58 
THE TANNINS. 
complete an examination was made in 1869 by Wat¬ 
son Smith, for the purpose of comparing English and 
Aleppo galls: 
Tannic acid. 61.65 per cent. 
Gallic acid. 1.60 11 
Woody fibre. 15.68 “ 
Water. 12.32 “ 
Coloring-matter and loss. 8.75 £l 
100.00 “ 
Another variety of galls, which for some purposes 
rivals the Turkish in importance, is that from China. 
These are formed by an insect, Aphis Ghinensis, on 
the leaf-stalks and young branches of Rhus semia- 
lata, a tree from ten to fifteen metres in height, in¬ 
digenous to North India, China, and Japan. Chinese 
galls are hollow, from two and a half to four centime¬ 
tres in length and half that measure in breadth. They 
are frequently quite irregular in shape, with horn-like 
projections. The shell, which constitutes the material 
part, is thin and brittle, breaking with a resinous frac¬ 
ture. The external surface is grayish or mouse-colored 
and covered with a fine velvety pubescence. 
Closely allied to these are the Japanese galls, which 
are so similar as to lead one to believe they are the 
same. They have, however, been assigned by Siebold 
to Rhus Japonica and by Murray to Rhus javccnica. 
Being more deeply lobed than the Chinese variety, they 
are consequently more irregular in form. 
Although the Japanese galls are preferred by some, 
the two varieties are usually employed indiscriminately. 
Large quantities of both under the name of Chinese 
