The camphor-tree, a view of which is given in the cut below, grows
naturally in the woods of Japan, and in many of the islands of the far
distant Pacific ocean. The part which smells stronger of camphor than
any other, is the root, which yields it in great quantities. The bark of
the stalk has outwardly rather a rough appearance; the inner surface is
smooth and mucous, and is very easily separated from the wood, which is
dry in its nature, and white in its color. The leaves stand upon
slender, delicate foot-stalks, having an entire undulating margin
running out into a point; the upper surface of the leaf is of a lively,
shining green, and the lower, herbaceous and silky. The flowers are
produced on the tops of footstalks, which proceed from the arm-pits of
the leaves, but not till the tree has attained considerable age and
size. The flower-stalks are slender, branched at the top, and divided
into very short pedicles, each supporting a single flower; these flowers
are white, and consist of six petals, which are succeeded by a shining
purple berry, of the size of a pea. This is composed of a soft, pulpy
substance, of a purple color, having the taste of cloves and camphor,
and of a kernel of the size of a pepper, which is covered with a black,
shining skin, of an insipid taste.
The _camphor_ is a solid concrete juice, extracted from the wood of the
camphor-tree. Pure camphor is very white, clear, and unctuous to the
touch: the taste is bitterish-aromatic, and accompanied with a sense of
coolness: the smell is particularly fragrant, something like that of
rosemary, but much stronger. It has been long esteemed for its medicinal
qualities, and has been justly celebrated in fevers, malignant and
epidemic distempers. In delirium, where opiates failed in procuring
sleep, but rather increased and aggravated the symptoms, this medicine
has been often found to procure it. Physicians attribute these effects
to its sedative qualities. It is a powerful medicine, capable of doing
great good or harm. It is said to be poisonous to animals, often putting
them into a sleep from which they never waken.