MATERIA MEDIC a. 297 
reafon to believe, that Dr. Linnaeus rightly gueff- 
ed that the tree is a PiJiada, or neareft a-kin to it, 
and therefore clofely allied to the Mafiich and Tur- 
pentine trees *. 
Mastix, by the modern Greeks called 
comes in large quantities from Scio, and is much 
ufed by the Turks j for the wives of the Turks 
in particular, the Sultan’s and Grandees’s, chew 
it conftantly, to keep their teeth white and clean, 
and their breath fweet. 
Olibanum. Frankincenfe. 
This is colle&ed in both the Arabia’s, whence 
it is brought to Giedda, which is the harbour of 
Mecca, thence over the Red Sea to Suez, a harbour 
in Egypt, and fo to Cairo in confiderable quan- 
tities ; it is likewife brought from Mecca over 
land, by the Caravan. When it is brought over, 
it is fo full of ftnall ftones of Spar and Mica, that 
1 50 ib. will not yield above from 50 to 70 lb. of 
clean and pure Frankincenfe. The greateft part 
is carried to Marfeilles, whence it is by the Dutch 
carried to Mufcovy where the greateft part of it is 
tifed in making the Ruffian leather-, a large quan- 
tity is likewife burnt by the Mufcovites and Roman 
Catholics in their churches. It differs greatly both 
in price and goodnefs, no lb. felling from 9 to 
23 Piafters, (each Piafter at 60 Medins) accord- 
ln g to the goodnefs of ir. The beft is in tears, 
of a fragrant fmell, pellucid, and of a yellowith 
* ProfefTor Linnaeus in a latter dated Upfala, Felt. 12 th, 
J 76t. to John Ellis Efq: p . R. S. fays, that the late Dr. For- 
ftohl fent him a fpecimm of the Balfam of Mecca tree, by 
which it appears to be a fjtecies of Amyris. N. B. Several 
'pecies of this genus grow in Jamaica. 
white 
