What are the effects of mothballs?

Mothballs are a very common deodorant in our daily lives and can also repel insects, especially cockroaches, which most people hate. Its usage is relatively simple. Just place a few mothballs in the closet or corners, and the effect is very good. In addition to repelling insects and removing odors, mothballs also have other outstanding medicinal therapeutic effects. Let’s take a look at the effects of mothballs.

Since camphor is a relatively expensive item, it is not used in home environments, so synthetic camphor has emerged. Most synthetic camphor balls are obtained by deep processing of turpentine oil. It is a white crystalline powder with a special fragrant smell and is soluble in ethanol, ether or chloroform. These synthetics evaporate slowly at room temperature.

1. Mothballs are used to treat symptoms such as sudden fainting or coma.

2. Camphor balls are used for scabies and itching. They have the effect of removing moisture, killing insects and relieving itching. They can be soaked in wine with radix scutellariae, fructus kochiae, fructus cnidium, sulfur, sophora flavescens, etc. for external use. They can also be ground into powder with sulfur, alum, sophora flavescens, phellodendron, etc. and mixed with vegetable oils for external application.

3. Camphor balls are used to treat various pain syndromes such as falls, injuries, blood stasis, swelling and pain. It can be made into a tincture with alcohol and applied externally.

Pharmacological effects of mothballs

1. Skin

Camphor balls have a mild irritating and antiseptic effect. If applied vigorously, they can cause redness, while light application can have a cooling effect similar to mint.

2. Anesthesia

Camphor balls have a stimulating effect on the gastrointestinal mucosa, which makes the stomach feel warm and comfortable. However, if used in large quantities, it can irritate the stomach and cause physical discomfort, accompanied by symptoms such as nausea and vomiting.

Use mothballs with caution

The vast majority of mothballs on the market are artificially synthesized. Their active ingredient is naphthol, which is toxic to a certain extent. Long-term contact may cause acute hemolytic anemia, respiratory irritation, skin allergic purpura and glomerulonephritis.