OAK-GALLS 



\ 



24. Oak-galls (French noix de galles, Portuguese galhas) are globular 

 excrescences caused by the gall-wasp (Cynips quercus folii) puncturing 

 the twigs, leaves, and buds, and depositing its ova in several species 

 of oak (chiefly Quercus lusitanica var. infectoria), to be found in Asia 

 Minor, Armenia, Syria, and Persia. In times of antiquity, galls were 

 employed for technical and medicinal purposes. In consequence of 

 their large percentage (up to 60 per cent) of tannic or Gallo-tannic 

 acid, they served for tanning, still further for the dyeing of wool and 

 the manufacture of ink. 1 Both Theophrastus 2 and Dioscorides 3 men- 

 tion galls under the name KT//CIS. Abu Mansur describes galls under 

 the Arabic name a/s. 4 



The greater part of the galls found in Indian bazars come from 

 Persia, being brought by Arab merchants. 5 The Sanskrit name 

 mdjuphala (phala, "fruit") is plainly a loan-word from the Persian 

 mdzu. 



In Chinese records, oak-galls are for the first time mentioned under 

 the term wu-$i-tse $ 'ft ? as products of Sasanian Persia. 6 They 

 first became known in China under the T'ang from Persia, being intro- 

 duced in the Materia Medica of the T'ang Dynasty (Tan pen ts'ao). 

 The Tan pen Zu Jl # i states that they grow in sandy deserts, 7 and 

 that the tree is like the tamarisk (pen 116 ). A commentary, cited as 

 kin cu ^ tt, adds that they are produced in Persia, while the Cen lei 

 pen ts'ao* says that they grow in the country of the Western 2un 

 (Iranians). The Yu yah tsa tsu g gives a description of the plant as 

 follows: " Wu-&-tse $& J5 ~? are produced in the country Po-se (Persia), 



1 BLUMNER, Technologic, Vol. I, 26. ed., pp. 251, 268. 



2 Hist, plant., III. vm, 6. 



3 1, 146 (cf. LECLERC, Traite* des simples, Vol. II, p. 457). See also Pliny, xm 

 63; xvi, 26; xxiv, 109. 



4 ACHUNDOW, Abu Mansur, p. 98. 



5 W. AINSLIE, Materia Indica, Vol. I, p. 145; WATT, Commercial Products of 

 India, p. 911. 



6 Sui su, Ch. 83, p. 7 b. 



7 According to another reading, "in sandy deserts of the Western Zun" (that 

 is, Iranians). 



8 Ch. 14, p. 20. 



9 Ch. 1 8, p. 9. 



367 



