CAMPHORA. 127 
There are two kinds of Camphor (Camphora crudus) known 
in commerce—1, Dutch, or Japan Camphor, supposed to come 
from Batavia; and 2, ordinary Crude Camphor, imported from 
Singapore and Bombay, and is chiefly produced from the Island 
of Formosa. 
Refined Camphor is met with in the form of large hemisphe- 
rical or convex-concave cakes, perforated in the middle. It is 
translucent ; has a crystalline, granular nature; a strong, pecu- 
liar, not disagreeable, aromatic odour; and an aromatic, bitter, 
afterwards cooling taste. It is solid at ordinary temperatures, 
soft, and somewhat tough, but may be easily powdered by the 
addition of a few drops of rectified spirit. It evaporates in the 
air at ordinary temperatures; but in closed vessels, exposed to 
light, sublimes and crystallizes on the sides of the bottle. It. 
is combustible in the air, burning with a very sooty flame. It is 
lighter than water, its specific gravity being 0.9857. Water 
dissolves but a very small portion of it. Alcohol readily dis- 
solves it, but if water is added to the solution, the Camphor is 
precipitated. Camphor is readily known by its odour, and it 
does not blacken in burning. 
Grocrapuican Disrrrpurion.—The Eastern Archipelago. 
Tn the forests of Borneo, Labuan, and Sumatra. | 
Puystotocicar Errrcrs.—On Vegetables.—Solutions of Cam- 
phor act in the same deleterious manner on plants as the volatile 
oils ; they destroy the mobility of the contractile parts, without 
exciting them, and the vapour only is sufficient to waged gd 
plants and ferns. _ 
On Animals.—The vapour of Camphor proves injarious to 
‘nsects (the tinee which destroy wool excepted). To amphi- 
bials (frogs) the vapour proves hurtful, causing strange move- 
_ ments, hurried respirations, trembling, and stupor. To birds 
_ and mammals it is extremely i injurious if given in too large doses. | 
It produces tetanic spasms it in. dogs , with violent convulsions | ike 
epilepsy, followed by inse y and death (Orfila, Tox. Gen. 
vol. i.) Sealer of Meni 4 al. Univers. di Med., vol. xxx 
