Botanical names Cinnamomun camphoraFamily Lauraceae
Part of plant used Crude Camphor is collected from the trees in crystalline form. The essential oil is produced by steam distillation from the wood, root stumps and branches and rectified under vacuum and filter pressed to produce threefractions, knowas white, brown and yellow camphor.
Major constituents The chemistry of camphor is very complex and continues to maintain biochemical intrigue. There are five main chemotypes :
: camphor: cineole: safrol: linalool: sesquiterpeneA typical analysis of the
Cinnamomum camphora subsp
eucamphor was reported as follows (
:a-pinene (3.76%), camphene (1.64%), b-pinene (1.26%), limonene (2.71%), 1,8-cineole (4.75%), y-terpinene (0.24%), p-cymene (0.14%), terpinolene (0.3%), furfural (0.16%), camphor (51.5%), linalool (0.68%), bornyl acetate (0.02%), terpinen-4-ol (0.57%), caryophyllene (1.49%), borneol (0.02%), piperitone (2.41%), geraniol (0.63%), safrole (13.4%), cinnamaldehyde (0.08%), methyl cinnamate (0.08%), eugenol (0.12%).
The yellow and brown fractions have a very high safrole content ( yellow: 10-20% ; brown: 80%).
Hazards Brown and yellow camphor are toxic and carcinogenic. White camphor does not contain safrole however it is considered a convulsant and neurotoxin.
Contra-indications Should not be used in aromathererapy.
Comments The symptoms of camphor oil poisoning by ingestion include nausea, vomiting, colic, headaches, dizziness, delirium, muscle twitching, epileptiform convulsions, depression of the central nervous system and coma. Death from respiratory failire is rae though fatalities in chidren have been recorded from ingesting 1g of camphor oil.
Camphorated oil is prepared with 20 % camphor in any fixed oil .
The Complete Guide to AromatherapyBy Salvatore BattagliaLittlejase
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