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0193 Sino-Iranica : vol.1
Sino-Iranica : vol.1 / Page 193 (Color Image)

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doi: 10.20676/00000248
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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 6o per cent) of tannic or Gallo-tannic acid, they served for tanning, still further for the dyeing of wool and the manufacture of ink.' Both Theophrastus2 and Dioscorides3 mention galls under the name lords. Abu Mansur describes galls under the Arabic name afs.4

The greater part of the galls found in Indian bazars come from Persia, being brought by Arab merchants.' The Sanskrit name mâjisphala (phala, "fruit ") is plainly a loan-word from the Persian mâzu.

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

the term wu-. i-tse   as products of Sasanian Persia.6 They
first became known in China under the Tang from Persia, being introduced in the Materia Medica of the Tang Dynasty (Tan pen ts'ao).

The ran pen 'u)   a states that they grow in sandy deserts,? and
that the tree is like the tamarisk (e`en TR ) . A commentary, cited as kin 64. 4. it, adds that they are produced in Persia, while the Cen lei pen ts`aos says that they grow in the country of the Western tun (Iranians). The Yu yan tsa tsu9 gives a description of the plant as

follows: "Wu-§i-tse   1- are produced in the country Po-se (Persia),

1 BLf7MNER, Technologie, Vol. I, 2d ed., pp. 251, 268. Hist. plant., III. vIII, 6.

s I, 146 (cf. LECLERC, Traité des simples, Vol. II, p. 457). See also Pliny, xIII , 63; XVI, 26; XXIV, 109.

d ACHUNDOW, Abu Mansur, p. 98.

6 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 WesternLun" (that is, Iranians).

8 Ch. 14, p. 20.

9 Ch. 18, p. 9.

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