People used to only really make desks and other furniture out of solid wood. Then they would polish that wood with beeswax polish to protect the wood and restore it's luster. Beeswax polish is made fr...
I thought turpentine caused neurological, renal, and resperatory issues with cronic exposure. The wiki page has some references to folk medicine but also the health concerns and studies on it if you want to read up more.