Scientific and other notes on essential oils. 9 



The production of camphor oil in japan is estimated at 3210494 kins for 1916 17, 

 i.e. 209073 kins more than the actual quantity of the year 1915/16; in Formosa, it 

 might come to 7827560 kins, or 946328 kins more than in the preceding year 1 ). 



In other quarters, the production of camphor in Japan in 1 91 6/1 7 2 ) is estimated at 

 1.92 million kilos, or 120000 kilos more than in 1915/16, and, in Formosa, at 4.68 million 

 kilos, or about 570000 kilos more than in 1915/16. In 1916, the U.S.. imported from 

 Kobe still more camphor than in 1915. The figures were: — 



2214547 lbs. to the value of $ 1100694 in 1916, 

 2172972 „ ,, „ ;, „ „ 454016 „ 1915. 



As, according to another newspaper report, synthetic camphor may not be exported, 

 the export of Formosa camphor, chiefly to England, the U. S. and British India, has risen 

 considerably. During the first 9 months of 1916, the value of the camphor exports from 

 Formosa came up to 3964000 yen against 2508000 yen for the same period in the 

 preceding year 3 ). 



We have, of late, been asked from different quarters to examine samples of so-called 

 synthetic camphor, which all proved to be borneol. This could be deduced already 

 from the smell of the product and the shape of the crystals and could be proved by 

 determining the m. p., which was between 203 and 204°, whereas camphor melts between 

 175 and 179°. The optical rotation, determined in one case, was [«] D + 30°23' (in a 

 32 per cent, alcoholic solution), which shows that this borneol chiefly consisted of the 

 dextrorotatory modification. On acetylation of the same product, it was shown that 

 it did not contain any other components in addition to borneol. A 21.2 per cent. 

 solution in xylene showed, after acetylation, an ester v. of 74.7, corresponding to a 

 content of 21.8 per cent., a figure which tallies very well with the concentration of the 

 solution and characterizes the product as pure borneol. 



Even nowadays, a rather easy conscience is necessary to sell borneol as synthetic 

 camphor. Although there is a certain resemblance in the medical action of the two 

 preparations, it is not great enough to permit of substituting the one for the other; 

 on the contrary, especially if internal treatment is concerned, such a proceeding might 

 have rather disagreeable consequences. 



Perhaps all the products submitted to us come from the same source. In one 

 case, we were able to find out that the seller was a pharmaceutical chemist. On 

 being asked for an explanation, he declared that he bought the substance as synthetic 

 camphor and considered it as such, it might perhaps not give all the reactions required 

 by the German Pharmacopoeia, but this was due to present conditions. This is, indeed, 

 a short answer, but it throws a peculiar light on the scientific proficiency of the 

 pharmaceutical chemist in question, for a simple determination of the m. p. ought to 

 have convinced him of the fact that what he sold was by no means identical with 

 synthetic camphor. We can only hope that this lack of judgment with regard to a 

 pharmaceutical product will not have unpleasant censequences for him. 



That borneol has been offered and sold as camphor, has been also stated in 

 other quarters 4 ). 



The fact that, owing to the war, the demand for camphor is very great and that 

 its synthetic preparation has come to tl&e front again, as the natural product is no 



x ) Board of Trade Journal; Nachr. f. Hand., Ind. u. Landw. 1917, N° 46, p. 4. — 2 ) W. A. Dyes 

 Ztg. 41 (1917), 519. — 3 ) Tropenpflanzer 20 (1917), 247. — 4 ) Pharm. Ztg. 62 (1917), 475. 



