408  Notes  on  Some  Saps  and  Secretions. 
effects.  The  inner  bark,  being  a  powerful  astringent,  is  used  medi- 
cinally in  America,  but  its  chief  application  is  for  tanning.  The 
young  shoots  are  used  in  making  spruce  beer. 
Turpentine  is  the  general  name  for  the  oleo-resinous  exudations 
of  coniferous  trees,  which  flows  in  the  crude  state  from  incisions 
made  in  the  stems.  The  turpentines,  as  a  rule,  are  yellowish-white, 
very  viscid,  transparent  or  translucent  masses,  of  honey  consistence 
and  of  acid  reaction ;  of  a  peculiar,  strong,  mostly  unpleasant  odor, 
and  generally  of  a  burning,  aromatic,  bitter,  disagreeable  taste ; 
they  consist  chiefly  of  resin  and  volatile  oil.  When  distilled,  this 
oleo-resin  yields  the  volatile  oil  or  "spirit  of  turpentine." 
England  imports  from  420,000  to  520,000  cwt  of  oil  of  turpentine, 
in  barrels  of  2  to  3  cwt.,  chiefly  from  the  Southern  States.  Its 
medicinal  properties  are  stimulant,  diuretic,  occasionally  diaphoretic 
and  anthelmintic.  In  large  doses,  purgative,  sometimes  causing 
nausea,  vomiting  and  intoxication.  Previous  to  1846,  the  tariff  of 
Great  Britain  was  such  as  to  exclude  imports  of  spirits  of  turpen- 
tine and  resin. 
Turpentine  especially  affects  the  kidneys  and  the  mucus  of  the 
genito-urinary  organs.  Externally  rubifacient,  employed  as  a  lini- 
ment in  chronic  affections.  The  yellow,  translucent  resin,  the  resi- 
due of  the  distillation  of  the  turpentines,  is  important  as  an  ingredi- 
ent of  plasters  and  ointments,  which  are  employed  as  stimulant 
applications  to  indolent  and  ill-conditioned  ulcers. 
Picea  vulgaris,  Link.,  in  the  north  of  Europe,  furnishes  a  quan- 
tity of  resin,  from  which  different  products  are  obtained,  among 
others,  pitch.  From  Larix  Euro  pee  a  is  obtained  the  resinous  extract 
known  as  Briancon,  or  Venice  turpentine,  employed  in  consump- 
tion. 
From  P.  pinaster ;  Ait.,  P.  marititna,  Poir.  and  Dec.  (the  cluster 
pine),  Galipot  is  obtained,  also  known  as  "  Barras."  It  is  employed, 
like  American  "Thus,"  in  the  preparation  of  certain  plasters.  The 
annual  production  from  a  tree  ranges  from  5  to  8  pounds. 
P.  religiosa,  H.  B.  K. — The  turpentine  produced  by  this  tree  is 
similar  in  properties  to  the  Venice  turpentine.  The  local  name  of 
this  tree  in  Mexico  is  Oyatmetl. 
P.  sylvestris,  C.  Bauhin.— Tar  is  procured  by  the  destructive  dis- 
tillation of  the  fir  in  Northern  Europe  and  America.  That  used  in 
North  America  is  chiefly  obtained  from  P.  palustris,  Mill.  (P.  Aus~ 
