wide at tho top. Near the bottom is a square opening D, which may be closed by a board. The whole is clothed with a thick coating of clay C, held fast by a binding of bamboo hoops a. The upper opening is closed by a clay luted cover G, having a hole in the centre, furnished with a eork K. Just under this cover, a hollow bamboo stem leaves the still, and passes to the condenser H. This consists of a four-sided box open beneath, divided into five inthr communicating compartments by means of four partitions, and turned with its open side into a vessel M containing water. This condenser is kept constantly cool by a stream of water, led over the top hy means of the pipe b. The distillation is conducted in the following way :—After removing the cover G, the vessel B is filled with the chips of camphor wood, the cover is replaced, and well luted with clay ; then through the opening K, a certain quantity of water is run in, which, after saturating the chips, will collect in the pan F. Gentle fuing is now commenced, and is continued for twelve hours, so as to keep the water in F at a steady boil. The ascending steam, finding its way among the chips, carries all the camphor with it, and, on conden sation in the cooler H, the camphor is deposited. After 24 hours, operations are suspended, the whole apparatus is cleaned out, and the camphor collected in H is removed into tubs. Here it is subjected to very gentle pressure to extract the oil, which amounts to 25 per cent. at least, and is quite limpid. In some districts, the raw camphor is submitted to a second, somewhat stronger, pressure, by which a greater proportion of the oil is forced through the joints of the casks. The two products are then ready for market. The camphor exported is never quite pure ; it always needs to undergo a process of ptuification after arrival in Europe. The waste chips, after drying on the grating I, are used as fuel.
Japanese camphor is distinguished from Formosan by being coarser grained, clearer, of pinker hue, and by subliming at a lower temperature. It is also known as "Dutch," or " tub " camphor, the latter name arising from its being imported to Europe in tubs covered with matting, each placed within a second tub, secured on the outside by hoops of twisted cane. No metal lining is need, and the camphor is thus drier than the Formosan. Each tub holds about 1 to 1/ cwt. The selling price is nearly twice us high as the Formosan, and the imports to Europe are about as 1 to 6.
The amount of camphor exported from Japan, in 1870, was about 2360 cwt., principally to China (2171 cwt.); Straits Settlements (51 cwt.) ; ancl France and Germany (139 cwt.). Its value in the selling market was 14.4981., or about 6/. 2s. 10d. per cwt. In 1871, Hiogo and Osaka exported about 8450 cwt., and Nagasaki about 900 cwt. more : the total value was placed at about 25,000/. In 1872, the value of the export was stated at 30,576/. In 1876, Hiogo and Osaka exported about 10,000 cwt.
The imports of common camphor into the 'United Kingdom, in 1870, were :—Thirefined, 12,368 cwt.; refilled, 2361 cwt.
Imitations of Common Camphor.—It is said that camphor has been prepared from the roots of the cinnamon shrub, and finds a ready sale in Ceylon and other parts of India ; report also states that it has been obtained from several of the Labiatco, notably in Spain. Au imitation camphor is some
times made in Japan ; but it is readily distinguiahable from the genuine article. An artificial chemical product, bearing a close outward resemblance to camphor, is obtained by passing hydro chloric acid gas through oil of turpentine surrounded by ice. Two compounds are produced : solid artificial camphor, C„H„HC1, white, transparent, lighter than water, and possessing a ca-mphoraceous taste ; and a liquid known as " terebine." This preparation has not been admitted into pharmacy, and is little more than a laboratory curiosity. It is easily recognised by the re action with ammonia. If natural and artificial camphor be dissolved in alcohol, the former will not be precipitated pennanently by ammonia, while the latter produces a flocculent precipitate, which is not dissolved in the supernatant liquid.
Refining Common Camphor.—The crude camphor consists of small crystalline grains of greyish white or pinkish hue, cohering in irregular, friable masses; this, when dissolved in spirits of wine, leaves a sediment of 2 to 10 per cent. of impurities, composed chiefly of common salt, gypsum, sulphur, and vegetable matters. The latter are removed by careful distillation, in the presence of a little quicklime to absorb the oil, /Sm. Two earthen pots luted together, and having a small aperture provided for the escape of the air on the first application of the heat, answer the purpose roughly. In this way much camphor is refined by the natives of India. They buy it in the cases as it arrives from Chinese treaty ports, paying about 34 rupees' (rupee = 2s.) a Surat maund of 421b. The process is illustrated in Fig. 462, and is conducted as follows :—About maund of camphor are rnixed with 2i seers (seer = 1/ pint) of water, and placed in a copper still A, about 2i ft. high. This quantity of camphor is made into a pyramid, and after it is piled into the vessel, an additional 2i seers of camphor (? or water) are thrown in round the sides. A copper lid E is then put on, and, to make it perfectly tight, an iron bar is passed through it and the vessel by holes made for the purpose.
The still is then lifted by handles, and set on an earthen chula B, below which fires are burning.
The lid and edges of the still are smeared with wet clay, which is also piled up into a cone.
In about fifteen minutes, steam comes through the hole where the bar goes, whereupon a cloth C attached to a barnboo is dipped into a receptaele D filled with water, and mopped over the clay cone on the still, so that the water keeps the upper portion cool. This is maintained for three hours, when the sides of the still are beaten with a stick. If this produces the sound of an ernpty vessel, it is known that tho process of sublimation is complete; the still is then removed from the chula, and the lid is opened. The camphor is found in a thick crust lining the upper part of the sides of the still ; it is divided into four pieces by a flat iron knife, and packed in bOxes for sale to the dealers.