PISTACIA. 



325 



times they agree with the custom-house officer, who con- 

 sents to take it of them at a certain price, and sells it 

 again, with a profit of a hundred, or a hundj'ed and 

 fifty per cent. 



The Greeks w ho cultivate mastick pay but half of the 

 capitation, or poll-tax, and wear a v/hite linen band round 

 their turbans, like the Turks. 



In former times, mastick was supposed to be a remedy 

 for a variety of diseases and accidents both real and ima- 

 ginary. Among other uses, it was considered as power- 

 fully exciting the appetite. Infused in rose-water, Ge- 

 rarde tells us it is excellent to wash the mouth with to 

 fasten loose teeth, " and to comfort the jaws."" He tells 

 us, too, that, spread upon a piece of leather or velvet, and 

 laid on the temples as a plaster, it relieves pains of the 

 jaws and teeth. At present it is scarce ever used as a medi- 

 cine, but enters as an ingredient into many kinds of varnish. 

 It is also used by the apothecaries and druggists, when 

 dissolved in spirit of w ine, to give a milky appearance to 

 spirit of sal animoniac, aqua ammoniw puree, previously 

 scented with different oils, as those of lavender, rosemary, 

 or amber, to which is sometimes added musk. This 

 compound is sold by the French name of eau de luce, 

 as an agreeable perfume ; but the original eau de luce 

 veritable is scented with the unrectified fetid oil of amber 

 only, and has of course a disagreeable odour, being in- 

 tended as a medicine in hysteric fits. Some use Chio 

 turpentine instead of mastick to give this milky appear- 

 ance. 



The wood of this tree yields an aromatic smell in 

 burning. Evelyn recommends it as making " the best 

 tooth-pickers in the world and Dr. Hunter quotes an 

 epigram from Martial, giving it the same character : 



