.Part III.] Puran Singh : Note on Manufr. of N gai Camphor. 275 
Ngai camphor is scarcely known in Europe, but in China it is largely 
used by the natives as medicine and for ritualistic purposes, and also in 
the preparation of the finer qualities of india ink. 
Pure Ngai camphor is perfectly similar to Borneo camphor in all parti- 
culars excepting in its direction of rotation of the plane of polarisation. 
While Borneo camphor consists of d-borneol, that is, borneol which is 
optically dextrogyrate, Ngai camphor is the laevogyrate modification of 
borneol found in nature. Thus these tw'o varieties of camphor differ only 
in optical properties, but as regards their composition, general properties 
and chemical behaviour they bear complete resemblance to each other. 
That Ngai camphor is identical with 1-borneol was first established in 
1874 by both Plowman (Pharm. Journ., Ill, 4, p. 710) and Fliickiger {ibid, 
III, 4, p. 829). The fact has been verified recently! {Bericht von Schim- 
mel <& Co., Leipzig, Apr. 1895, p. 74). 
Comparative Trade value of the three principal Camphors. 
A few words may here be said about the comparative commercial im- 
portance of the three varieties of camphor described above in order to indi- 
cate clearly the position held in trade by the Ngai camphor, the manufac- 
ture of which on an industrial scale it has been proposed to take up in 
Burma. Of the three varieties Borneo camphor is the rarest and the 
most expensive. Next in point of price comes the Ngai camphor, while 
the ‘ common ’ or Chinese camphor is the commonest and the cheapest of 
the thi-ee varieties. Borneo or Barus camphor is known to be selling at 
more than a hundred times the price of the crude Laurus or common 
camphor of China, while Ngai camphor is about ten times the price of the 
latter.2 Barus (Bhimsaini) camphor has always been regarded in India 
as possessing peculiar virtues, and it is said that a conscientious Vaid 
(Hindu physician) would not use any other variety of camphor in the 
preparation of his medicines than the Bhimsaini, for it is that variety 
which is recommended for medicinal purposes in his sacred and ancient 
works on medicine. 
By the fact that Barus camphor is most highly prized in Eastern medi- 
cine, coupled with the fact that the article is obtained only in small 
quantities and with an immense amount of labour, might be accoimted 
for the enormously high prices (about Es. 80 a lb.) at which it sells. 
, 1 See Gildemeister aud Hoffmann, Volatile Oils, Kremers’ American Edition (1900), 
p. 669. 
2 Fide Dicy. of Econ. Prod, of India, Vol. II, Camphor, pp. 86-87. Also Agricultural 
Ledger, 1896, No. 6, p. 3 
