The evening times., 1900-09-26
THE cAMPHoR MONOPOLY.
How the Product Is Prepared In For.
mOsa for Trade Purposes


How the Product Is Prepared In For
mOsa for Trade Purposes
James W. Davidson. Consul OF the
United States in Formosa. in report to
the State Department furnishes some
Interesting Information concerning the
ca nphor monopoly. He writes:
In addition to the information re-
garding the Formosa camphoF monopoly
given in my previous report, l have to
state that information has been received
to the effect that the camphor bureau IS
prepared to establish distributing
agency in Chicago, if the demand for
camphor In that city is sufficient to
justify it. It should also be noted By
purchasers in tlce United States that they
have the right TO demand that supplies
be furnished them in New York by the
distributing agency at the official pr.css
namely: Grade \ eamphor blocks at
10T-S42 yea per picul t133 poundS). ex-
elusive of import duties. and crude at
So 702 yen per picul. The equivalent in
United States gold is, roughly S53 90 and
$49-S5, respectively.
The so-called 'camphor factory built
by the Government at the capital Tai
hoku (Taipeh), is the most imposing in
appearance of any of Formosa's indus
trial establishments. II consists of one
mfaia building containing the distiIiing
apparatus for Grade 4 camphoF one
building equipped with the necessary ap-
paratus for the extracting of camphor
from eamphor ell a large warehouse for
storing the drug, packing house, and
numerous outhouses, including barraek-
like quarters for The laborers and nsat
little cottages for the skilled woFkmen.
officers, etc, connected with the factory
The factory buildings are big. solid
structures of brick and stone, and pro-
vided with not only the latest hydraulic
and steam pressing machinery, but with
much apparatus specially designed for
the work. The grounds and buildings
ara Illuminated by electricity supplied
~ the fscIory'S own plant The build
ings impress ogs as having been erected
with the idea OF permanency. and the
Formosa Government evidently hopes to
control the eamphor situation for many
years
The preparation of the two grades. A
and B tcrudel eamphor. is as follows:
The camphor is obtained by steanaing
camphorwood chips in roughly built
furnaces set up in the hill districts. a
vaper arises from the steaming wood and
eondenses in cooled wooden receptacIes
forming a snow-lile deposit OF eamphor,
containing, however, some quantity of oil
condenser, it is allowed to drain in tubs,
until considerable portion of the oil
has run of. The eamphor is then packed
in canvas bags and transported to the
central office at the capital The cam
phor destined for shipment as crude Is
! not subject TO further treatment after
leaving the country districts. For ship
ment, it is packed by nand in zine-lined
cases holding about 1 picul (133 poundsl
This grade is similar In form to the crude
camphor exported prior to the establish
ment OF the monopoly, although the Gov
ernment has been able to improve It
somewhat in quality
The camphoF- for Grade \ blocks is
treated at the factory described above
The plant possesses six large distilling
furnaces measuring some II by u by :, fe ct
and two capitalization chambers some 80
| by "a by q feet. Several thousand pounds
| of the crude ca .nphor are placed in one of
| the large iron retorts and after the op-
| eningS in the latter have been closed and
| sealed air is forced in TO hasten evapora-
| ton For the first forty-eight hours a
! slow fire IS maintained, which is sufficient
| however, to drive OFF the water and oil,
| these passing through pipe leading from
! the top Of the retort into a tank cooled
! by water The heat is now increased and
/ the above pipe having been shut off and
a second one opened the camph0r fumes
pass through the latter into the crystaii-
zation chamber the roof of which is cool
| ed by running water Here it crystailizes
| as flowers of camphor. The eamphor is
| Eo9 ready for pressing. This is accom-
pIished by first shaping the campher iEto
| the form af a block by the use Of wooden
moIds. The block is then pressed by
| steam power, and, lastly. is subjected To
| a very high hydraulic pressure. The re-
| suit is q hard. aImest Opaque brick OF
| practically pure campher weighing 13 1-e
! pounds These blocks are now wrapped
in oiled paper and packed in zine-Iined
| boxes holding ten. and. after receiving
| the Government label of crude caniphor
pressed by the Formosa Government are
handed over to selling agents. The Gov
ern.nent factory has at present yearly
capacity of some 2, 100000 pounds of Grade
| A.
"a clerical error in the previous ciTcu-
| lar reports mentioned above has some
| what obscured the facts relating TO the
| expenditure and receipts of the monopoly
The total FormcsaI Government expenses
including cost of camphor, are given in The
| budget for 1900 as 81, ,063, sos, and the re-
ceipts as 81. ~, ,512- This leaves a profit
of 1868. I12, or about ST per 133 pounds
This is taking the maximum production
! for the year at s. Isl GOO pounds.
Some 200G.C00 pounds Of camphor are
| consumed in the United States yearly"