V 



OAMPHORA. 517 



tiou of the entire tree ; — in fact, many trees afford none, 80 that 

 to avoid the toil of useless felling, it is now customary to try them 

 by cutting a hole in the side of the trunk, but the observation so 

 made is often fallacious. Spenser St. John, British Consul in Borneo, 

 was told that trees iu a state of decay often contain the finest cam- 

 phor.^ The camphor when collected is carefully picked over, washed 

 and cleaned, and then separated into three qualities, the best being 

 formed of the largest and purest crystals, while the lowest is greyish 

 and pulverulent. 



Dryobalanops attaining more than 150 feet in height, the (quantity 

 of camphor which it yields must necessarily be greatly variable. The 

 statements are from about 8 to 11 lb. 



A good proportion of the small quantity produced is consumed in 

 the funeral rites of the Batta princes, whose families are often ruined 

 by the lavish expense of providing the camphor and buffaloes which 

 the custom of their obsequies requires. The camphor which is exported 

 IS eagerly bought for the China market, but some is also sent to Japan, 

 Laos, Cochin China, Cambodia, and Siam. 



The quantity annually shipped from Borneo was reckoned by Motley 

 in ISol to be about 7 peculs (933 lbs.). The export from Sumatra was 

 estimated by De Vriese at 10 to 15 quintals per annum.^ The quantity 

 imported into Canton in 1872 was returned as 2S^o peculs (3,159 lb.), 

 value 42,32G taeLs, equivalent to about 80s. per Ib.^ In the Annual 



^f the Trade of B 



impor 



(^914). In the "Indian tariff," 1875, the duty is fixed per cut at 40 

 rupees for crude camphor, 65 rupees for refined camphor, and 80 rupees 

 i^r iiound for Baros camphor ("Bhemsaini camphor"). The price in 

 -Borneo in 1851 of camphor of tine quality was 30 dollars per catty, or 

 about 95s. per lb.: consequently the drug never finds its way into 



iilUrOnea.n Ofwnmafnn 



ropean commerce. 



Borneo Camphor, also termed by chemists Borneol or Camphyl 

 Mcohol, is somewhat harder than common camphor, also a little heavier 

 so that it sinks in water. It is less volatile, and does not crystallize on 

 the interior of the bottle in which it is kept; and it requires for fusion 

 a higher temperature, namely 198° C. It has a somewhat different 

 odour, resembling that of common camphor with the addition of patch- 

 ouli or ambergris. The composition of borneol is represented by the 

 formula C'ff ' (OH). It may be converted by the action of nitnc acid 



into common 



common 



By continued oxydat 



aci 



^ Camphor OH of Borneo— Bemdes camphor, iheDryohalamps 

 furnishes another product, a liquid termed Camphor 0^/, which must 

 not be confounded with the camphor oil that drains out of crude Jaurel 

 camphor. This Bornean or Sumatran Camphor Od is obtained by 

 tapping the trees, or in felling them (see also p. 229). In the latter way, 



„ ' W<i in the Forests of the Far Emt ii. Roiidofs statement (see Cassia Buds) that 

 (1802)272. -^ ' China imports of Baras_ camphor ahout 



ii 1 q\^o ^^^^^'^^^'^ *^^^^ (Oriental CommercCy 



' ?-n ^^^^' Sumatra was reckoned to ex- — - - - ^^ 



port oO peculs, and Borneo 30 peculs a year. Chmafor ISi -, p. •^^• 



rule 



