CASSELL

cassell, john (1817-1865), british publisher, was born in manchester on the 23rd of january 1817. his father was the landlord of a public-house, and john was apprenticed to a joiner. he was self-educated, gaining by his own efforts a considerable acquaintance with english literature and a knowledge of french. he came to london in 1836 to work at his trade, but his energies at this time were chiefly centred in the cause of temperance, for which he was an active worker. in 1847 he established himself as a tea and coffee merchant, and soon after started a publishing business with the aim of supplying good literature to the working classes. from the offices of the firm, which became in 1859 messrs. cassell, petter, galpin & co., were issued the _popular educator_ (1852-1855), the _technical educator_ (1870-1872), the _magazine of art_ (1878-1903), _cassell's magazine_ (from 1852), and numerous editions of standard works. a special feature of cassell's popular books was the illustration. at the time of the crimean war he procured from paris the cuts used in _l'illustration_, and by printing them in his _family paper_ (begun in 1853) secured a large circulation for it. the firm was converted in 1883 into a limited liability company, under the name of cassell & company, limited. john cassell died in london on the 2nd of april 1865. cassia (lat. _cassia_, gr. [greek: kasia]), the aromatic bark derived from _cinnamomum cassia_. the greater part of the supply coming from china, it is sometimes termed chinese cinnamon. the bark is much thicker than that of true cinnamon; the taste is more pungent and the flavour less delicate, though somewhat similar to that of cinnamon. the properties of cassia bark depend on the presence of a volatile oil--the oil of cassia, which is imported in a fairly pure state as an article of commerce from canton. cassia bark is in much more extensive demand on the continent of europe than in great britain, being preferred to cinnamon by southern nations. the chief use of both the oil and bark is for flavouring liqueurs and chocolate, and in cooking generally. when ground as a spice it is difficult to distinguish cassia from cinnamon (q.v.), and it is a common practice to substitute the cheap common spice for the more valuable article. _cassia buds_, which have a pleasing cinnamon flavour, are believed to be the immature fruits of the tree which yields chinese cinnamon. they are brought in considerable quantities from canton, and used as a spice and in confectionery. _cassia pulp_, used as a laxative, is obtained from the pods of _cassia fistula_, or pudding pipe tree, a native of africa which is cultivated in both the east and west indies. some confusion occasionally arises from the fact that _cassia_ is the generic name of an extensive genus of leguminous plants, which, in addition to various other medicinal products, is the source of the senna leaves which form an important article of materia medica.