OF MADRAS
115
Physiological Actions.— Stomachic, expectorant, masticatory, stimu--
lant-diuretic, local stimulant, and also possesses some good influence
over the membrane of the genito-urinary organs.
Therapeutic Uses.—Useful in dyspepsia, gonorrhœa and some slight
cases of catarrhal affections. Some Muhammadan gentlemen in Madras
are in the habit of using mastich for removing the foulness of their
breath whenever it is necessary to do so, and I am myself aware of
success attending a few cases of this nature. They either chew the
drug occasionally for this purpose, or put a small quantity of it every
day in the goblets with their drinking water for some days. An oily
solution of this drug is also a good and useful embrocation in some
cases of muscular and other forms of rheumatism.
Preparations.—I have used mastich internally only in the form of
draught, mixed either with mucilage or with sugar and water. Oily
Solution : Take of mastich one ounce ; olive, cocoanut or jinjily oil,
four fluid ounces; mix them together by gently heating in a mortar,
and keep the solution in a closed bottle.
Doses.—From fifteen to forty grains, three or four times in the
twenty-four hours.
European Drugs for which it may be substituted.— Ammoniacum,
Armoraciæ-radix and Copaiba.
Remarks.—As already mentioned, the true mastich is not sold in
the bazaar, but found in the possession of some rich Muhammadan
gentlemen at Madras, who are fond of it and obtain it generally
through the pilgrims returning from Mecca. There is an interesting
article on the true mastich in the Pharmacographia, pp. 142-145, from
which I quote the following description :—
"The best sort of mastich consists of roundish tears about the size
of peas, together with pieces of an oblong or pear-shaped form. They
are of a pale yellow tint darkening by age, dusty and slightly opaque
on the surface, but perfectly transparent within. The mastich of late
imported has been washed ; the tears are no longer dusty but have a
glassy transparent appearance. Mastich is brittle, has a conchoidal
fracture, a slight terebinthinous balsamic odour. It speedily softens in
the mouth and may be easily masticated and kneaded between the teeth,
in this respect differing from sandarac, a tear of which breaks to powder
when bitten. Inferior mastich is less transparent and consists of masses
of larger size and less regular shape, often contaminated with earthy
and vegetable impurities. The specific gravity of selected tears of
mastich is about 1.06. They soften at 99º C., but do not melt below
108º. Mastich dissolves in half its weight of pure warm acetone and
then deviates the ray of polarized light to the right. On cooling, the
solution becomes turbid. It dissolves slowly in five parts of oil of cloves,
forming even in the cold a clear solution ; it is but little soluble i
n
glacial acetic acid or in benzol."
Although the true and the Cabul varieties of mastich are almost
identical in their medicinal properties, they differ much in some of their
physical characters, which I shall explain under the plant yielding
the latter (P. Terebinthus). Mastich, especially the true variety of it,
bears a great resemblance to the small variety of Kundur (Olibanum or