Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1890-05-28
WELCOME News FoR MorHs.
Camphor Is Very Dear and Druggists
Are Inventing a Substitute.

Camphor Is Very Dear and Druggists
Are Inventlng a Substitute.
The price of camphor has not been 81
high for years as it is at present House
wives, DESTROYS Of Keeping the destructive
moths and other insects from the winter
clothes, now laid aside for the summer
and merchants even, who purchase Il in
quantities, learn this at the various apoth
ecary shops. The retail price at present Is
in some instances as high as 20 cents Q
pound. and the wholesale price is seldom
below 55 or 60 cents for the same quantity
There has been a steady advance In ths
price during the last three years. In 1881
camphor could be bought readily for q
cents pound in 1888, for 25 cents in the
of 1889 for 81 cents Since then it has ad.
vanced rapidly until the price has reached
the high figures quoted.
This rise in the price OF the popular and
useful drug is attributed to various causes.
One of the chief is supposed to be its ex.
tended use in manufactures last year. In
addition to the large quantities now used
in the making of celluloid the recent in
vention of smokeless powder has drawn
largely upon the stock in hand. The gov
ernmentsof Germany, France and Belgium,
where the smokeless powder is now in
almost exclusive use, have purchased large
amounts of the article and stored it in
their magazines, in preparation of war,
should there be one A firm in Hamburg
is said to have lost 100 900 marks by selling
its stock to the government in the early
part of the winter instead Of holding to it
until now.
However, it is said that Germany seek
ing diligently for proper substitute to
use as the principal ingredient of the
smokeless powder, as its extreme volatility
makes its use expensive and somewhat un-
certain. Nothing, however, has been found
yet which can take its place.
The high price of camphor land drug
gists do not expect to see it much lower in
the near future) has led to the use of a sub
stitute for killing moths. It is called naph-
train, and is a coal tar product, white in
color, which can be purchased in the form
of big Jumps and flakes. It is said to be
effective in the preservation of clothes
The greater part Of the camphor in com
mcrce is the product of the camphor tree, a
native of China, Japan, Formosa and Co
chin China. 1t has also been introduced
into Java and tho West Indies, although
with but partial success The tree is of
considerable height with evergreen leaves
and yellowish white flowers 1t is import
ed to this country in crude state in large
lcaden lined tubs, tightly sealed, and is re-
fined by sublimation. There are only three
refincries in the United States all of which
are in the east, All of the camphor used
at present in America is prepared in these
three refineries. An American firm, how
ever, has recently sent machine to Japan
for the purpose of refining the camphor
where it is grown, prior to expectation. 1t
is said that it expects to make money by
this means, despite the duty, as the loss on
refined camphor by evaporation is less than
on the crude camphor. Druggists also say
that the machines in use in America for
refining camphor accomplish better results
than those used in any other country. The
prices of the drug in Europe are today
somewhat higher even than in this coun-
try.-New York Tribune.