THE CLASSICAL PLANTS OF SICILY. 109 
cap. 1'18, are used in ices, creams, conserves, and all kinds of 
bonbons and confectionary. 
25. P. Lentiscus.— Mastick.— Bot, Mag. vol. xlv. tab. 1961. 
Xyfios 060pov, — Diosc. lib. i. cap. 90. Xyiios.— Theoph. lib. ix. 
cap. l. Xxí». Grec. hodiern.—Sibth. The word cxwi£ouou, 
means, to eat mastick for the purpose of cleaning the teeth. 
The resin or gum mastic is obtained by making incisions in 
the bark, from which it exudes in drops, or tears—ddxgue 
(apud Theoph. loco cit.) and soon concretes by the heat of 
the sun. The purest is imported from the island of Scio. 
The Turkish belles keep up the ancient custom of chewing it 
in order to preserve the gums, clear the teeth, and give an 
aromatic flavour to the breath. Martial (Epigram. lib iii.) 
mentions mastic tooth-picks, cuspides lentisci, The gum is 
called by Dioscorides (lib. i. cap. 91.)—£rív; exnívi, 71 waorixn. 
Lho also confirms that it was used for a dentifrice,—péywras 3: 
xal ourypacw sdévrow;—being chewed it gives a sweet scent to 
the breath—oréuaris re iuwdicty moii Diumoouutin.— The best came 
from the Isle of Chios (now Scio; both names very probably 
are corrupted from cxi»), and in the greatest quantity, —yewara 
Ò: xad xaXXXiorn xoi cer? ey Xiw TH Vou. According to Husselquist, 
the gum is still named saçsız by the Modern Greeks. In 
Sicilian, the gum is called Jfastice; but an oil is made from 
the berries, which is named Ou di Lestincu: it is procured 
by boiling the berries (Zyjwéec. Hippocr.) in water, and the 
oily matter skimmed off the surface. This oil was used by 
the ancients; and obtained in the same way.— Dioscorides 
(lib. i. cap. 51.) calls it £c» cyfuwv, Xyn£«.— Diodorus 
Siculus (Hist. lib. v. cap. 17.) likewise relates, that the in- 
habitants of the neighbouring Balearic Isles used it. Another 
sort of oil was prepared from the mastick itself, which is the 
Easo maorixwor, 5j uoi eA aiov, — Diosc. cap. lii. 
"Theocritus calls the Lentisk sweet—ùòsias exjwo.— 1dyl. vii. 
v. 133. Again he says, (dyl. xxvi. v. ll.) Zxje es deyaiay 
xaradis, Gy de) %evoc,—that it was a plant indigenous in the 
country. 
