Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-12-08
CAN MAKE CAMPHOR
Professor of Chemistry and Two of His
Students at Drahs University Be-
Iieved to Have Made Very valua-
bic Discovery.

Special 10 Times Republican.
Des Moines, Dec. Z. - Professor
Charles N. Kinney. of Drake Univer-
sity, and two advanced students of
chemistry of that institution, have dis
covered a method of manufacturing
raw camphor. which will reduce the
cost of the drug from 65 cents to Is
cents a pound.
Professor Kinney believes that the
discovery Will revolutionize the cam
phor business. The process consists
of the distillation Of turpentine and
cxalic acid. The equipment Is pro-
tected by patent. The principle can not
be protected in that way and Profess
sor Kinney understands that expert
ments for the manufacture of artificial
camphor have been made in the east.
Edwin Burroughs. Of Des Moines.
and D. w. Vinship, OF Centralia, H.,
are the students who will participate
With Professor Kinney In the benefits
ancruing from the discovery.
The announcement Of the discovery
was made Saturday evening at the
meeting OF the Drake Chemical Socie-
IS, which consists Of about fifteen
members. all Of whom are doing spe-
cial work in chemistry. The experi-
ments leading up to the discovery Of
the ARTIFICIAL camphor were made by
the two students. under the supervis-
ion of Professor Kinney. Saturday
they took their first caruphor from the
apparatus after working almost day
and night for three weeks, and the ex-
pertinent being absolutely successful,
the result was announced.
Professor Kinney. while he was IA
college, had spent several months in
special work With camphor, not in the
to manufacture ii, but In ex-
periments into which It entered ex-
tensively. He knew well its compost
ton and properties and hearing of ex-
perimen:s in the east, set afoot the
experiments which have resulted SO
successfully. The product is made by
Installations Of turpent!ne and oxalic
acid
The result Of Professor Kinney's
first successful experiment gave a
product of nearly .35 per cent OF the
weight e,f raw turpentine. This weeks
experiments will be carried farther
with some improved apparatus which
IS ready to be installed. Professor
Kinney thinks that they will result in
getting from so to IS per cent Of the
weight Of raw turpentine.
The discovery is so recent that the
experiments will be carried further
course of action: but Professor Kin
ney said Saturday night 1t was very
the equipment would imme-
iiate,y be patented and company or
ganized for manufacturing the CAM
phor
The present cost Of cam phor-all of
which is from the camphor tree-is
from GO to 65 cents. Until II short time
ago 1t could be bought for 43 cents, bu.
the Japanese have monopolized the
supply in Formosa whence the greater
part of the commercial supply comes.
and have forced the present high price.
The camphor OF the markets today
comes almost exclusively from Fomno-
sa. Sumatra. Borneo and Japan. The
supply from Borneo and Sumatra is
very limited. It is obtained by distilla-
don from various aromatic plants, and
condensed by sublimation into a solid
FORM. Another variety OF camphor is
on the Malay peninsula, but
the product is entirely consumed by
Tho Chinase