The Herball or Generall Historie of Plantes. Gathered by John Gerarde of London Master in Chirvrgeria,
Imprinted at London by Iohn Norton. 1597
Of Gum Lack and his rotten tree. Chap. 142.
Lacca cum suis bacillis.
Gum Lack with his staffe, or sticke.
The description
The tree that bringeth foorth that excrementall substance, lacced lacca both in the shops of Europe and elsewhere, is called of the Arabians, Persians and Turkes Lac Sumutri, as who should say Laccaof Sumutra: some which haue to termed it, haue thought that the first plentie thereof came from Sumutra, but herein they haue erred; for the abundant store thereof came from Pegu, where the inhabitants thereof do call it Lac, and others of the same prouince tree. The historie of which tree, according to that famous Herbarist Clusius is as followeth: There is in the country of Pegu and Malabar, a great tree, whose leaues are like them of the Plum tree, hauing many small twiggie branches; when the trunke or body of the tree waxeth olde, it rotteth in sundrie places, wherein do breede certaine great ants of Pismires, which continually worke and labour in the time of haruest and somer against the penuerie of winter: such is the diligence of these Ants, or such is lumpe or masse of substance, which is of a crimson colour, so beautifull and so faire, as in the whole world the like cannot be seene, which ferueth not onely to phisicall uses, but is a perfect and costly colour for Painters, called by us Indian Lack. The Pismires (as I said) worke out this colour, by sucking the substance of matter of Lacca from the tree, as Bees do make honie and waxe, by sucking the matter thereof from all herbes, trees, and flowers, and the inhabitants of that countrie, do as diligently search for this Lacca, as we in England and other countries, seeke in the woods for honie; which Lacca after they haue found, they take from the tree, and drie it into a lumpe; among which someimes there come ouer some sticks and peeces of the tree with the wings of the Ants, which have fallen amongst it, as we daily see.
The place
The tree which beareth Lacca groweth in Zeilan and Malauar, and in other partes of the East Indies.
The time.
Of the time we haue no certaine knowledge.
The names.
Indian Lack is called in shops Lacca: Italian Lachetta: Anicem calleth it Luch: Paulus and Dioscorides Cancamum: the other names are expressed in the description.
The temperature and vertues.
Lack or Lacca is hot in the second degree, it comforteth the hart and liuer, openeth obstructions, expelleth urine, and preuaileth against the dropsie.
There is an artificiall lack made of the scrapings of Brasil and Saffron, which is used of painters, and not to be used in physicke as the other naturall Lacca.
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