Cortex Cinnamomi Cassiae (Rougui) –Chinese cassia tree-bark
Origin
Cassia Bark is the dried stem bark of Cinnamomum cassia Presl. The drug is frequently collected in autumn,and dried in the shade.
Description and Identification
Channelled or quilled,30 ~ 40cm long,3 ~ 10cm wide or in diameter,0.2 ~ 0.8cm thick. Outer surface greyesh-brown,slightly rough,with irregular fine wrinkles and transverse raised lenticels, some showing greyish-white streaks; inner surface reddish-brown, somewhat even, with fine longitudinal striations and exhibiting oily trace on scratching. Texture hard and fragile, easily broken, fracture uneven,outer layer brown and relatively rough, inner layer reddish-brown and oily and shwing a yellowish brown line between two layers. Odour,strongly aromatic; taste,sweet and pungent.
Chemical Ingredients
It mostly has naphtha,which has cinnamic aldehyde,cinnamyl acetate,eugenol,cinnamic acid, cinnzeylanol, cinnzeylanine.
Property and Channel Tropism
Property: acrid and sweet in tast, extremely hot in nature. Channel tropistn: the kidney, spleen, heart and the liver.
Action and Indications
To supplement body fire,reinforce yang,and lead the fire back to the kidney,to dispel cold and relieve pain,and to activate blood circulation and stimulate menstrual discharge.
