Camphor

Camphor is a white. waxy solid with strong, aromatic odor. It comes from a large evergreen tree found in Asia and also can be synthetically produceed from oil of turpentine. It's used for it's scent, and in India as an ingredient for cooking, as an embalming fluid, for medicinal purposes and religous ceremonies. It's used in several cough suppressants and topical anangesics.I is poisonous when ingested and can very well cause seizures, confusion, irritability, and neuromuscular hyperactivity. In some extreme cases,

Camphor used as a topical may lead to hepatoxicity. Lethal doses in adults range froim 50-500 mg/kg orally. Medical uses for Camphor is discouraged by the fda, except for skin-related uses.Common applications for camphor is oil based and has therapeutic properties such as being an anti-septic, anti-imflammitory, cardiac, laxative, insecticide and stimulant. It can be used to relieve arthritis, sprains, bronchitis, acne, deppression aches, pains, fever and prevent infestations of moths and other insects.

Camphor was used in the plague in Persia, and has also been used for embalming for it's aromatic properties. In modern times, several embalming practices have been practiced by a man named William Hunter. He used essential oils, alcohol, cinnabar and camphor during embalming. Camphir was used as an insense resin and fragarnt in ancient Egypt and Babylon, much later thi s spread to Greece and Rome. These spices and fragrances were widely used as fumiganmts in religious services and at funerals and for embalming. Until the 1700's, the properties of insense werer considered the same as medicine, so camphor was used a loy during the black plague.