Cinnamon. Cinnamomum zeylanicum.

Related entry: Cinnamomum camphora

Synonyms—Cinnamon bark, Ceylon cinnamon.

CONSTITUENTS—

Volatile oil, tannin, sugar, mannit, starch mucilage.

PREPARATIONS—

Tinctura cinnamomi, tincture of cinnamon. Dose, from a half to two drams.

Specific cinnamon. Dose, from ten to thirty Minims.

Physiological Action—This agent has long been used as a carminative and local gastric stimulant. It has a mild influence which is grateful and soothing. It has been used to check nausea and vomiting and to relieve flatulence.

Its rare properties have been overlooked by the profession and it has been assigned to its exact position by the masses of the people. Midwives and old nurses have long given a strong infusion of cinnamon to control postpartum hemorrhage, and it has been advised in "nose-bleed" and in flooding during miscarriage and in menorrhagia. It has been useful in domestic practice, also in diarrhoea and dysentery.

Therapy—Cinnamon, in the experience of the writer, is a hemostatic of much power and is positively reliable in all passive hemorrhages. It is not advisable to combine it with the usual astringents, as ergot, geranium or epilobium, but it acts in perfect harmony with erigeron and to a certain extent with turpentine. German authorities claim that as soon as the menses or any uterine hemorrhage becomes excessive and produces exhaustion or causes alarm the decoction should be administered freely. It works to a better advantage in hemorrhage due to atonic conditions of the non-gravid womb, or where there is muscular relaxation, or a general flaccid state of the womb after delivery.

It certainly restores tone to the uterine muscular structure and induces tonic contraction. It will also, Hale says, moderate hemorrhage not dependent on plethora, anemia or organic uterine disease. In some cases, during labor, it promotes the normal labor pains and materially increases uterine contraction, and prevents post-partum hemorrhage.

The writer, for nearly thirty-five years, has used an extemporaneous prescription, which is his first resort in passive hemorrhage, if the stomach is not seriously disordered. It is somewhat of an irritant to the stomach, especially if full doses be given for a protracted period.

It is a superb case-remedy for emergencies.

It is made by combining a dram each of the oils of cinnamon and erigeron, and adding enough alcohol to make two ounces. Of this, from ten to thirty drops on sugar, or dropped at once on water, will control nearly every controllable passive hemorrhage. He has used it in all the uterine conditions named above, in extreme pulmonary hemorrhage— persistent hemoptysis, in the gastric and intestinal hemorrhages of alcoholics. In all forms of hematuria, especially in renal tuberculosis and in habitual nasal hemorrhage, in many cases, a single dose accomplishes the object. As stated, it is not well combined with ergot, but works harmoniously with ergot or gallic acid, if given in alternation.

Two of our physicians at least advise the use of cinnamon in simple diabetes of a chronic character. Dr. Houts used it for himself after he had had this disease for months, and found all the conditions improving.

The American Materia Medica, Therapeutics and Pharmacognosy, 1919, was written by Finley Ellingwood, M.D.
It was scanned by Michael Moore for the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine.