LAUREL. 129 
tudinal nerves, which unite a little above the base. 
These leaves, when rubbed between the fingers, 
diffuse a very strong smell of camphor. The small 
whitish flowers are supported on short peduncles, 
forming clusters of fifteen or eighteen on each stalk. 
They are succeeded by a blackish fruit, about the 
size of a pea, which has a fleshy pulp, that both 
smells and tastes of camphor ; within this is a stone 
containing an insipid kernel. 
The camphor is an evergreen tree, growing in 
Japan and other parts of the East Indies. The 
wood is white, rather hard, and marked with red- 
dish waves. It is employed in India for several 
purposes, on account of its fragrant smell. From 
this tree we obtain that valuable drug which is so 
well known for its medicinal virtues ; and which 
may be considered as one of the immediate prin- 
ciples of vegetation, since it is not confined to one 
species of plant, but exists in a greater or less de- 
gree in most vegetables. This singular substance is 
dispersed over all parts of the tree; and to obtain it, 
the country people, in some provinces, cut the 
wood into little bits, which they put over the fire 
in a vessel constructed for the purpose, having a 
large head to it filled with stubble. When the 
wood is sufficiently heated the camphor sublimes 
like white soot, and settles in the head, from 
whence it is easily removed by shaking the stub- 
ble. In this state it is friable, grained, and of a 
yellowish brown colour, like moist sugar, and full 
/ of impurities. 
VOL. III. K 
