AFebraTrvPih9i™'}     Camphor— Xatural  and  Synthetic.  51 
The  imports  of  crude  natural  camphor  from  all  sources  into  the 
United  States  for  the  fiscal  year  ending  June  30,  191 1,  amounted  to 
3,726,319  pounds,  valued  at  $1,118,586.  For  1912  the  amount  was 
2,154,646  pounds,  valued  at  $682,669.* 
China  produces  less  camphor  than  Japan  and  Formosa.  In  19 12 
China  exported  165  tons,  valued  at  $130,521,  and  in  1913.  124  tons, 
valued  at  $94,298.5 
The  world's  production  of  camphor  for  1913  6  is  estimated  at 
about  12,000,000  pounds,  of  which  4,600.000  pounds  are  credited  to 
Formosa,  2,000,000  pounds  to  Japan,  and  1.300,000  pounds  to  China, 
the  remaining  4,000,000  being  left  for  natural  camphor  produced  in 
other  countries,  and  for  synthetic  camphor. 
Extraction  and  Refixixg. 
The  extraction  of  the  crude  camphor  from  the  tree  is  a  simple 
process.  The  wood  is  cut  into  chips  and  subjected  to  the  action  of 
steam  in  stills  of  primitive  construction.  The  number  of  camphor 
stoves  in  Formosa  in  1910  is  given  as  7834.  and  the  number  of  cam- 
phor workers  on  the  island  as  nearly  30,000/  Formosa  supplies  about 
one-half  of  the  total  crude  camphor  produced.  Camphor  is  ob- 
tainable from  all  parts  of  the  tree: s  leaves,  twigs,  wood,  and  roots. 
The  crude  camphor  is  divided  into  three  grades,  A,  B,  and  BB, 
and  is  refined  by  steam  distillation,  sublimation,  or  crystallization. 
Refined  camphor  comes  into  the  market  as  "  flowers,"  "  bells,"  or 
"  blocks."  Camphor  oil  is  obtained  as  a  by-product  in  the  extraction 
of  camphor.  The  oil  is  used  in  perfumery,  soaps,  etc.,  and  contains 
many  essential  oils,  as  well  as  some  dissolved  camphor. 
4 Daily  Consular  and  Trade  Reports  No.  261  (15th  year),  Nov.  5,  1912. 
5  Daily  Consular  and  Trade  Reports  Xo.  262  (17th  year),  Nov.  7,  1914. 
6  Daily  Consular  and  Trade  Reports  Xo.  75  (16th  year),  April  1,  1913. 
All  of  the  statistics  are  given  as  they  appear  in  the  original  sources  of 
information.  In  some  cases  these  statistics  seem  to  be  contradictory — 
possibly  owing  to  a  lack  of  clearness  in  separating  figures  applying  to  crude 
camphor  from  those  applying  to  the  refined  article. 
7 "  Camphor  Industry  in  Foreign  Countries,"  Special  Consular  Reports, 
vol.  xliii,  part  3,  1910. 
s  See,  e.g.,  B.  J.  Eaton.  Agric.  Bull.  Straits  Settlements  and  Federated 
Malay  States,  1909.  Beille  and  Lemaire.  Bull.  Soc.  Pharm.  Bordeaux,  53,  521. 
Daily  Consular  and  Trade  Reports  No.  255  (16th  year),  Oct.  31,  1913. 
