598 
Powdered  Camphor. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm, 
Dec,  1887. 
in  the  Treaty  Ports  have  made  many  observations  ;  the  series  of  papers 
now  in  course  of  publication  by  Mr.  Charles  Ford,  assisted  by  his  able 
colleagues  in  The  China  Review,  are  a  most  valuable  contribution ;  but 
the  subject  is  far  from  exhausted,  and  the  student  of  historical  medi- 
cine, who  finds  thus  presented  to  him  many  of  the  drugs  and  methods 
of  the  mediaeval  leech,  cannot  fail  to  appreciate  the  light  thrown  by 
them  upon  the  origin  and  development  of  the  science  of  medicine  in 
the  western  world.  How  far  Europe  has  been  indebted  to  China  in 
this,  as  in  so  many  of  the  useful  arts,  remains  as  yet  almost  a  matter 
of  conjecture. 
POWDERED  CAMPHOR. 
By  Joseph  W.  England,  Ph.G. 
Read  at  the  Pharmaceutical  Meeting,  November  15. 
Amongst  the  older  drugs  medicinally  employed  we  find  that  pecu- 
liar stearopten  camphor  not  only  retaining  its  hold  upon  medical  favor 
as  muchas  it  did  upon  its  introduction  into  practice  several  centuries 
ago,  but  steadily  increasing  in  general  and  professional  application 
year  by  year.  Dissolved  in  alcoholic,  ethereal,  chloroformic  or  oleagi- 
nous liquids,  it  forms  the  basis  of  many  stimulating  liniments.  In- 
ternally given,  in  the  form  of  pill,  powder  or  emulsion,  it  finds  a  still 
more  varied  sphere  of  usefulness. 
Now,  the  form  of  pill  is  decidedly  objectionable  when  the  camphora- 
ceous  mass  is  hard,  dissolves  with  difficulty  in  the  gastric  juice,  and 
occasions  nausea  and  pain,  and  these  results  are  not  unfrequently 
exhibited.  Orfila  states  that  when  given  in  the  solid  form,  it  is 
capable  of  producing  ulceration  of  the  gastric  mucous  membrane. 
The  emulsion  is  very  often  used,  and  affords  one  of  the  best  of 
methods ;  presenting,  as  it  does,  the  camphor  in  a  non-granular,  finely 
divided  state,  capable  of  most  readily  exhibiting  its  peculiar  stimula- 
ting properties. 
Concerning  the  powder,  there  are  occasions  when  this  form  of 
administration  is  most  desirable.  Every  pharmacist  has,  however, 
experienced  the  difficulty  in  keeping  powders  finely  divided,  which 
contain  camphor  as  one  of  their  ingredients,  and  numerous  expedients 
have  been  suggested  to  make  this  solid  retain  its  pulverulent  con- 
dition, after  it  has  once  been  made  so.  It  is  easy  enough  to  reduce,  by 
breaking  down  its  tough  texture  with  solvents;  but,  on  standings 
