Aqua Cinnamomi. U. S., Br. Cinnamon Water.
Aq. Cinnam.
Related entries: Cinnamon - Oil of Cinnamon
Eau distillee de Cannelle, Fr. Cod.; Aqua Cinnamomi, P. G.; Zimmtwasser, G.; Acqua distillata di canella. It.; Agua destilada de canela, Sp.
"Oil of Cinnamon, two mils [or 32 minims]; Purified Talc, fifteen grammes [or 231 grains]; Distilled Water, recently boiled, a sufficient quantity, to make one thousand mils [or 33 fluid-ounces, 6 ½ fluidrachms]. Triturate the Oil of Cinnamon with the Purified Talc, add the recently boiled Distilled Water gradually with continued trituration, filter, and pass the filtrate through the filter repeatedly until the Cinnamon Water is perfectly clear." U. S.
"Cinnamon Bark, bruised, 100 grammes; Water, 2000 millilitres. Distil one thousand millilitres." Br. "This Water may be prepared by triturating the oil of cinnamon with twice its weight of calcium phosphate and five hundred times its volume of distilled water and filtering the mixture. In tropical and subtropical parts of the Empire this Water may be used in place of the corresponding Water of the text of the British Pharmacopoeia." Br.
Of these processes, that of the U. S. Pharmacopoeia is the easier, though the second, the British, may yield a sweeter product. On standing, cinnamon water, made from oil of Ceylon cinnamon, is apt to precipitate, owing to the gradual oxidation and formation of cinnamic acid, which is comparatively insoluble in water: this can be prevented, according to E. Backhaus, by passing a stream of carbon dioxide through the fresh water for a few minutes. We have never seen the precipitation successfully prevented, notwithstanding the application of numerous so-called preventives; these usually delay the precipitation, but in a few weeks' time the cloudiness due to the formation of minute crystals of cinnamic acid invariably appears. When oil of cinnamon (Oleum Cassia) is used as directed in the U. S. P. IX process precipitation rarely occurs. E. Holmes recommends glycerin as an excellent intermedium between the oil of cinnamon and water. Ten drops of glycerin will effect the solution of a drop of the oil in a fluidounce of water.
Cinnamon water is much used as a vehicle for other less agreeable medicines, but should be given cautiously in inflammatory affections. For ordinary purposes the U. S. preparation is sufficiently strong when diluted with an equal measure of water.
Off. Prep.—Infusum Digitalis, U. S.; Mistura Cretae, U. S., Br.; Mistura Guaiaci, Br. (N. F.); Mistura Olei Ricini, Br.; Mistura Spiritus Vini Gallici, Br.; Syrupus Aromaticus, Br.; Syrupus Cascarae Aromaticus, Br.; Syrupus Cinnamomi, N. F.; Syrupus Ipecacuanhae et Opii, N. F.; Tinctura Ferri Pomata, N. F.; Tinctura Rhei Aquosa, N. F.
