ANACARDIACEX. 523 
ful rubefacient and vesicant properties. The Cashew-tree also yields a large 
supply of a kind of gum, which is however but little used. . 
Holigarna longifolia—The fruits of this species and those of Semecar. pus 
Anacardium, furnish the black varnish of Sylhet, which is much used in 
India. (See Semecarpus.) 
Mangifera indica.---The fruit of this plant is the Mango, which is so 
highly esteemed in tropical countries. Several varieties are cultivated : 
these differ very much in the size and flavour of their fruits. The kernel 
of the seed is employed in Brazil and in India as an anthelmintic. ! 
Melunorrhea usitatissima furnishes the ‘Black Varnish of the Burmese. 
It is employed in the arts, and also as an anthelmintic. 
Odina Wodier has an astringent bark, which has been used in India. 
It also yields an astringent gum. 
Pistacia.—P. Lentiscus is the source of the concrete resin, which is 
official inthe British Pharmacopeeia, called mustic or mastich. It is obtained 
from the stem by incision. Mastich, when dissolved in spirit of wine or oil 
of turpentine, forms a good varnish, which was formerly much employed in 
this country, but of late years the place of mastich for this purpose has 
been supplied in a great degree by Dammar and other less expensive 
resins. It is used in the East as a masticatory ; and also to some extent 
for fumigation, and in the manufacture of confections and cordials. 
It is also employed in this country by dentists as a temporary stopping 
for teeth, when dissolved in alcohol or ether, for the relief of toothache 
and other purposes. It possesses stimulant and diuretic properties, but 
is rarely employed in medicine. It is exclusively collected, and from 
male plants only, in the island of Scio, where this plant is much 
cultivated.—P. Terebinthus is the source of the liquid oleo-resin called Chian 
Turpentine. It is obtained from the stem by incision, in the same way as 
mastich. Chian Turpentine becomes solid by keeping, from the loss of its 
volatile oil. It has the general properties of the ordinary Turpentines 
derived from some of the Conifer, and was formerly employed for 
similar purposes; but its use in medicine had become nearly obsolete 
until it was recommended recently as being almost a specific in the 
treatment of uterine cancer, for which purpose it has been extensively 
employed, but without any evident success. It is used in Greece and 
the Levant in the manufacture of cordials. Chian Turpentine, as its name 
indicates, is obtained from the island of Scio.—Pistacia vera produces the 
fruit known as Pistachio or Pistacia nut, the kernels of which are of a 
green colour, and have an agreeable flavour. They are highly esteemed by 
the Turks and Greeks, and are occasionally imported into this country. 
They are either eaten raw, or after having been fried, with pepper and salt. 
—P. Khinjuk and P. cabulicu yield concrete resins resembling mastich, 
This kind of mastich is imported into India from Cabul; and rarely 
into Europe under the name ot Bombay or East Indian Mastich. Curiously 
shaped galls of a slightly astringent terebinthinate taste are also obtained 
from P. Khinjuk, which enter into the native Materia Medica of India 
under the name of Gil-i-pista——P. atlanticu also yields a concrete resin, 
which is used in place of mastich by the Arab tribes of Northern Africa. 
Rhus, the Sumach.—Several species of this genus have more or less 
poisonous properties. They have generally a milky juice, which becomes 
black on exposure to the air; and the emanations from some of them excite 
violent erysipelatous inflammation upon certain individuals when brought 
within their influence——R. Toxicodendron is the Poison-oak of North 
America. The leaves contain a peculiar acrid principle, to which their 
medicinal properties appear to be due. They have been thought to be useful 
in old paralytic cases and in chronic rheumatism.—R. venenata is the 
Poison-ash or Poison-elder, and, like the two former, has very poisonous 
properties. The above plants, i in a fresh state, ought to be very carefully 
