PART 11.

Materia Medica.

227

small, white, pedicellated, in roundish close clusters, which ter-minate long axillary peduncles. The corolla consists of sixsmall ovate, unequal petals, enclosing a tuberculated bristlednectary, which surrounds the germen; the filaments are shorterthan the corolla, and support round anthers; the germen isroundish, with a simple style and obtuse stigma. The fruitresembles that of the cinnamon. *

The roots, wood and leaves of this tree have a very strongodour of camphor; and from the roots and smaller branchesit is obtained by distillation. They are cut into chips, whichare suspended in a net within a kind of still, or iron pot, thebottom of which is covered with water, and an earthen headfitted to it: heat is then applied, and the steam of the boilingwater, penetrating the contents of the net, elevates the cam-phor into the cajiital, where it concretes on straws with whichthis part ofthe apparatus is lined. * But as we have alreadystated, the greater part of the camphor brought to Europe is ob-tained in Sumatra; where the trees which yield it are cut andsplit, and the camphor which is found concreted in the heartof them is picked out, and washed in a ley of soap. It is im-ported into this country in chests, drums, and casks; and is insmall granular, friable masses, of a dirty white, or grayishcolour, very much resembling in appearance half refined sugar.Jt often contains earth and other impurities. 3

Formerly all the crude camphor brought to Europe was pu-rified by the Venetians, and afterwards by the Dutch, who keptthe art secret; but it is now practibed to a considerable extentin this country.. It is sublimed in glass vessels, after beingmixed with one twentieth of its weight of quick lime; and af-terwards fused either " by increasing the heat suddenly whenthe sublimation is almost ended, without transferring the cam-phor to different vessels, or by melting the sublimed flowersin a vessel for that purpose." * Thus refined, it is in large

' Camphor is not the production of those plants merely from which that known incommerce is obtained, but has also been procured from the roots of the cinnamon,cassia, and sassafras laurels; from those of galangale, zedoary, ginger; and from car-damom seeds and '.ong pepper. The e>sential oils of lavender, sage, thyme, peppermint,rosemary, and several other labiated plants, yield it: arid aaartificial camphor is piepared by passing muriatic acid gas through oil of turpentine. The varieties of catn-phor thus obtained, however, differ in some respects from common camphor.

1 Accordinr; to Kaempfer, the process is carried on chiefly by the peasants ofSatztima. Amtm.TT).

1 Zea describes a variety of camphor which is procured in South America, from atree, the botanical characters of which are not yet known ; but which is termed caraitiby the natives. The camphor exudes from the bark in the form of tears.

4 Aikin's Dictionary of Chemistry, art. Camphor. Professor-Robison, who saw theproceis as it was conducted in Holland, says, that the camphor is in a liquid statu in theBubuBune vessel. Black's Lectures, ii. 351.

Q 2