CAMPHOR
Camphor is a waxy, flammable, white or transparent solid with a strong aroma. It is a terpenoid with the chemical formula C10H16O. It is found in the wood of the camphor laurel (Cinnamomum camphora), a large evergreen tree found in Asia (particularly in Sumatra, Indonesia and Borneo) and also of the unrelated kapur tree, a tall timber tree from the same region.
Botanical Name- Cinnamomum camphora
Origin- Japan, Vietnam, and China
Tree Height- Up to 100 feet
Other Names- Karpur (Hindi/Marathi/Bengali/Gujarati), Karpooram (Telugu), Pachai Karpooram (Tamil), Kalpooram (Malayalam), Karpoora (Kannada), and Kappur (Punjabi)
Only 50-year-old trees can produce oil from the active component, which can be found in each and every part of the tree. And steam is used to extract camphor oil from the tree.
Health Benefits Of Camphor Essential Oil
Stimulant & Diaphoretic: Camphor essential oil is an effective stimulant, which boosts the activity of the circulatory system, metabolism, digestion, secretion and excretion. This property helps in treating problems and ailments associated with improper circulation, digestion, sluggish or overactive metabolic rates, obstructed secretions, and a wide variety of other less common conditions.
Antiseptic, Disinfectant, Insecticide, and Germicide: Camphor oil is an excellent disinfectant, insecticide and germicide. It can be added to drinking water to disinfect it, particularly during the summer and in rainy seasons when there is a higher chance of water becoming infected. An open bottle or container of camphor oil, or burning a piece of cloth soaked in camphor oil, drives away insects and kills germs. A drop or two of camphor oil, mixed with a large quantity of food grains, keep those food items safe from insects. Camphor is also used in many medical preparations such as ointments and lotion to cure skin diseases, as well as bacterial and fungal infections of the skin. When mixed into bathing water, camphor oil disinfects the whole body externally and kills lice or other small parasites of bugs that might be on your body.
Carminative: It is very helpful in giving relief for gas trouble. Primarily, it does not let gas form and secondarily, it effectively removes the gases and expels them in a healthy way.
Anesthetic & Nervous Pacifier: It acts as a good anesthetic and is very effective for local anesthesia. It causes numbness of the sensory nerves at the area of application. It also reduces the severity of nervous disorders and convulsions, epileptic attacks, nervousness, and chronic anxiety.
