PINUS ABIES. 
27 
It is a native of the mountainous regions of the north of Europe, 
Asia, and probably America ; in Norway it abounds, and vast quan- 
tities of the timber are exported to this and other more southern states, 
for the purposes of building and the masting of ships, for both of 
which it is preferred to all other of the pine tribe : good timber of 
this species is also grown in England and Scotland, and is found 
to be very strong, elastic, and durable. 
Thus. Resina Alba, Common frankincense, or thewhite resin 
of the Dublin College, is a resinous juice which exudes spontaneously 
in warm weather from the pores of this tree, and concretes into distinct 
drops or tears by exposure to the air. It is a solid brittle resin, and 
comes to us in tears or masses of a brownish or yellowish colour on 
the outside, internally whitish, or variegated with whitish specks; 
taste somewhat acrid and bitter, but not disagreeable ; it possesses 
but little smell. 
Medical Properties and Uses. Common frankincense seems 
to possess the same properties with many of the other resins, and 
is consequently an ingredient in some plasters, which are now 
however but seldom resorted to. 
Fix Burgundica. Burgundy pitch is ascribed by Tingry to 
the Pinus Picea, but it is more generally referred to the present 
species. It is a resinous juice, less fluid, and less transparent than 
the proper turpentines, and soon concretes into a close soft sub- 
stance by exposure to the air. Like other terebinthinous exudations, 
it is only to be obtained in the summer months ; for this purpose 
incisions are made in the bark of the tree, without wounding the 
wood ; the juice then exudes from between the bark and the wood, 
and remains attached to the wound in large tears. This substance 
is collected from time to time as it accumulates, and is purified by 
melting it in boilers with a sufficient quantity of water, and straining 
the fluid through cloths, subjected if necessary to the action of a 
press, into the casks in which it is to remain for exportation. 
Burgundy pitch is likewise artificially made by melting together 
the fluid turpentine and some of the solid resins, and bringing the 
compound to a proper consistence. The Burgundy pitch of com- 
merce is mostly brought to us from Saxony. 
Medical Properties and Uses. Burgundy pitch as an ex- 
ternal application is considered rubefacient and stimulant ; hence 
it is sometimes ordered where it is proper to induce local inflamma- 
tion. It is also officinally employed in the composition of some 
plasters. 
