nuine, is collected from the base cinnamon, or Laurus Cassia, L. See Bay-Tree, p. 201.
Cinnamon is one of the most agreeable, and useful aromatics: it is more grateful both to the palate and stomach, than the generality of spices. It cannot, however, be doubted, that it is more heating and stimulating, than its common substitute, cassia-bark: hence the latter is better adapted to culinary uses, especially for the young and plethoric, than the real cinnamon, which deserves the preference in medicine: and here it is of considerable service in alvine fluxes, arising from relaxation, and other immoderate discharges.
CINQUEFOIL, or Potentilla, L. a genus of plants, comprising thirty-five species, of which only eight are indigenous; the principal of these are: 1. The fruticosa, or shrubby cinquefoil, which is set with fine silvery hairs, has reddish stems, and yellow blossoms, that appear in the month of June: the flowers are conspicuous for their number and beauty.
This plant has been usefully employed on the Continent, in tanning calf-skins; and it is also eaten by cows, horses, goats, and sheep; but is refused by hogs.
2. The anserina, or wild tansey, or goose-grass. See Silver-weed.
3. The argentea, or hoary cinquefoil, which grows on meadows and pastures, in a gravelly soil, and flowers in June.—The whole may be used for tanning, and dyeing black colours; as it is not touched by cattle.—Bechstein.
4. The reptans, or common creeping cinquefoil, which grows in a moist, clayey soil of meadows, pastures, and by road-sides. It is perennial, and flowers from June to August.—A fine-grained calf-leather has, likewise, been prepared from this plant, on the Continent.—The red cortical part of the root is mildly astringent, and antiseptic: a decoction of it has been found an excellent gargle for loose teeth, and spongy gums.
Cinquefoil, the Marsh. See Purple Marshlocks.
Circulation. See Transfusion.
CISTERNS are vessels employed for the reception of rain, or other water, either under ground, such as those of navigable canals, &c. or above ground, for domestic and other purposes. In this place, we shall treat only the latter.
As the water collected in leaden cisterns is apt to corrupt, either by stagnating for several days, when the pipes happen to be obstructed, or by the deposition of feculent matter, as well as the incrustation formed in such vessels, it follows that they ought to be frequently cleansed of the copious sediment they contain. This attention is the more, necessary, as lead is a metal liable to be dissolved by acids; and, in that state, proves a slow, but fatal poison. Although the acidity contained in stagnant water which has, in its course, been impregnated with animal and vegetable particles, cannot be very considerable, yet it will be more safe, and prudent, to prevent the formation of such acids, by an early attention to the purity of the water. See Filtration.
END OF VOL. I.
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