7. Strassburg turpentine (FR., Terainthine d'Alsace, de Strasbourg, du sapin, or au citron; GER., .strasshurger Tcrpcntin).—This oleo-resin is afforded by Pinus Picea [Abies pectinatal the ailver fir, whose geographical distribution ia recorded under Timber. The secretion of the oleo-resin is analogous to that of Canadian turpentine, and its collection is effected in a precisely similar manner. It ia afterwarda filtered through bark funnels. In all respects, it bears a close resemblance to Canadian turpentine, except in wanting the acrid bitterish flavour of the latter, and any distinct fluorescence. It possesses the properties of common turpentine, with the advantage of a very Pleasant odour. It was formerly held in great medicinal esteem, but is now nearly obsolete, and is collected only iu very small quantity near Mutzig and Barr, in the Vosges.
8. Venice or Larch turpenline (FB., Tt'rebinthine de Venise, (le Briancon, du meleze, Suisse; GER., Venetianiseher, Lrchen Terpentin).—This variety of turpentine is obtained from Pinus Larix [Lath; europrea], the European larch (see Timber). The collection of the oleo-resin is carried on chiefly about Mals, Meran, Botzcn, and Trent, in the Tyrol ; occasionally and in trifling quantity in the Valais, Piedmont, and some places in France. The reainiferous canala of this species are situated mainly in the sap-wood, hence a special mode of extraction is necessary. This consista in cutting a hole to the centre of the tree, at about 1 ft. above ground, in the spring of the year ; this is plugged up till the autumn of the same or the following year, when it is opened, and the accumulated oleo-resin is removed in an iron spoon. The yield thus amounts to about lb. yearly, without appreciable damage to the tree. Formerly, in the Piedmontese and French Alps, a number of wide cavities were made, and left open ; the product in this case reachea 8 lb. annually, but the timber is greatly injured, and the tree soon ceases to yield at all. It is further urged in suppmt of the modern plugging process that it tends to maintain the transparency and purity of the turpentine.
Venice turpentine is less aiceative than any other kind. It is a slightly turbid, tranalacent, pale-yellow, thick liquid, of less pronounced odour than common turpentine, and an acrid, bitter, aromatic flavour. It has no special medicinal qualities, and is scarcely known now in English dis pensing, though useful for plaisters. It is often prescribed in veterinary practice, but is then generally replaced by an artificial compound of rosin and turpentine-oil, the true article being absorbed by the Continental markets.
Varnishes [Naturall—This term is applied to a group of products resembling the well-known Burmese lacquer. The chief kinds to be described are (1) Burmese, (2) Cingalese and Indian, (3) Japanese and Chinese.
1. Burmese.—The thit-tsi of the Burmese is a thick, viscid, greyish, terebinthinous fluid, soon asauming a black colour on exposure to the air. It is contained in every part of the tree called Melanorrheea usitatissima, a native of Burma, and extending to the N.-E. frontier of Silhet and Tippera, aud identical with the kheu tree of that district. The geographical range rnay be stated as lying between Munipur (25° N. lat., 94° E. long.) and Tavoy (14° N. lat., 97° E. long). The tree attains its greatest size in the valley of Kubbu, and becomes smaller as it approaches the sea on the Tenasserirn coast, where it frequenta comparatively low situations. The extraction of the varnish ia performed in the following simple manner. Short jointa of a thin kind of bamboo, sharpened to a pen-like point at one end, and closed at the other, are thrust slantwise into wounds in the bark of ihe stem and main boughs, and left for 24-48 hours ; on removal, their contents, rarely more than oz., are emptied into a rattan or bamboo baaket previously varnished over. The collecting season lasts while the leaves are off the trees, or from January till April ; the bamboos are renewed as often aa the juice requires, and are sometirnea inaerted to the number of 100 in a single tree. A good tree will produce li-4 viss (of 3i lb.) annually. At Prome, the pure article fetches about 2s. 6d. a viss. It is commonly adulterated with gingelly-oil. It dissolves in alcohol, turpentine spirit, and benzol, asauming greater fluidity. It may be diluted with gold-size, which tends to hasten its drying and intensify its colour, while turpentine renders it browner. Locally it is used in enormous quantities in lacquering furniture, temples, idols, varnishing vessels for holding liquids, and paying river-craft. The very long time it occupies in drying has given rise to unfavourable reports on it in European induatry.
2. Cingalese and Indian.—The black varniah of Ceylon is derived from a species of Semecarpus, and similar products arc obtained in India from S. Anacardium the Concans, Coromandel, Courtallum, Guzerat, Bengal, and Travancore, from S. travancorica in the moist forests of the Tinnevelly and Travancore mountains, aud from Holigarna longifolia, a common tree about the W. ghats of the Madras presidency, and occurring in Bombay and Bengal. The juice exudes from natural fissures in the bark of the latter, and from the pericarp of the three former, hardening, aud assuming a black colour. It forms an excellent varnish, adhering strongly to wood and metal. It is also used as a marking-ink, much the same as the juice of the W. Indian Anacardium occidental°, or cashew-nut (see Nuts, p. 1352).