258 SCIENTIFIC AND APPLIED PHARMACOGNOSY 



to the United States. The oil of camphor is refined and those frac- 

 tions having a specific gravity similar to that of true sassafras oil 

 are sold under the name of artificial sassafras oil. 



Description. Refined camphor occurs in commerce in large 

 slabs, weighing from 1 to 5 K. It is composed of nearly colorless, 

 crystalline, shining granules, which are somewhat oily in appearance, 

 brittle and form a whitish powder, having a distinct penetrating 

 odor, and a pungent, bitter and cooling taste. It is sublimable, 

 forming hexagonal plates or prisms, which are very soluble in alcohol, 

 ether, chloroform, petroleum ether, and carbon disulphide. One 

 part of camphor is soluble in 1.5 parts of oil of turpentine; 4 parts 

 of olive oil; and 1000 parts of water. It forms a liquid when rubbed 

 with equal parts of any of the following substances : hydrated chloral, 

 phenol, salicylic acid, salol, menthol, naphthol, pyrogallol, resorcin 

 and thymol. 



Powder. Whitish; glycerin mounts show irregular masses which 

 gradually dissolve; nearly insoluble in water, but soluble in solu- 

 tions of hydrated chloral, alcohol and fixed or volatile oils. On 

 heating some of the powder on a microscopic slide and covering with 

 a watch crystal, a sublimate is obtained, composed of radiating 

 aggregates of feather-shaped crystals, which are isotropic. A drop 

 of a solution of vanillin (1 in 100) and a drop of sulphuric acid added 

 to powdered camphor produces immediately a yellow color, changing 

 to red, then violet and finally blue. 



Constituents. Camphor consists almost entirely of a dextro- 

 gyrate modification of the saturated ketone, CgHieCO. Japan cam- 

 phor contains less impurities than the Formosa variety. 



Adulterants. To both crude camphor and the powder are some- 

 times added 50 per cent of stearic acid. The adulterated article is 

 incompletely soluble in 90 per cent alcohol. 



Allied Plants. Borneo camphor or borneol is a product found 

 in clefts of the wood of Dryobalanops Camphora (Fam. Diptero- 

 carpacese), a large tree indigenous to Borneo and Sumatra. The 

 camphor is obtained by scraping the wood and not by distillation. 

 It somewhat resembles true camphor, but is distinguished by being 

 heavier than water, and not volatilizing at ordinary temperatures, 

 and having a somewhat pungent taste. It is converted by nitric 

 acid into true camphor. It should also be stated that true camphor 

 when treated with reducing agents is converted into Borneo camphor. 

 The latter is seldom seen in commerce on account of its high price. 



SASSAFRAS. Sassafras Bark. The bark of the root of Sassa- 

 fras variifolium (Fam. Lauracese), a tree indigenous to eastern 



