1126 PINUS. | CLASS XXI. ORDER VIII, 
the ancients, This may be the reason of the thyrsus or staff of 
Bacchus always being mounted with the Fir cone. 
The Fir tree is often spoken of in Scripture as being applied to 
building purposes; and it is related “ that David and all the house of 
Israel played before the Lord on all manner of instrumenis made of 
fir wood.” It is used as a token of the Lord’s pleasure, in Isaiah, ch. 
ly., v.12 and 18, “ The mountains and the hills shall break forth 
before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their 
hands ; instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of 
the brier shall come up the myrtle tree.” And he who has ever been 
under the shadow of the Fir tree, when the wind is hurrying through 
its branches, will he not remember the Jament of Zechariah ii. v. 2, 
“Howl, fir tree; for the cedar is fallen, because the mighty are 
spoiled.” These, and many other passages of Scripture, renders the 
Fir tree an object of great interest to the biblical student. 
From the Pinus Larix the Venice turpentine is obtained, and from 
Pinus Canadensis Canada Balsam is derived. Burgundy Pitch is the 
produce of Pinns ubies, all possessing the same general properties, 
having a somewhat aromatic odour, a warm pungent taste, semifluid 
in consistence, tenaceous, translucent, combining readily with fixed 
oils, very inflammable, burning with a white flame and much smoke. 
The soot is the lamp black of the shops. It is dissolved by alcohol, 
but water only takes up a little of the essential oil ; distilled with 
water the volatile oil passes over with the water, and towards the end 
of the operation succinic acid, so that it is a compound of resin, 
volatile oil, and succinic acid. The balsams are used as internal 
medicines in diseases of the urinary organs, with variable success. 
The resins enter into the composition of stimulating ointments and 
plasters; and the spirit of turpentine is applied externally as a 
counter irritant, and has the reputation of being a very valuable medi_ 
cine in the cure of the tapeworm and inflammation of the serous 
membranes, and in the form of an enema it is very useful in some 
affections of the rectum, &c. Z 
