249 QUERCUS INFECTORIA 



very useful and convenient astringent gargle and wash ; and the 

 official ointment of galls, and the ointment of galls with opium, 

 more especially the latter, are valuable applications to haemor- 

 rhoids after the inflammatory stage has passed. The diluted 

 tincture or ointment of galls may be also employed to give tone to, 

 and lessen discharges from, mucous membranes, as in gleet, leucor- 

 rhcea, &c. 



The tincture of galls is also used as a test for the alkaloids, 

 gelatine, and the persalts of iron. If kept, however, for some 

 time, it no longer forms precipitates with solutions of gelatine and 

 the vegetable alkaloids, as its tannic acid becomes by keeping 

 converted into gallic acid ; it still, however, serves to detect iron 

 salts. 



The principal use of galls is for the preparation of the official 

 tannic and gallic acids ; for dyeing and tanning purposes ; for 

 the preparation of ink ; and for other purposes in the arts. 



Per. Mat. Med., vol. ii, pt. 1, p. 343; Per. Mat. Med., by B. & R., 

 p. 493 ; Pharmacographia, p. 536 ; U. S. Disp., by W. & B., 

 p. 415; Guibourt, Hist, des Drogues, vol. ii (1869), p. 292; 

 Lacaze-Duthiers in Ann. Sci. Nat., ser. 3, vol. xix (1853), 

 p. 273, with 4 plates, and Pharm. Journ., ser. 1, vol. xiii, p. 16; 

 Prillieux in Ann. Sci. Nat., ser. 6, vol. iii (1876), p. 113; 

 Gmelin's Chemistry, vol. xv (1862), p. 449 ; Watts' Diet. Chem., 

 vol. ii, p. 762 ; Schorlemmer, Chemistry of the Carbon Com- 

 pounds, 1874, p. 463; Garr., Mat. Med., p. 355. 



DESCRIPTION OF PLATE. 



Drawn from specimens collected in Asia Minor by P. Russell, Kotschy, and 

 Balansa, in the British Museum. 



1. Young branch with male catkins. 



2. Male flower. 



3. Anthers. 



4. Section of the same. 



5. Branch in fruit with a gall. 



6. Section of glans. 



7. Seed, with one cotyledon removed. 



8. Section of a gall. 



(2-4 enlarged.) 



