664 
CAMPHOR. 
peculiar and powerful smell, not unlike that of | of the English and American chemists. For car- 
rosemary, extracted from two or three kinds of 
trees of the bay tribe, that grow in the islands of 
the East Indies and China. Of these the princi- 
pal is the Laurus cainphora of Linneeus, or Cinna- 
momum camphora of more modern botanists. It 
is of considerable height, much branched, and has 
spear-shaped leaves, with nerves, of a pale-yellow- 
ish-green colour on the upper side, and bluish- 
green beneath. The flowers are small, white, and 
stand on stalks which issue from the junction of 
the leaves and branches. Camphor is found in 
every part of the trees; in the interstices of the 
perpendicular fibres, and in the veins of the 
wood, in the crevices and knots, in the pith, and 
in the roots, which afford by far the greatest 
abundance. The method of extracting it con- 
sists in distilling with water, in large iron pots, 
which serve as the body of the still, with earthen 
heads fitted to them, stuffed with straw, and pro- 
vided with receivers. Most of the camphor be- 
comes condensed in the solid form among the 
straw, and part comes over with the water. Its 
sublimation is performed in low, flat-bottomed 
glass-vessels, placed in sand, and the camphor 
becomes concrete, in a pure state, against the 
upper part, whence it is afterwards separated with 
a knife, after breaking the glass. Numerous 
other vegetables are found to yield camphor by 
distillation. Among them are thyme, rosemary, 
sage, elecampane, anemone, and pusatilla. A 
smell of camphor is disengaged when the volatile 
| oil of fennel is treated with acids; and a small 
quantity of camphor may be obtained from oil of 
turpentine by simple distillation, at a very gentle 
heat. 
Camphor has a bitterish, aromatic taste, is 
unctuous to the touch, and possesses a degree of 
toughness which prevents it from being pulver- 
ized with facility, unless a few drops of alcohol be 
added, when it is easily reduced to a powder. It 
floats on water, and is exceedingly volatile, being 
gradually dissipated in vapour if kept in open 
vessels. At 288° Fahr. it enters into fusion, and 
boils at 400° Fahr. It is insoluble in water, but 
is dissolved freely by alcohol, from which it is 
immediately precipitated, in milky clouds, on the 
addition of water. It is likewise soluble in the 
fixed and volatile oils, and in strong acetic acid. 
Sulphuric acid decomposes camphor, converting 
it into a substance like artificial tannin. With 
nitric acid, it yields a peculiar acid, called cam- 
phorie acid. This acid combines with alkalies, 
and forms peculiar salts, called camphorates. 
They have not hitherto been applied to any use- 
ful purpose. 
In a crude state, camphor is formed into irre- 
gular lumps, of a yellowish-grey colour, some- 
what resembling nitre or bay-salt. Itis imported 
into Europe in canisters, and the refining of it 
was long kept a secret by the Venetians. The 
Dutch have since performed this work ; and large 
quantities of camphor are now refined by some 
penters’ work the wood of the camphor-tree is 
much used. It is light and durable, and, in con- 
sequence of long retaining its aromatic smell, is 
not liable to be injured by insects. Plants of the 
camphor and cinnamon trees were captured by 
Admiral Rodney in 1782, and afterwards carried 
to Jamaica, and propagated there. The camphor- 
tree which grows very abundantly in the western 
parts of Japan, is a different species from that 
found in the islands of Sumatra and Borneo, with 
which we are principally acquainted. 
Camphor was formerly in great repute as a | 
medicine, but at present its virtues are less highly 
rated. It is a cordial and stimulant of a decid- 
edly heating character, and is, therefore, impro- 
per in all fevers, unless the system is very low | 
and weak. In such cases, if combined with nitre 
and other cooling articles, it is sometimes an ex- 
cellent diaphoretic. 
is an article rather to be avoided. 
As an internal medicine, camphor has been: | 
frequently employed, in doses of from 5 to 20 | 
grains, with much advantage, to procure sleep in 
mania, and to counteract gangrene. In large 
doses, it acts as a poison. Dissolved in acetic 
acid, with some essential oils, it forms the aro- 
matic vinegar. 
pal; and, from the circumstance that its effluvia 
are very noxious to insects, it is much used to 
defend subjects of natural history from their ra- 
vages. In cattle medicine, it is used externally 
in liniments for palsy and garget ; and in horse 
medicine, it is used internally with opium for 
locked jaw, and externally as a discutient and an 
anodyne, for chronic tumours, refractory sprains, 
severe bruises, and old callus. An abominable 
spurious substitute for it is sometimes palmed 
upon the unwary, manufactured by passing chlo- | 
rine gas through oil of turpentine. 
CAMPHOROSMA. A small genus of plants, 
of the goosefoot tribe. The Montpelier species, 
CO. Monspeliaca, is a curious tuberous-rooted, 
apetulous greenhouse plant, of about twenty 
inches in height, of warm and somewhat pungent 
taste, and abounding in a volatile oily salt. 
has an odour somewhat like camphor-vapour; and 
hence gives the name of Camphorosma, signify- 
ing “camphor-smell,” to the whole genus. 
introduced from Continental Europe. 
CAMPION,—botanically Cucubalus. A vile 
and mischievous perennial weed, of the carnation 
tribe. It forms a genus of itself; and takes for 
its specific name daccifer or berry-bearing. It | 
grows naturally among the hedges of England, 
has a height of about twenty inches, and carries 
a white flower in June and July. Its berriesare | 
said by Miller to be as poisonous as those of 
deadly nightshade. 
CAMPION (Corn). See Corn-Cockxe. 
CAMPION (Rosz),—botanically Agrostemma. 
A genus of hardy herbaceous plants, of the clove- 
But, in fevers in general, it | 
It promotes the solution of co- | 
Two | 
uninteresting annual species were not long ago | 
CAMPION. | 
ical 
