Mastic-Tree
Names. It is called in Latin lentiscus; and the gum or rosin, resina lentisina, mastiche, and mastix: in English, mastic. Description. The mastic groweth like a tree when suffered to grow up; and often it riseth but as a shrub. The body and branches are of a reddish colour; tough and gentle, having their ends bending somewhat downwards, whereon do grow winged dark-green leaves, consisting of four couple, standing one against another, of the bigness of the large myrtle-leaf, with a reddish circle about their edges, and somewhat reddish veins on the underside, smelling sweet, and always continuing green; the flowers grow in clusters at the joints, with the leaves, being small, and of a pale purple-green colour; after them come small blackish berries, of the size of a pepper-corn, with a hard black shell under the outer skin, and a white kernel within; it beareth also certain horns, with a clear liquor in them that turneth into small flies. It yieldeth also a clear white gum, in small drops, when the stocks are cut in sundry places; which is carefully gathered and preserved.
Place. The lentisk-tree groweth in Provence, in France: and also in divers parts of Italy; in Candia, and many other place in Greece; but yieldeth little gum there, especially in the isle of Scio.
Time. It flowereth in April, and the berries are ripe in September; it is pruned and manured with as great care by the cultivators as others do their vine; the profit arising from the gum being much greater. Government and virtues. The lentisk tree is under the influence of Jupiter. It is of moderately hot temperature; but the root, branches, bark, leaves, fruit, and gum, are all of a binding quality, stopping all fluxes and spitting of blood; strengthens a weak stomach, and helps the falling down of the womb and fundament. The decoction healeth up hollow sores, knitteth broken bones, fasteueth loose teeth, and stayeth the spreading of sores, they being fomented therewith. The oil which is pressed out of the berries, helpeth the itch, leprosy, and scab both in man and beast; gum mastic hath the like virtue of staying fluxes, taken any way in powder; or, if three or four grains of it be swallowed whole at night when going to bed, it not only easeth the pains of the stomach, but hindereth its being affected afterwards; the powder of mastic, with amber and turpentine, is good against the running of the reins, and to check the fluor Albus and menses in women. The powder of mastic is also materially useful in stopping thin rheums from falling upon the lungs, which occasion a continual cough and spitting of blood.