Camphor

n. [N. Lat. camphora, caphura, Fr. camphre, It. & L. Lat. canfora, O. It. cafura, Sp. canfor, canfora, alcanfor, Pg. cânfora, alcanfor, Ger. kampher, Gr. καφουρά, κάπιον, from Ar. & Per. kāfūra, Hind. kāpura, Malay. kāpūr, Skr. karpūra.] A solid, concrete juice, from different species of the genus Camphora, of the Laurus family, especially from C. officinarum (the Laurus camphora of Linnæus); it is whitish, translucent, somewhat unctuous to the touch, very volatile, and its odor strong and fragrant. It is narcotic, diaphoretic, and sedative in properties. This is the ordinary camphor of the shops. Another kind of camphor is produced from a tree (Dryobalanops camphora), growing in Sumatra, Borneo, and the Malayan peninsula, and is commonly known as Malay camphor. It is secreted naturally in crystalline masses, and lodged in cavities in the wood, and is in great request among the Chinese.