STARCH AND SUGAB. 273 



Eastern Asia, and is cultivated for ornament in warm 

 regions. The tree bears red berries. Camphor is obtained 

 in China, Japan, Formosa, etc., by putting the twigs and 

 finely-divided wood in kettles of water and applying 

 gentle heat. Over the kettles are placed dome-shaped 

 covers, in which the camphor is deposited by sublimation. 

 It is afterwards purified in glass flasks, or in cast-iron 

 vessels ; in these is put with the camphor some coal or 

 sand or quicklime ; when heat is applied, the camphor 

 Eublimes. The odor is strong and peculiar, and noxious 

 to insects ; the taste is bitter and burning. Camphor is 

 soft and tough, difficult to pulverize, and has a specific 

 gravity of .99. It is used in pyrotechnics and in medicine. 



STARCH AND SUGAR. 



246. Starch is found in great abundance, and is very 

 widely distributed. It is in all green parts of plants, from 

 which, though originating there exclusively, it is never 

 obtained for commerce. The princip.ll source is the bulb, 

 the tuber, fruit, etc. The color of starch is generally 

 white, but in some plants it may be red, yellow, etc. Some 

 starches (as that of Horse-chestnut) are impregnated with 

 tannin. The fineness of starch depends on the size of the 

 grains. Its specific gravity is about 1.5. "When fresh it 

 contains thirty per cent, of water ; and when air-dry, seven 

 to eighteen per cent. The quantity of ash varies from 

 .2-6 per cent. When heated over 240° F. starch is con- 

 verted into paste. Diastase (a principle developed in 

 germination of seeds), acids, and alkalies, as well as heat 

 of over 320° F., converts starch into dextrine and grape 

 sugar. Its formula is d, H20 Ow, a chemical composition 

 the same as that of cellulose. From bulbs and tubers it is, 

 18 



