Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1890-06-05
WELCOME NEWS foa MOTHS.
Camphor Is Very Dear and Druggists
Are Inventing a Substitute.

Are Inventing a Substitute.
The price of camphor has not been sc
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 It IN
quantities. learn this at the various apoth'
ecary shops. The retail price at present Is
in some instances as high as ~ cents a
pound. and the wholesale price is seldom
below IS or 60 cents for the same quantity
There has been steady advance in the
price during the last three years. In leei
camphor could be bought readily for =
cents pound in 1855, for p cents; in the
spring Of 1889 for 20 cents, and in the fall
of 1889 for 81 cents. Since then it has adj
vanced rapidly until the price has reached
the high figures quoted.
This rise in the price Of the popular anc
useful drug is attributed to various causes
One of the chief is supposed 70 be its ex
tended use in manufactures last year. II
addition to the large quantities now used
in the making of celluloid the recent in
vention of smokeless powder has drawn
largely upon Che stock in hand. The gov
ernments of Germany, France and Belgium
where the smokeless powder is now il
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 10000 marks by selling
its stock to the government in the early
part of the winter instead of holding 10 II
until now.
However, il is said that Germany is seek
ing diligently for proper substitute te
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 futurel has led to the use of a sub
stitute for killing moths. IL is called naph
tralin, and is a coal tar product, white in
color, which can be purchased in the form
OF big Jumps and fakes. II is said TO bt
effective in the preservation Of clothes.
The greater part of the camphor in com
merce is the product Of the camphor tree, q
native of China, Japan, Formosa and Co
chin China. It has also been introduced
into Java and the West Indies, although
with but partial success. Inc tree Is o.
considerable height with evergreen leaves
aud yellowish white flowers. 1t is import
ed 10 this country in a crude state in large
leaden lined tubs, tightly sealed, and is re
fined by sublimation. There are only three
refneries 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 reiineries. An American firm, how
ever, has recently sent machine 10 Japar
for the purpose Of refining the camphol
where it is grown, prior TO expectation. II
is said that IL expects TO make money by
this means, despite the duty, as the loss OF
refined camphor by evaporation is less thar
on the crude camphor. Druggists also say
that the machines in use in America fol
refining camphor accomplish better results
than those used in any other country Thu
prices Of the drug in Europe are today
somewhat higher even than in this coun
try-New York Tribune.