The following letter has been received by the editors of the _Repertoire
de Pharmacie:_ For some months past, a good deal has been heard about a
product of our island that had quite fallen into disuse, and which
no one cared to gather, so much had the demand fallen off because a
substitute for it had been found in Europe; I mean Chian turpentine.
As this product is destined to take a certain part in the treatment of
cancer, according to some English physicians, permit me, sir, to give
your readers a few interesting details, obtained on the spot, concerning
the turpentine tree and its product.
The turpentine tree (_Pistacia terebinthus_ L.) has existed in our
island for many centuries, judging from the enormous dimensions of some
of these trees, compared, too, with their slow rate of growth. The
trunks of some measure from 4 to 5 meters in circumference, and their
heights vary from 15 to 20 meters. On my own land there is an enormous
tree, by far the largest on the island, the circumference of its
trunk being 6 meters. Many of these great trees have been used in the
construction of mills, presses, etc., on account of the hardness of
their wood. It is in the vicinity of the town and in three or four
neighboring villages that these trees are found. To-day, at a careful
estimate, there may be 1,500 trees capable of yielding 2,000 kilos of
turpentine, mixed with at least 30 per cent of foreign matter. There are
no appliances for refining the product here, except the sieves through
which it is passed to remove the pebbles and bits of wood which are
found in it.
It is gathered from incisions made in the tree in June. Axes are used
for this purpose, and the incision must be through the whole thickness
of the bark. Through these outlets the turpentine falls to the foot of
the tree, and mixes with the earth there. On its first appearance
the turpentine is of a sirupy consistence, and is quite transparent;
gradually it becomes more opaque, and of a yellowish-white color. It
is at this period also that it gives off its characteristic odor most
abundantly.
It is, however, not the product "turpentine" that is most esteemed by
the natives, but the fruit of the tree, a kind of drupe disposed in
clusters. The fruit is improved by the incisions made in the tree for
the escape of the turpentine, otherwise the resin, having no other
outlet, would impregnate the former, hinder its complete development,
and render it useless for the purposes for which it is cultivated. One
circumstance worth noting is that, as soon as the fruit commences to
ripen, the flow of turpentine completely ceases. This is toward August;
the fruit is then green; it is gathered, dried in the sun, bruised, and
a fine yellowish-green oil is drawn from it, which is soluble in ether.
This oil is used for alimentary purposes, but rarely for illumination
since the introduction of petroleum. It is mostly used in making sweet
cakes, and often as a substitute for butter, in all cases where the
latter is employed. I use it daily myself without perceiving any
difference.
I may here be permitted to correct a slight mistake that has crept
into several standard botanical works. It is therein stated that the
inhabitants of this country extract from the fruit of the lentisc
(_Pistacia lentiscus_ L., a well-known shrub growing on this island,
from which Chian mastic is obtained), an alimentary and illuminating
oil. This fruit has never been gathered for its oil within the memory
of man. The lentisc has probably been thus mistaken for the turpentine
tree.
For the last twenty years the gathering of turpentine has been almost
abandoned, although the incisions in the trees have been regularly made,
but the value was so small that proprietors did not care to collect it,
and left it to run to waste. There were but a few pharmacists of Smyrna
and the neighboring islands who took a small quantity for making
medicinal plasters. An utterly insignificant quantity found its way
into Europe. How is it then that, after so many years, it was found in
Europe? The problem is easily explained--the greater part came from
Venice. This is indubitable, and, lately, an English chemist, Mr. W.
Martindale, in a communication to the Chemical Society of London,
expressed doubts as to the authenticity of the turpentine used in the
treatment of cancer. If turpentine can really somewhat relieve this
disease, and if this treatment is generally accepted in Europe, I much
fear you will only obtain substitutions of very inferior quality to the
turpentine produced in our island.
This year the Chians have been surprised by an extensive demand for this
product, from London in the first place, and secondly from Vienna, and
the proprietors, although but poorly provided at the moment, sent away
nearly 600 kilos Paris has not yet made any demand. Yours, etc.,