The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1872-02-17

energies would have been called into activ-
of true school of Christian learning, must
pass his days in obscurity, unknown to
posterity and to the world. 1t becomes a
serious question, therefore, so far as every
noble impulse of humanity is concerned, to
know, whether society can, in its more
enlightened advancement, afford to allow
all this undeveioped power to remain mac
tive. Every noble minded man willanswer:
IT CAN NOT.
To be continued
CamphOr.
Camphor is a concrete gum, with a Bit
terish aromatic taste, and as o medicine is
a powerful diaphoretic The word Cam
phor is derived from the Hebrew word
Eofar, to drive off or remove; hence, to
cleanse, to make atonement. The drug,
when pure, is whitish translucent sub
stance, and is the product of the Taurus
a native of China, Japan, and the Islands
of Borneo and Sumatra. The camphor
tree is of large size, and frequently attains
the height of 300 feet, although it's usual
height is about $50 feet. The trunk is
sometimes of immense circumference,
grows very straight and has a gigantic
crown of luxuriant verdure, that overtops
all other trees. Three varieties Of cam
phor are known to commerce. The best
is found in Sumatra and Borneo. The
trade in this is mostly monopolized by the
Chinese, who hold it at very high prices.
This quality is known as Baros, or Malay,
Camphor, and has brought 100 gulders
per catty, when like quantity of Japa-
nese gum was valued at only Is guilders.
The natives of Sumatra profess to distin-
guish three kinds of camphor-t tree as grow
ing on that island alone. These they name
NaHrnguan, Marbiu, Tugun, and Tafgun.
according to the outward coloring of the
bark which varies, being at times yellow,
black, and red. The bark is always rough
and grooved, and is usually overgrown
with moss. In texture the rind is very
thick, and is close set and very strong
The difference in color which it undergoes
is by many persons attributed to the age
of The tree, or the nature and pecularities
of the situation that mark its develop
ment. The leaves are dark green, OBJ
long-oval in shape, and pointed. They are
fragrant and very tough. These trees
bear fruit much resembling an acorn;
but it has surrounding it five petals, shap-
ed something like a lily. The fruit is i'm
pregnated with camphor, and is eaten by
the natives when ripe and fresh. The
tree drops its fruit in Spring. When eat
en- with sugar it is deemed a very great
luxury. During the Towering season the
tree emits unhealthy exhalations, and is,
consequently, avoided by the inhabitants.
The gum for which this tree is chiefly val
ued is obtained by telling the trunk, di-
viding it into pieces, and then splitting
into quarters. The substance is found in
small compact flakes, situated in irregular
veins or assures, near the heart of the
wood. These concrete Jumps of camphor
are extracted by the aid of a sharp pointed
instrument made for that purpose. Trees
vary greatly in the quantity of gum which
they contain, many of them yielding from
half a pound to three times that amount.
Very large and exceedingly fine trees have
been known to produce as high as twenty
pounds; but these were exceptional cases.
After being obtained the substance is re-
peatedly soaked and washed in water, to
separate from it all extraneous matter. 1t
is subsequently passed through several
sleeves of different tineness, and by this
process is divided into three sorts desig-
mated as head, belly, and foot camphor
To show the estimation in which the Chi
nese regard the true Baros gum, they pay
for it from $3.50 to $50 per pound, accord
ing to its quality, while the drug grown in
their own country, and in the Empire of
Japan, is sometimes valued as low as ten
cents per pound. True camphor is every
year becoming more scarce in consequence
of the ruthless manner in which the groves
have been destroyed. Fearing they may
lose this trade, measures have at length
been taken to provide for the wants of fu-
ture generations by setting out young
plants and making somewhat liberal pro-
vision for their growth and protection.
The period of the extreme production of
this drug was reached about the year 1853
The inferior kinds of camphor are known
to commercial men as two varieties; one is
called Dutch, or tub camphor; and the
other, the Chinese, or Formosa. The lat
ter is carried in junks to Canton, and is
there packed in square chests lined with
lead. From Canton it is distributed to the
various leading cities of the Globe. 1t is Il
crude, impure substance, massed in Jumps
and is of a dirty grey color. Very little
prime camphor finds its way to the United
States; but is either consumed in Eastern
countries, or else shipped to Paris and
London. where it is sold to connaisseurs at
high prices.
Tub Camphor is usually much purer
than the chest or Chinese Camphor. 1t is
of coarse texture and of pinkish color;
both these varieties, as well as the prime,
are obtained from the same tree-Ldurus
Camphora, an evergreen, resembling the
Linden, and bearing a red berry. The
trade in tub camphor centers at Batavia,
from whence it is exported in tubs contain
ing about 100 pounds. These tubs are
covered with mating, and are afterward
placed inside Il second tub, that the pro-
perties of the gum may be better secured
from loss of strength or weight by evapo-
ration or other. Besides the gum found in
side the tree, camphor is obtained from
the wood, roots, and leaves, by distillation,
and afterwards condensed by sublimation
int, solid mass. An article much resem-
bling camphor is obtained by the mixture
of Ii vdrochloric acid with oil of turpentine.
The annual export Of camphor from the
East 20 Europe and America is about 5000
piculs "a picul being about SO Is pounds