Am.  Jour.  Pbarm. 
April,  1901. 
Gum  Mastic. 
169 
GUM  MASTIC. 
By  Henry  C.  C.  Maisch;  Ph.D. 
About  a  month  ago  there  was  brought  to  the  analytical  depart- 
ment of  Hance  Brothers  &  White  a  sample  of  mastic  which  was 
so  light  in  color  that  substitution  was  at  once  suspected.  On  sub- 
mitting it  to  comparative  test,  with  other  samples  of  the  ordinary 
commercial  variety,  it  was  found  that  the  several  specimens  were 
identical. 
I  then  looked  up  the  literature  on  the  subject  of  the  color  of 
mastic  and  came  across  historical  data  which  may  prove  of  interest. 
The  species  of  Pistacia  lentiscus  is  indigenous  to  the  basin  ©f 
the  Mediterranean,  but  it  is  only  in  the  island  of  Scio  (formerly 
Chios)  where  the  resin  is  collected  and  then  only  from  a  broad, 
leaved  variety  cultivated  in  the  northern  portion  of  this  island, 
Orphanides  has  shown  in  1856  that  there  are  probably  other  places 
in  the  Grecian  archipelago  and  on  the  Grecian  mainland  suitable 
for  its  cultivation.  The  trade  in  mastic  was  the  property  of  the 
Sultan  until  the  separation  of  Greece  from  Turkey.  Twenty-two 
thousand  oka  (1,260  grammes  each)  were  claimed  as  tribute,  and 
for  the  balance  of  the  crop  only  a  small  price  was  paid.  In  1822 
the  island  was  devastated  and  a  large  number  of  the  inhabitants 
killed  by  the  Turks,  and  as  the  above  arrangement  could  not,  in 
consequence,  be  continued,  the  islanders  obtained  the  privilege  of 
selling  mastic  to  any  one,  but  were  compelled  to  pay  an  annual 
tribute  of  750,000  piasters,  or  about  $2,250.  Under  this  arrange- 
ment the  lot  of  the  planters  was  somewhat  more  agreeable,  as  they 
obtained  decidedly  better  prices  for  their  crops. 
During  May  and  June  vertical  incisions  are  made  into  the  bark  of 
the  trees  from  which  the  resin  slowly  exudes  in  the  form  of  drops 
or  tears.  These  gradually  harden  and  are  collected  between  August 
and  November  and  assorted  into  three  kinds.  The  best  variety 
consists  of  white  or  at  most  pale  yellowish  tears  darkening  some- 
what with  age.  Fliickiger  ("  Pharmacognosie  des  Pfianzenreichs," 
3d  edition,  p.  115)  states:  "  Perfectly  fresh  they  (the  tears)  are  of  a 
somewhat  greenish  tint  due  to  the  chlorophyl  of  the  bark  ;  this 
soon  disappears  and  is  replaced  by  entire  freedom  from  color,  or 
after  a  longer  time  by  a  dull  yellowish  tint.  The  poorer  quality  is 
yellowish  from  the  start."    In  the  Pharmacographia,  2d  edition,  p. 
