Camphor is a whitish translucent substance, of a granular or foliated fracture, and somewhat unctuous to the touch, which is mostly extracted from two or three kinds of trees of the laurel tribe. It has a bitterish aromatic taste and a strong characteristic smell. In chemical character it is one of the ketones. The common camphor of the shops, is obtained from Camphora officinarum, the camphor laurel, a native of China and Japan, now naturalized in many other countries.
The common camphor is obtained from the wood by distillation and sublimation. Borneo camphor, on the other hand, is not procured by distillation, but is found in masses, secreted naturally in cavities in the trunk and greater branches. Numerous other vegetables, such as thyme, rosemary, sage, etc, are found to yield camphor by distillation.
In medicine camphor is used both as an external and internal stimulant. In small doses it acts as an anodyne and antispasmodic; in large doses it acts as a poison. Its effluvia being very noxious to insects, it is much used to protect specimens in natural history. It readily dissolves in alcohol, oils, etc, and in this way is much used as a liniment. It evaporates or volatilizes at ordinary temperatures. Camphor is also used in the manufacture of celluloid. Research Camphor
Abbreviations
SciTech
Research Camphor