Mastich. Resinous exudation from the incised stem of Pistacia Lentiscus. Lentisk Tree. Nat. Ord. Terebinthaceae. Linn. Syst. Dicia Pentan-dria. Source, the islands and coasts of the Mediterranean. Imported chiefly from Turkey and the Levant.

Med. Prop. and Action. Astringent and diuretic; used in the same cases as Turpentine, to which it is inferior in every respect, excepting the taste. It was formerly esteemed in uterine diseases, but is now rarely employed.

Dose, gr. xx. - gr. xl.

1787. Therapeutic Uses

In Diarrhoea of Infants, Dr. Ure states that Mastich water (water in which Mastich had been boiled) is a popular and successful remedy among the Albanian physicians.

1788. In Toothache, great relief occasionally results from introducing into a carious tooth a piece of cotton saturated with a solution of Mastich in Ether or Chloroform.