Published: 1 September 2022
In March 1840, John William Draper became the first person ever to successfully photograph the moon using a photographic process known as the Daguerreotype. This English-born American physician and chemist was one of the most gifted experimenters of his time.
Draper’s love for experimental sciences eventually led him to write a thesis on an elusive substance as part of his degree of doctor in medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The essay was titled “The Crystallisation of Camphor under the Influence of Light”.
In his 1878 book titled “Scientific Memoirs, Being Experimental Contributions to a Knowledge of Radiant Energy”, Draper wrote:
“In early life I had felt a strong desire to devote myself to the experimental study of nature; and, happening to see a glass containing some camphor, portions of which had been caused to condense in very beautiful crystals on the illuminated side, I was induced to read everything I could obtain respecting the chemical and mechanical influences of light, adhesion, and capillary attraction.”
Years later, in 1903, a Finnish chemist named Gustaf Komppa succeeded in synthesizing camphor for the first time.
What is camphor?
Camphor is a very peculiar chemical that is used extensively in many different industries and yet, it remains generally unknown by the public.
According to Merriam-Webster’s dictionary, camphor is a white crystalline substance “obtained especially from the wood and bark of the camphor tree and used as a liniment and mild topical analgesic in medicine, as a plasticizer, and as an insect repellent”.
Native to Asian countries such as China, India and Japan, the camphor tree can live for up to 2000 years and is easily distinguishable by its “dark green to yellowish leaves and small white flowers followed by small purple berries.”
Originally a “luxury commodity used for religious and medicinal purposes”, camphor eventually become more ubiquitous “with the invention of celluloid plastic, the world’s first man-made plastic” in the 1800s.
According to Love et. al. (2004), nowadays, camphor is synthetically produced from turpentine oil, made from the resin of certain pine trees. Usually found in the form of a white solid mass, camphor has a very pungent aroma and taste.
Ancestral uses of camphor: from Ancient Egypt to the Black Death
Throughout the years, the uses for camphor have been vast and varied. Previously used in fragrance creation in Ancient Egypt and Babylon, camphor oil was also one of the main ingredients utilized by Ancient Egyptians to mummify Pharaohs and members of the nobility. In traditional ancient Egyptian medicine, it was used to reduce fever, soothe gums and soothe epilepsy.
Fast-forward to 14th century Europe, camphor was used as a fumigant during the era of the Black Death to help reduce airborne transmission of viruses. This devastating epidemic of bubonic plague was “one of the largest infectious disease catastrophes in human history (…) estimated to have claimed the lives of up to 60% of the western Eurasian population over its eight-year course”.
Chen et. al. (2013) also recall the use of camphor as torch-light material by the Japanese, and “as a circulatory stimulant and analeptic” by the Chinese to help treat respiratory failures.
Camphor is also believed to have anti-aphrodisiac properties according to Persian traditional medicine.
Modern uses for camphor: from muscle rubs and cosmetics to bug sprays
With a wide array of biological properties, camphor has many different pharmaceutical applications, from nasal decongestant and cough suppressant to topical analgesic to treat minor muscle aches and pains. You might be familiar with products such as Vicks VapoRub, Vicks inhaler and Tiger balm, all of which contain a fair amount of camphor. In addition to providing pain relief, camphor also has the ability to enhance the absorption of products that are applied on the skin.
Another noteworthy feature of camphor is its insecticidal properties, making it the ideal eco-friendly mosquito repellent. In fact, it is common practice in many cultures around the world to place some camphor in cupboards as an alternative to mothballs for clothes.
You will also find camphor in a variety of skin and haircare products, including bath products, shampoos and chapsticks, where it is used for its distinctive fragrance as well as its antimicrobial and soothing properties. Camphor is also commonly added to massage oil blends. El-Shazly et. al. even published a qualitative study in 2004 revealing positive results of a rosacea treatment, combining diluted camphor oil and an antibiotic called “metronidazole”.
Camphor’s antiviral properties also make it an effective disinfectant commonly added in household products such as detergents, soaps and floor cleaners. In fact, it is commonly burned in Indian households for air purification purposes.
Did you know? Camphor is used in the production of many paints & coatings, and also plays a key role in the stabilisation of smokeless gunpowder pyrotechnics.
As for its potentially anti-cancerous effects, camphor is still being investigated by a number of scientific studies using in vitro and animal models (Moayedi et.al. (2018), Schröder et. al. (2022), Singh et. al. (2022), etc).
Cooking with edible camphor
Edible camphor has been an important part of India’s culinary culture for years. In South India, it is often added to various desserts such as boondi laddu (a sweet made with gram flour, ghee, sugar and flavoured with hints of clove, cardamom and camphor) and sweet pongal (a sweet porridge with rice and mung lentils). The addition of camphor is said to enhance the flavours and sweetness of these traditional desserts.
This multipurpose molecule is also loved by the food industry, where it is often used as a flavouring agent and a preservative in confectionary goods. Products vary from sauces and condiments, to ice cream, candies and a wide range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. As a matter of fact, it is not uncommon for camphor to be present in prepared meals which contain herbs such as basil, coriander, rosemary and/or sage.
Additionally, sources from the Tang dynasty in China have attested to the existence of a frozen milk-like dessert made up of water buffalo milk laced with camphor.
Camphor poisoning: from comfort to casualty
Toxicity of camphor has been documented over the years, with lethal doses in adults reported to range between 50 to 500 mg/kg.
According to Love et. al (2004), “many cases of camphor-related toxicity in the pediatric population are found in the medical literature of the 19th and 20th centuries.” In fact, since 1983, the limit on the amount of camphor allowed in medical products was established by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) at 11% after a wave of serious poisoning cases in children.
Khine et. al. (2009) also reported camphor-induced seizures in young children having either ingested, inhaled or rubbed the substance on their skin as a result of spiritual purposes, cold remedies, or pest control.
It is important to keep camphor-containing medicine away from pregnant women and children. Severe physical and neurological symptoms can appear “within 15 minutes of ingestion of more than 30 mg/kg,” according to The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne. Manifestations can range from nausea and apnea to seizures, confusion and coma.
According to Santos and Cabot (2015), a number of products sold in ethnic grocery stores and bodegas do not specify the amount of camphor they contain. “Despite these regulations, pure camphor cubes and products containing up to 20% camphor are heavily imported into the United States from countries such as India and China,” they explain. “They are illegally marketed in the United States to combat colds, skin conditions, headaches, abdominal pain, and pregnancy, as well as for use in spiritual rituals”.
Public awareness surrounding camphor toxicity as well as research on the biological mechanisms of the effects are direly needed. Some authors also believe that there should be efforts put forth “to limit the illegal availability of these products”.
The camphor flame and references in religious texts?
Known as kapur in Hindi, camphor is an essential part of Hindu religious ceremonies, where it is usually set on fire on a stand called ‘karpur dāni‘. In his book “The Camphor Flame”, author Christopher John Fuller details the customary puja (act of worship) of Indian devotees in Hindu temples:
“Frequently, in the Minakshi temple and elsewhere, puja is further reduced to no more than the showing of a one-flame camphor lamp with a plantain on the side as a food offering. Hindus commonly refer to the lamp of service – and especially the camphor flame display – as arati, a term widely used throughout India as a synonym for puja. ” (The Camphor Flame, p.68)
The ritual usually ends with the priest bringing the camphor flame to the waiting devotees, who proceed to mark their foreheads with white ash or red powder and sometimes even swallow a bit of ash.
Conversations surrounding camphor also surface in the world of monotheism. If you have ever read the Quran or the Bible, you might have stumbled on the word “kopher“ or “kāfūr” ( كَافُور in Arabic).
In the holy book of Muslims, Surah Al-Insan mentions a wine flavoured with camphor that is enjoyed by the Righteous in Paradise. It is believed that the heavenly camphor, different from the camphor on Earth, is safe from any harmful effects.
Indeed, the virtuous will have a drink ˹of pure wine˺—flavoured with camphor.
The Holy Quran (76:5)
This particular verse has brought up numerous discussions surrounding the translation of the word “kafur”. While some commentators believe it to be the Arabic word for camphor, others think that the heavenly drink mentioned will have camphor-like properties (i.e. coolness and brightness) without containing any of the substance.
Some experts have also brought up the possibility of kafur referring to “a spring full of wine” that exists in Paradise. As for plant scientist Dr M.I.H. Farooqi, he speculates that the word “kafur” refers to “henna” or Lawsonia inermis, a plant from which a natural pigment for hair and skin is extracted.
As concerns Christianity, recent translations of the biblical Song of Solomon identify the Hebrew word “kopher” as “henna” and not camphor.
Thy shoots are an orchard of pomegranates, with precious fruits; Henna with spikenard plants,
Song of Solomon 4:13 (American Standard Version)
Camphor is one of the main aromatic substances found in Arabic culture, alongside musk, aloeswood (aka ‘ud) and saffron. It is still commonly used in Arabic perfumery and Islamic funeral rituals to rinse and scent the body.
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