DSember,  FgTo"^' }      CamphoY  ludustry  in  Foochow.  923 
equally  applied  to  the  assay  of  the  root  by  first  preparing  a  tincture 
as  directed  in  the  Pharmacopoeia. 
The  results  obtained  by  this  modified  method  are  to  all  intents 
and  purposes  identical  with  those  given  by  the  more  lengthy  process 
of  the  British  Pharmacopoeia,  as  the  following  table  shows : 
Ethbr  Soi^ubIvE  Alkaloids. 
B.P.  Process.  Modified  Process. 
Tincture  0.039  per  cent.  0.035  per  cent. 
Liniment  0.199       <<  0.206  ,< 
0.193       ,<  0.196  <. 
a  0.193       ,<  0.196  ,< 
(I  0.209       "  0.212  << 
0.257       <«  0.254 
<(  0.196  0.193  <' 
These  experiments  have  been  carried  out  in  the  laboratories  of 
The  British  Drug  Houses,  Ltd.,  to  whom  we  are  indebted  for  per- 
mission to  publish  the  results. 
THE  CAMPHOR  INDUSTRY  IN  FOOCHOW.* 
By  Vice  Consul  Ernest  B.  Price, 
foochow,  china,  june  23,  192o. 
Stocks  of  camphor  now  in  the  hands  of  local  Foochow  dealers 
are  estimated  at  80,000  pounds  and  of  camphor  oil  at  40,000  pounds, 
while  in  the  hands  of  the  Government  Camphor  Bureau  there  are 
about  27,000  pounds. 
The  current  market  price  in  Foochow  for  camphor  is  98  taels 
($98  at  prevailing  exchange  rate)  for  133  pounds,  and  for  oil  40 
taels  ($40)  per  133  pounds.  These  prices  are  unusually  low.  About 
a  year  ago  camphor  was  quoted  at  200  to  220  taels.  (At  that  time 
the  tael  was  worth  nearly  $1.50  United  States  currency,  so  that  the 
price  of  camphor  was  between  $300  and  $330  per  133  pounds.)  The 
causes  of  the  present  low  prices  seem  to  be  three— governmental  re- 
strictions on  production  and  distillation,  lack  of  demand  from  Hong- 
kong, and  a  general  slackening  of  business  owing  to  difficulties  of 
production  and  transportation. 
There  has  been,  however,  a  surprising  amount  of  export,  consider- 
ing what  conditions  are.  During  the  calendar  year  19 18,  56,533 
pounds,  valued  at  $33,536,  were  exported  from  Foochow;  in  191 9, 
*  Commerce  Reports,  Aug.  18,  1920. 
