~ CHEMICAL. PREPARATIONS AND. Drucs. fy as 67 
ie ciool. mare we snnnneed Hetere?), the Island of Hainan and South China are 
the two centres of production for Ngai-camphor, which is obtained from the com- 
- posite Blumea balsamifera,. D.C. In Burma also a Blumea species grows in great 
- quantity, from which the natives prepare a camphor also. According to F. Mason?) 
the composite Conyza grandis, Wall. is the same as Blumea grandis, D.C. and 
 B. densiflora, D.C. These plants do not yet appear to have been identified with certainty, 
as. the Forest Department of Burma contemplates investigating more closely the 
origin and nature of the Burma eamipiior tee. It mola easily turn out that it also 
is Blumea balsamifera, D. Ca ; 
The “Bureau of Science of the. Philippine Islands”) also gives a description of 
~ Blumea balsamifera. D.C., which is known to the natives as. Sambon or Gabnen.. The 
_ composite, which has s almost woody trunk, and grows to a height of 5 to 8 ft. 
is one of the commonest weeds of the Philippines. 
, 
Camphor. — Years ago we pointed Out that both camphor and borneol are present 
in oil of sage‘). Further we were able to point to Ue “camphor in a marian oil from 
_ Salvia triloba, ES: +48 past sc 
“ According to information foes England?) the Californian varieties of sage, especially 
Artemisia trifolium 2°) also contain camphor, menthol, thujone, borneol, and thymol in 
_ varying quantities. The camphor and other constituents could be separated from one 
another by fractional distillation and freezing out. It is hoped to obtain large ee 
of camphor in this way. . 
Further it is alleged that the Caliornian bay-tree, Umbellularia californica, Nutt. 
contains the same chemical substances. Up to now umbellulone as chief constituent, 
in quantities of 40 to 60 per cent., together with J-c-pinene, eugenol, methyleugenol : 
and very little safrole are known to occur in Californian ese oil, but not camphor, | 
~ menthol and thymol’). \ 
_ E. K. Dorey ’*) gives following details re testing of raw Chinese canner: 100 g. 
of a sample were pressed out; the difference of the moisture content of the original _ 
raw camphor and of the compressed residue ‘is to be subtracted from the weight of — 
_ the expressed fluid. From the figures obtained the true oil content can be calculated, 
on the assumption that the ratio of oil to water in uncompressed raw camphor. was | 
a poe to ratio of oil to water in the expressed fluid. 
K. W. Lane and O/ Fy Lubatti estimate the water content of raw camphor as follows: 
5 g. raw camphor were placed in a glass tube of 25 mm. diameter, which is narrowed 
- down to a tube of 4mm. The latter is graduated and closed at the lower end. At the 
- place where the tube is conically widened a piece of nickel wire gauze is placed, which 
_ provided with a little water, serves as a filter. For the estimation, 30 cc. of benzine 
_ were saturated with water, pieced ‘in the centrifugal apparatus and drawn off from the 
separated water. This benzine was then added to the camphor in the glass tube, and 
a the. whole was placed in the rotating centrifugal apparatus for several minutes. The 
_ 41) Cf. Gildemeister and Hoffmann, The Volatile Oils, 2°4 ed., vol. Ill, p. 603; Report April 1914, 107. — 
2) Chemist and Druggist 92 (1920), 425. — #) Digest of Comments on the Pharmacopeia of U.S. A. for 1915, 210. — 
zs i *) Ct. Gildemeister and Hoffmann, The Volatile Oils, 204 ed., vol. Ill, p. 458. — +) Drug. and Chem. Markets 6 
(1920), 395. — *) An “Artemisia tripolium (trifolimm)” nag up till now not been known; probably the above 
_ mentioned Salvia triloba, L. is meant. — 7) Cf. Gildemeister and Caen) The Volatile Oils, 294 ed., vol. Il, 
 p- 485. — *) Journ. Soc. chem. Industry 39 (1920), 165. f 
es 
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