Incense resins

Weihnachten, f.pl. Christmas. Weihnachtswurzel, /. black hellebore. Weihrauch, m. incense specif., frankincense, ohbanum. -harz, n. incense resin specif., frankincense. 

Resins such as myrrh, frankincense, and labdanum achieved prominence early in antiquity for their fragrant smell and were used for making perfumes and medicines as well as for burning as incense during religious services and ritual ceremonies (Morris 1984). Some well-known incense resins are listed in Table 76. 

Benzoic acid had been known for several hundred years by the time of Mitscher lich s experiment Many trees exude resinous materials called balsams when cuts are made m their bark Some of these balsams are very fragrant which once made them highly prized articles of commerce especially when the trees that produced them could be found only m exotic faraway lands Gum benzoin is a balsam obtained from a tree that grows m Java and Sumatra Benzoin is a word derived from the Erench equivalent benjoin which in turn comes from the Arabic luban jawi meaning incense from Java Benzoic acid is itself odorless but can easily be isolated from gum benzoin... 

The resins are substances derived mostly from vegetable sources some have been used as binders in the preparation of paints and varnishes, others as incense burned in ritual ceremonies, and a few, such as amber, have been used on their own, as semiprecious stones. It should be noted, however, that since the midtwentieth century the term resin has acquired a new meaning that of a synthetic pliable "plastic" material that can be shaped, mostly when hot. Synthetic resins are used mainly for packaging and for making textile fibers and automobile parts. In the discussion that follows the term resin is used to refer only to resins of natural origin (Serpico and White 2000a Parry 1918). 

Pine resin, namely rosin or colophony, is one of the most widespread diterpenoid resins and has been used for waterproofing, for treating wood and paper, as varnish, as incense and as an ingredient in scented ointments. The main compounds present in fresh Pinaceae resins... 

Frankincense, also known as olibanum, is obtained from trees belonging to the genus Boswellia (Burseraceae family). It is one of the best-known ancient plant resins. The ancient Egyptians were the first to use it as incense in embalming practices and in the preparation of medicines, cosmetics and perfumes, and today it is still used therapeutically. It contains pentacyclic triterpenoids belonging to oleanane, ursane or lupane type molecules and in particular of a- and p-boswellic acids, and their O-acetates [104 111], 11 -Oxo-p-boswellic acid and its acetyl derivative, identified in several Boswellia species, are also diagnostic for frankincense [112]. 

Beside the Bible, the first reliable record of incendiary mixtures was given by the Greek tactician Aeneas, who, at about 350 BC, compiled the. first European treatise on the art of war. He listed sulfur, pitch, pinewood, incense and tow as principal incendiary ingredients Seven centuries later (AD 350), Vegetius, a Roman military authority, added resin, bitumen and petroleum oils to this list which indicates a significant advance in incendiary technique All of these mixtures, however, were of low efficiency because they burned quickly and could easily be extinguished with water... 

Gum Sondarac or Juniper Gum, The resinous substance which exudes from Callitris quadri valvist found in Morocco yel, brittle, a morph substance sol in ale, eth, acet, chlf other solvents, insol in w, benz light petr hydrocarbons. Used as incense, varnishes, lacquers and probably suitable as binder in expl compns [Ref 3, p 755-L (Sandatac) ... 

Certain resins occur in combination with fragrant volatile oils. One of these is benzoin, obtained from Styrax benzoin by cutting notches in the bark and allowing the resin to collect in them. It is used in making perfumes, in incense, and as a source of benzoic acid, used medicinally. 

Anothei fragrant oleoresin is storax. obtained from Uquidambar orientalis. a medium-sized tree growing in southwestern Asia. The resin is obtained by boiling the bark and wood of young branches. Il is used medicinally and also in incense. 

Gum resins include myrrh, which exudes from the trunk and branches of Commiphora myrrha, a tree growing in the region around the Red Sea. The lumps of resin are used medicinally, and also in making incense. 

Another gum resin is frankincense, obtained by cutting notches in the stem of Boswellia carterii, which grows in northeastern Africa and in Arabia. This resin is used in incense. Asafoetida is also a gum resin. See also Gums and Mucilages. 

The word "chypre derives from the island of Cyprus, which for many centuries was the meeting point between East and West for the trade in aromatic materials. During the nineteenth century it became famed for the production of perfumes combining the citrus oils, floral pomades, and labdanum of the Mediterranean region, with resins and gums, such as styrax, incense, opoponax, and myrrh, imported from Arabia. Animal products such as civet from Ethiopia and musk from the Himalayas were also among the most valued commodities. 

Cinnamon is the inner bark of a small evergreen tree, Cinnomomum zeylan-icum or C. verum, which is in the laurel family. Cassia (C. aromaticum) and camphor (C. camphora) are other members of this genus. The bark, leaves, and sometimes whole stems from these trees are also used as a spice. Cassia is sometimes called bastard cinnamon because it is produced in greater quantities, but is less aromatic than true cinnamon. All of these spices have been combined with resin and vegetable soils to produce fragrant oils and incense. Cinnamon and other similar fragrant bark powders have been used medicinally to treat many ailments, from kidney disease to snakebite. 

Perfume is the most concentrated form of a liquid scent. Toilet water and cologne are dilute variations. Potpourri is a mixture of naturally-scented plant parts, usually flower petals, seeds, leaves, and bark. Incense is a substance that gives off a scent when heated. These are usually plant resins, either used in their natural state or combined with other substances to increase or change the smell. 

Frankincense or olibanum is an aromatic resin that is used as incense. It is the dried milky sap of trees in the genus Boswellia. Myrrh is the dried sap of trees in the genus Commiphora. Both of these genera are in the family Burseraceae, which also includes olives. Myrrh is used in perfumes and as incense. Both frankincense and myrrh were used as trade items, and their most popular uses were as incense at funerals and as additives in wine. 

Though not as attractive as the more famous natural resins, fi ank-incense and myrrh, copal gives a pleasant smell when burnt as incense. 

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