510 



LAURACEyE. 



LAURACE^. 



CAMPHORA. 



Camphor^ Common Camphor, Laurel Gam,phor ; F. Gamphre; 



G. Campher. 



maier 



Botanical Origin — Cinnamomum Camphora Fr, Nees et Eber- 



<ra L., Camphora offLcinariim C. Bauh.), the 

 Camphor tree or Camphor Laurel is widely dilfased, being found 

 throughout Central China and in the Japanese Islands. In China it 

 abounds principally in the eastern and central provinces, as in Clie- 

 kiang, Fokicn and Kiangsi ; but it is wanting, according to Gamier 

 (1SG8), in Yunnan and Szechuen. It is plentiful, on the other haml, 

 111 the island of Formosa, where it covers the whole line of mountains 

 from north to south, up to an elevation of 2000 feet above the level uf 

 the sea. It flourishes in tropical and subtropical countries, and forms 

 a large and handsome tree in sheltered spots in Italy as far north as 

 the Lago Maggiore. The leaves are small, shining, and glaucous be- 

 neath, and have long petioles ; the stem affords excellent timber, much 



prized on account of its odour for making clothes' chests and drawers 

 of cabinets. 



^ Dryobalanops aromatica, the camphor tree of Borneo and Sumatra, 

 yields a peculiar camphor, which we shall describe further on. 



History— The two kinds of Camphor afforded by tlie two trees just 

 named have always been regarded by the Chinese as perfectly distinct 

 substances, and in considering the history of camphor this fact must be 

 borne in mind. 



On perusing the accounts of Laurel Camphor given by Chinese 

 vvriters,2 the remarkable fact becomes apparent, that although the tree 

 was evidently well known in the 6th century, and probably even earlier, 

 and IS specially noticed on account of its valuable timber, no mention 

 is made in connexion with it of any such substance as camphor. 



Le-she-chin, the author of the celebrated herbal P un-tsao -lang- 

 miih, written in the middle of the IGth century, was well acquainted 

 with the two sort^ of camphor,— the one produced by the camphor 

 iaurel of his own country, the other imported from the Malay islands; 

 and he narrates how the former was prepared by boiling the wood, 

 and refined by repeated dry sublimations. . 



JVlarco Polo, towards the end of the 18th century, saw the forests ot 

 ± okien in South-eastern China, in which, says he, are many of the 

 trees which give camphor.' It would thus appear that Laurel Camphor 

 was known as early as the time of Marco Polo, yet it is certain that 

 tJie more ancient notices which we shall now quote have reference to 



lated and kindly placed at oui',d^'PfpjHu 

 Mr. A. Wvlie. Dr. Brotschueulero i 



bv oU 7?r ^"'ff ^^'''•' generally M-ritten 

 eLiSi ^^ ;'^""''^" CajJacra and by 



' ^''-^^ages from several have been trans- 



Wyhe. i^r. r>iuiow«"— — ^^{g 



and Mr. Pauthier of Paris (see p. ^-i^' -^^ 

 7, ) have also been good enough to aiu 



the same manner. „ , •• nSTl) 



3 Yule, Book 0/ Ser Marco Polo, n- U 



185. 



