6o8  Notes  on  Chian  Turpentine.         { """D^eZisi',''™ 
They  are  the  seeds  of  Sterculia  acuminata,  Beauv.^  a.[medium  sized 
tree,  indigenous  to  tropical  Africa.  The  fruit  consists  of  five  follicles, 
containing  large,  reddish  or  purplish  seeds.  An  allied  species,  St. 
tomentosa,  Guill.  et  Per.^  has  oval-oblong  grey  seeds.  These,  and  per- 
haps others,  are  known  in  West  Africa  as  Kola  nuts^  and  in  Soudan  as 
guru  nuts.  Bentley  (Botany)  gives  the  following  account  :  They  are 
largely  used  in  various  parts  of  Africa  as  food  and  medicine,  and  are 
also  commonly  stated  to  be  employed  to  sweeten  water,  which  has 
become  more  or  less  putrid.  Their  use,  however,  as  a  purifier  of  water 
is  denied  by  Dr.  Daniell.  The  latter  writer  made  the  interesting  dis- 
covery, which  was  confirmed  by  Dr.  Attfield,  of  the  presence  of  theina, 
the  alkaloid  of  tea,  etc.,  in  Kola  nuts. 
NOTES  ON  CHIAN  TURPENTINE. 
By  Professor  Fluckiger. 
This  drug  has  recently  been  in  much  request,  as  may  be  seen  from 
the  notes  in  this  journal,  which  have  been  devoted  to  this  turpentine. 
It  is  not  at  all  probable  that  a  good  and  regular  supply  of  it  could  be 
obtained  from  Chio.  The  island,  on  the  whole,  has  never  produced  it 
largely,  as  already  stated  in  the  "  Pharmacographia,"  2d  edition,  p.  166. 
Pistacia  terehinthus  being  distributed  over  a  very  wide  area,  could 
well  be  laid  under  contribution  from  other  countries.  The  best  plan 
would  perhaps  be  to  go  to  Algeria.  In  the  Algerian  forests  the  tere- 
binth may  be  found  very  frequently,  either  mixed  with  oaks  and  len- 
tisks,  or  even  in  clumps  in  small  woods.  The  trees  grow  to  the  height 
of  50  feet  and  to  more  than  6  feet  in  circumference  and  attain  a  very 
great  age.  I  was  surprised  some  time  ago  to  learn  the  following  state- 
ments in  regard  to  the  turpentine,  which  I  will  translate  literally  from 
the  Flore  forestiere,"  3d  edition,  1877,  p.  72,  written  by  a  very  com- 
petent observer,  viz.,  Mr.  A.  Mathieu,  conservator  of  forests,  and 
professor  in  the  French  School  of  Forests  at  Nancy. 
"  Tears  of  a  white  and  very  fragrant  turpentine  exude  from  the 
bark  of  Pistacia  terehinthus ;  in  the  hot  season  they  are  flowing  out  in 
such  an  abundance  that  it  becomes  difficult  sometimes  to  enjoy  the 
shade  of  the  tree.  The  tears  soon  solidify.  The  resin  is  then  termed 
in  Algeria  Mek  '  or  *  alk,'  meaning  lajker.  It  is  very  similar  to  the 
'  mastick  '  of  Scio  or  Chio." 
