f-r 



200 LAIJRINE^. 



Hab. — China, Japan. Camphor and Oil of Camphor. 



.Vernacular,— K.Qi'^T (Hind.), Karppiiram, Shudan [Tarn.), 

 Karpuram {Tel., Mai.), Karpura ( Can.), Kapur, Kaphur ( Bcng.), ^ 



Kapdr {Mar., Guz.). 



History, Uses, &C. — As has been already mentioned 

 (see article " Dryohalanops"), Sanskrit writers, under the name 

 of Karpura, speak of two kinds of cam2:>hor, Pakva and Apakva. 

 It is generally supposed that the former term, which means pre- 

 pared by the aid of heat, refers to ordinary commercial camphor 

 obtained from the wood of C. CaDipJiora. The researches of 



arer 



early times was that found in the trunk of Dri/oLalanops aroinntica- 

 Early Chinese writers on'y speak of C. Camphora as producing 

 a valuable wood, and we have no information as to the date of 

 the first extraction of camphor from it. Garcia d'Orta, who 

 wrote at Q-oa about the middle of the sixteen century, was well 

 acquainted with both kinds of camphor, and mentions that the 

 China camphor is the only kind exported to Europe. 'Hio 

 medicinal uses to wliich camphor is pat in the East have been 

 already noticed under '• Dryobalanops." With the exception of 

 a small quantity of refined camphor imported from Jap:m, the 

 bulk of the drug used in India is imported in the rav7 

 state and resublimed in the country. The process of resuh- 

 limation is a peculiar one, the object being to get as much 

 interstitial water as possible into the camphor cake. Tho 

 vessel used ia a tinned cylindrical copper drum, one end 

 of which is removable; into this is put 14 parts of crude 

 camphor and 2i parts of water ; the cover is then luted with clay, 

 and the drum being placed upon a small furnace made of clay, is 

 also luted to the top of the furnace. In Bombay four of these 

 furnaces are built together, so that the tops form a square 

 platform. The sublimation is completed in about three hours ; 

 during the process the drums are constantly irrigated with cold 

 water. Upon opening them a thin cake of camphor is found 

 lining the sides and top; it is at once removed and thrown into 

 cold water. Camphor subHmed in this way is not stored, but 



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