatment that is to be taken once in the morning and once at night [9]

References

  1. General Medical Council of Great Britain, British Pharmacopeia, (London: Spottiswoode & Co.,1867), 73https://archive.org/details/britishpharmacop00gene
  2. GMCGB, 73
  3. GMCGB, 281
  4. GMCGB, 281
  5. GMCGB, 281
  6. GMCGB, 282
  7. GMCGB, 89
  8. Savory, John. A Compendium of Domestic Medicine (London: John Churchill and Sons, 1865), 248. https://books.google.ca/books?id=VxoDAAAAQAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false
  9. Savory, 248