C 90 ] 



and a strong acrid taste. It is very slightly soluble 

 in water ; more than 1 00,000 parts of water are re- 

 quired to dissolve 1 part of camphor. It is very solu- 

 ble in alcohol ; and by adding water in small quantities 

 at a time to the solution of camphor in alcohol, the 

 camphor separates in a crystallised form. It is solu- 

 ble in nitric acid, and is separated from it by water. 



Camphor is very inflammable ; it burns with a 

 bright flame, and* throws off a great quantity of car- 

 bonaceous matter. It forms in combustion water, 

 carbonic acid, and a peculiar acid called camphoric* 

 acid. No accurate analysis has been made of camphor, 

 but it seems to approach to the resins in its composi- 

 tion ; and consists of carbon, hydrogene, and oxy- 

 gene. 



Camphor exists in other plants besides the Lau- 

 rus camphor a. It is procured from species of the lau- 

 rus growing in Sumatra, Borneo, and other of the 

 East Indian isles. It has been obtained from thyme 

 (Thymus serpillumj) marjorum (Origanum major ana?) 

 Ginger tree (Amomwn Zingiber.) Sage (Safoia offirin- 

 alis.} Many volatile oils yield camphor by being 

 merely exposed to the air. 



An artificial substance very similar to camphor 

 has been formed by M. Kind, by saturating oil of tur- 

 pentine with muriatic acid gas (the gaseous substance 

 procured from common salt by the action of sulphuric 

 acid). The camphor procured in well conducted ex- 

 periments amounts to half of the oil of turpentine 

 used. It agrees with common camphor in most of its 

 sensible properties j but differs materially in its che- 



