CHAP. CV.

coryla'ceai. que'rcus.

1931

infusion, made with 2 drachms of bruised galls to 12 ounces of boiling water,may be used as an injection; and, in conjunction with a small portion of spiritsof wine, forms a good gargle for relaxation of the uvula.” (, Stephenson andChurchill’s Medical Botany, vol. iv. pi.

152.) M. Robiquet (as quoted in theAtheneeum for April 15. 1837) has beenmaking various experiments on the tan-nin and gallic acid contained in gallnuts. One of the most remarkable re-sults obtained by him is, a knowledgeof the great difference of time which ittakes to transform pure tannin intogallic acid, and to produce it from theentire nut. Eight months will not com-plete the former operation, while onemonth is sufficient for the latter; aproof that the gall nut contains princi-ples, perhaps gum or rather mucilage,which facilitate fermentation. Anotherimportant result is a confirmation of the opinion of M. Polonger, that gallicacid is to be derived from tannin.

The Dead Sea Apple. Olivier informs us that Quercus infectoria also pro-duces another sort ofgall (fig. 1823. fromcopy furnished us byMr. Westwood; andfig. 1824. from the fi-gure given by Oliver,

1.15.), of a much largersize than the commongall nut, of a spongysubstance, very light,of a brownish redcolour, covered witha resinous coat, andfurnished with a cir-cular row of tuber-cles, placed roundthe centre. Olivierdoes not, however,appear to have beenaware of the identityof these galls with thefar-famed apples ofthe Dead Sea , thenature of which hasso greatly perplexednaturalists,and whichare mentioned, bothby Tacitus and Jose-phus , as being beauti-ful to the eye, but crumbling at the touch to dust and bitter ashes. By somewriters, the existence of these vegetable productions has been entirely doubted.Pococke supposes them to be pomegranates left for two or three years uponthe tree; Hasselquist pronounced these “ Poma sodomitica,” as they havebeen called, to be the fruit of the jS'olanum Melongena (the egg plant, or madapple); Seetzen considered them to be the fruit of a species of cotton tree;Chateaubriand the fruit of a shrub; and Captains Mangles and Irby have nodoubt that they have discovered them in the oskar plant. Mr. Conder, how-

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