[December, 1909. 5 



(8) 8th distillation. 500 grams of 

 leaves (mouldy) gave 7'35 grams camphor 

 and oil = 1*47 per cent. 



(9) 9th distillation. 750 grams of 

 leaves and twigs previously air dried. 

 (Final weight=4'68 grams) gave827 grams 

 of camphor and oil=l'10 per cent. Cal- 

 culated on air dried material = 1 "77 per 

 cent. 



(10) 10th distillation. 500 grams of 

 leaves air dried, (Final weight= - 210 

 grams) gave 5*83 grams camphor and 

 oil=l"16 per cent. Calculated on air 

 dried material=2"4 per cent. 



(11) 11th distillation. 500 grams of 

 mouldy leaves, air dried, (Final weight= 

 •270 grams) gave 7'71 grams camphor and 

 oil=T54 per cent. Calculated on air 

 dried material=2'8 per cent. 



(12) 12th distillation. 500 grams of 

 whole leaves air dried, (Final weight="285 

 grams) gave 7*53 grams camphor and 

 oil=l*50 per cent. Calculated on air 

 dried material=2 , 6 per cent. 



(13) 13th distillation. 500 grams of 

 leaves and twigs, etc., gave 7*92 grams of 

 camphor and oil=l*58 per cent. 



Conclusions — These experiments show 

 (1) that a much larger percentage of 

 camphor and oil is obtained from the 

 leaves than from the young wood or 

 twigs. 



(2) That air drying has no detriminal 

 effect on the yield :— if air drying be 

 resorted to. however, it should not be 

 carried out in direct sunlight. 



(3) That the principal product is 

 camphor with a small percentage of oil. 



(4) That a yield of at least 1 per cent, 

 of camphor with a small percentage of 

 oil may be expected from the primings 

 of trees of this age, viz., 5 years, and 

 probably from trees younger than this. 



Further Experiments on a Larger 

 Scale. 



As the above preliminary experiments 

 appeared to be so satisfactory it was 

 decided to erect a large still on a more 

 practical scale. 



A plant was constructed on our design 

 by the Federated Engineering Company, 

 Kuala Lumpur, and although satis- 

 factory, experience has shewn that it 

 can be improved in many ways. 



Description of large Still and Con- 

 denst r : — 



(1/ Boiler.— On many Estates where 

 rubber and other produce is grown the 

 question ot steam has already been 

 settled, and there would be no necessity 

 for another boiler. For experimental 

 purposes, however, a small boiler had to 



i Drugs and Medicinal Products 



be erected. This consisted of a simple 

 cylindrical boiler which was erected 

 horizontally on a simple brick and 

 cement foundation and was fired exter- 

 nally by wood. The boiler is fitted with 

 a water level, and safety valve, together 

 with an opening for filling at the top. 



(2) Still.— A pipe from the boiler con- 

 ducted the steam below a perforated 

 plate in a plain cylindrical still, the 

 leaves, wood, etc, to be distilled, being 

 placed on the top of the perforated 

 plate, the still being charged from the 

 top. The top of the still was fixed by 

 means of nuts and screws and rendered 

 air tight by asbestos rings. 



(3) The Condenser. — The condenser 

 was a kind of quadruple Liebig con- 

 denser, consisting of a vertical cylinder 

 containing four copper tubes connected 

 above and below with an air space. The 

 tubes were surrounded with the cooling 

 water which was led in by means of a 

 pipe over the bottom and flowed away 

 near the top. The bottom and top of 

 the condenser were fixed by means of 

 nuts and screws and rendered air tight 

 by asbestos and were detachable for 

 cleansing purposes. A short bent copper 

 tube from the bottom air space carried 

 off the condensed steam, camphor, and 

 oil, which was collected in glass vessels. 



The boiler, still, and the outer shell of 

 the condenser were constructed of iron, 

 the tubes of the condenser and upper 

 and lower plates attached to these tubes 

 were of copper. The following are the 

 dimensions of the above apparatus and 

 the capacity of the still in terms of fresh 

 camphor leaves, prunings, and wood 

 (the latter cut up into small pieces) :— 



Boiler. Length 2 feet 9 inches. 



Diameter 1 foot 9 inches. 

 Still. Length 2 feet 6 inches. 



Diameter 1 foot 9 inches. 

 Capacity in terms of cam- 

 phor leaves 30 lbs. 

 Capacity in terms of cam- 

 phor wood 90 lbs. 

 Capacity in terms of prun- 

 ings 50 lbs. 

 Condenser. Length 2 feet. 



Diameter 9 inches. 

 Length of copper condens- 

 ing tubes 1 ft. 9 in. 

 Diameter of copper con- 

 densing tubes 1 inch. 

 Criticisms of apparatus : (1) The chief 

 disadvantage of a metal (iron) condenser 

 is the discolouration of the camphor by 

 iron rust. If the condenser were entirely 

 of copper there would be little or no 

 colouration. 



(2) Since practically all the camphor 

 condenses in the condenser tubes and 



