– **History of Spruce Gum:**
– Made from spruce tree resin
– Chewed by Native Americans and early American pioneers
– Introduced commercially in the 19th century
– Used as an adhesive
– Caulked seams of birch-bark canoes
– **Medicinal Uses of Spruce Gum:**
– Healed deep cuts and sores in Dene culture
– Spruce gum syrup developed for coughs and bronchitis in the 1870s
– Traditional medicinal properties
– Potential healing benefits
– Historical medicinal practices
– **Impact of Paper Manufacturing on Spruce Gum:**
– Commercial tree processing shifted to paper manufacturing in the 20th century
– Decreased availability of spruce for other purposes
– Reduced production of spruce gum
– Economic impact on spruce gum production
– Environmental implications
– **Current Availability and Varieties of Spruce Gum:**
– Available in small batches made at home
– Limited commercial availability
– Often flavored with mint or fruit
– Specialty homemade production
– Niche market for spruce gum enthusiasts
– **References:**
– Sylvia Van Kirk’s research on native women in Western Canada
– J.I. Little’s study on the Montreal Sisters of Providence spruce gum syrup case
– Scholarly articles on spruce gum
– Potential for further research and expansion of knowledge
– Wikipedia stubs on food and confectionery articles
Spruce gum is a chewing material made from the resin of spruce trees. In North America, spruce resin was chewed by Native Americans and was later introduced to the early American pioneers and was sold commercially by the 19th century, by John B. Curtis among others. It has also been used as an adhesive. Indigenous women in North America used spruce gum to caulk seams of birch-bark canoes.
Spruce gum has been used medicinally, primarily to heal deep cuts and sores in the Dene culture. In the 1870s, Sisters of Providence located in Montreal, Canada, developed a spruce gum syrup for treating coughs and bronchitis.
In the 20th century, commercial spruce tree processing turned to paper manufacturing to meet demand from the newspaper industry, thereby reducing the availability of spruce for other purposes, including the production of spruce gum.[citation needed] Today,[when?] it is available in small batches made at home rather than commercially.[citation needed] It is often flavored with mint or fruit.[citation needed]