ROYAL GARDENS, KEW. 
BULLETIN 
OF 
MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION. 
No. 107.] NOVEMBER. [1895. 
CCCCLXXXII.—A1 CAMPHOR. 
(Blumea balsamifera, D.C.) 
(With PLATE.) 
An evergreen shrubby composite, sometimes growing into a small 
tree, is very abundant in Eastern India, where. it is often “a most 
mmon and troublesome weed." It is found also in South China and 
the islands of Hainan and Formosa. ‘The whole plant is woolly, with 
the flowers on the stout branches of a large spreading or pyramidical 
panicle. The pappus isr The leaves smell strongly of camphor. 
The species is described in Hookers Flora of British India, is 
name given to fe ree article. The export from the port o: 
in Hainan of the crude camphor is about 15,000 lbs. annually. This is 
refined in Canton, from ee there is an annual export of about 10,000 
lbs. of ngai-p'ien. Hanbury (Science Notes, p. 394) gives an account of 
the camphor, and Meu that the plant in question is well known to 
emit when bruised a strong odour of camphor, and that in Burmah a 
properties of this peculiar camphor, see Pharmaceutical Journal, 
ser. 3, vol. iv., pp. 710-712." 
In the following letter Dr. Henry describes the details of the process 
employed by the Chinese i iu extracting ihe camphor from this plant in 
the Island of Hai 
Dr. A. Henry, F.L.S., to RoraL GanpENs, Kew. 
Takow, Formosa, 
Dear Mr. Dyer January ry 27, 1893. 
Some time ago Mr, Ridley, of Singapore, asked me to find out 
the details of the process, employed by the Chinese in Hainan, for the 
extraction of Ai Camphor from Blumea balsamifera, D.C. He had 
‘tried to obtain the camphor by distillation from the leaves of the plart, 
but had only sueceeded in getting an oil. Through the kind offices of 
M i Chi o 
following interesting account of the process from the Rev. F. P. Gilman, 
7 89236. 1375.—12/95. Wt. 308. A 
