[Historical study on the moth repellent, "Fujisawa Camphor" (1)].

"Fujisawa Camphor" was introduced for sale as a moth repellent for home use in 1897. As a background that camphor was produced on a commercial basis, the following were studied: (1) Camphor was already used as a moth repellent by some people in the Endo Period. (2) With the Sino-Japanese War as a turning point, armaments were increased and they made military uniforms which were made of wool. It also made Western woolen clothes spread in general. (3) As people were in danger to catch infectious diseases in those days, they had a habit of avoiding bad odors and drifting fragrances like camphor were used in rooms to prevent the plague. (4) In those days, a technique for refining camphor was established, so white crystal-line camphor was produced on a commercial basis.