Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-17
THE VIRTUES OF CAMPHoR.
Many Uses to Which the Drug IL Put
-Valuabl as Sedative or Stimulant.

From London Health
Camphor Is used In medicine. both out
wardly and inwardly, sometimes as tenn
porary stimulant and sometimes as soda
tive Everybody has heard of the use OF
camphor drops for persons liable to faint
ing fits. 1t is frequently employed in govt
and rheumatism In small doses 1t acts IS
an anodyne and antispasmodic, but In large
doses 1t is an 1rritant poison. The alco-
holic solution and the liniments In which
1t is the chief ingredient are much used for
external applications. for sprains and
bruises, chilblains. and even for incipient
PARALYSIS The employment of camphor as
a medicine in England is not very old; 1t
was used in Germany before 1t became
known in England, and In medical books
of the last century 1t was called cam
phire" All kinds of healing properties were
ascribed both by English and foreign doc
tors to the drug, of the importation or
which from Japan the Dutch had the mo-
nopoly. Camphor was said to be a powerful
antiseptic. to be cure for hypochondrt-
asis. and to be useful in cases of epilepsy.
1t was administered mixed with vinegar,
or rubbed up with mucilage of gum ara
bic, or combined with a certain quantity or
sweet almonds. There cannot be any doubt
that camphor has many medicinal uses and
could be Ill spared from the pharmacopoeia,
but there Is some consolation to be found
in the fact that 1t Is possible to prepare
dFlIIfCldl CalnpuOT ny tDe dStH'H VI
hydrochloride acid gas and oil OF turpen-
tine, which produces a white substance
possessing a comphorlike odor, and which
is soluble in alcohol. Camphor. condiments
and the cordial which he himself invented.
and to which he gave his own name. were
the three chief specifics recommended for
the cure Of almost every ailment to which
human flesh Is heir by the skllful chemist
and fervid Republican Raspail. Year af-
ter year, in his once popular Almanack. the
virtues of camphor were extoiled. and,
could the French savant revisit the
glimpses of the moon. his spirit would be
sorely troubled by the intelligence that, IN
all probability there is likely 10 be scare
ity Of camphor. Since the war the imports
of the odorous drug have fallen off TO
prodgious extent. 1t is not only, however,
on Japan that We depend for camphor.
Almost all the camphor of commerce is
the product OF the camphor laurel, or cam
phor tree, which is native not only OF
Japan, but of China, Cochin China and
Formosa, and Its cultivation has been in
troduced into Java and the West Indies
two regions which have certainly not been
affected by the war in the far east. The
Chinese camphor tree Is found in kwang-
81 and Sukien, and affords both timber and
gum for expectation and domestic use. The
gum is procured from the branches, leaves
and chips by first soaking them in water
until the liquid becomes saturated with 1t.
when il is turned out into an earthen basin
to coagulate, and undergoes other treat
ment. 1t comes to market in a crude state,
and is usually again refined after reaching
Europe. There is also an oil extracted from
camphor, which rarely comes to Europe,
and the article made in Borneo and Su-
matra is 30 much esteemed In the east that
even In markets of Japan two hundred
pounds Of camphor of the latter country
used to be given In exchange for one pound
of the product of the former. The Bornean
camphor Is white like chalk, but has tho
same smell and taste as that of China and
Japan. The natives ascribe extraordinary
medicinal virtues to 1t. and frequently hang
IL powdered in bags around their necks or
around their waists, wrists and ankles and.
curiously enough, this use of powdered
camphor was strongly advocated by Ras-
pail