Vegetable tar is obtained by dry distillation from various pines and
firs. It consists of resinous matter, united with acetic acid, oil of
turpentine and charcoal.
Tar Water.
Bishop Berkeley in 1744 published a remarkable treatise on the
wonderful virtues of tar water, and this treatise was much criticised
and satirized at the time. It is prepared by stirring 1 pint of
vegetable tar with ½ a gallon of water for 15 minutes, then allowing
the tar to subside and straining off the liquid. Half to 2 pints can be
taken daily in divided doses. It is not an unpleasant drink and can be
sweetened with honey or liquorice if desired. Tar water is practically
a coffee made from roasted wood so that the difference between it and
ordinary coffee is not so great as one might imagine.