Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume VII.djvu/596

 584: GALL STONES GALT jured by the insect. Galls reach the United States from Mediterranean ports and from Cal- cutta. They are nearly round, from the size of a pea to that of a very large cherry, with a surface usually studded with small tuberosities. The best are dark blue or green externally, lighter internally, hard and brittle, with a small cavity in the centre. Those of inferior quality are lighter in color, less hard, and contain a larger cavity communicating externally by a round hole through which the developed insect has escaped. Most if not all oaks contain a considerable amount of tannic acid, of that va- riety which precipitates the persalts of iron, blue-black. This acid seems to be concentrated in these pathological formations, constituting more than one half of their weight, and they are accordingly the source whence gallo- or querco-tannic acid is most conveniently ob- tained. Galls have also been thought to con- tain smaller quantities of other allied acids, but it is probable that these are formed after the tannin and at its expense. All the soluble matter of galls is taken up by 40 times their weight of boiling water. Alcohol dissolves seven parts in ten, ether five. Galls are pow- erfully astringent, and may be used in medicine in the form of tincture or ointment, or in sub- stance. For internal use, tannic or gallic acid is generally considered more convenient. The incompatibles of galls are very -numerous, since the tannates of nearly all metallic oxides, al- kalies, alkaline earths, and alkaloids are only slightly soluble in water. Nutgall ointment may be applied with advantage to haemorrhoids, but should not be used when the latter are in- flamed. The dry substance is sometimes sprin- kled over the surface of indolent ulcers or sores, to induce a healthy action in them. GALL STONES. See CALCULI. GALLUP, Joseph Adam, an American physician and author, born in Stonington, Conn., March 30, 1769, died in Woodstock, Vt., Oct. 12, 1849. He received a good education, and in 1798 graduated in medicine at Dartmouth col- lege. H.e practised a few years in Hartland and Bethel, Vt., whence he removed to Wood- stock in January, 1800. His first writings ap- peared in 1802 in the "Vermont Gazette," published at Windsor, and attracted much at- tention. From 1820 to 1823 he was president of the Castleton medical academy, and was also for several years a lecturer in the medical de- partment of the university of Vermont. He established the clinical school of medicine at Woodstock, and delivered his first course of lectures there in the spring of 1827. This school afterward became the Vermont medical college, and was incorporated in 1835. In 1815 he published " Sketches of Epidemic Dis- eases in the State of Vermont," to which are added " Remarks on Pulmonary Consumption," which was republished in England. He pub- lished in 1822 "Pathological Reflections on the Supertonic State of Disease," besides other pamphlets, and in 1839 his more considerable work in 2 vols., entitled " Outlines of the In- stitutes of Medicine." GALT, a town of Waterloo co., Ontario, Can- ada, situated on both sides of Grand river, near the mouth of Mill creek, and on the Gait and Guelph branch of the Great Western rail- way, 54 m. W. S. W. of Toronto ; pop. in 1871, 3,827. It is situated in a rich agricultural dis- trict, and contains many handsome buildings. The water power is extensive, and there are several large flouring and saw mills-, iron foun- deries and machine shops, and manufactories of agricultural implements, leather, paper col- lars, hardware, woollens, &c. GALT. I. John, a Scottish author, born in Ir- vine, Ayrshire, May 2, 1779, died in Greenock, April 11, 1839. After spending some years in mercantile life he began to study law, but in 1809 set out on a tour of nearly three years in southern Europe and the Mediterranean, pub- lishing the results of his observations on his re- turn in "Voyages and Travels" and "Letters from the Levant." He sailed from Gibraltar to Malta with Lord Byron and Mr. Hobhouse. Soon after his return he married Elizabeth, daughter of Dr. Tilloch, editor of the " Philoso- phical Magazine," and proprietor of the " Star " newspaper, on which Gait was for some time employed. He had contributed in 1803-'4 to " The Scots 1 Magazine" portions of an ambitious composition iu octosyllabic verse. He next produced a volume of dramatic pieces, which Scott called " the worst tragedies ever seen," and this was followed by lives of Cardinal Wolsey and Benjamin West, " Reflections on Political and Commercial Subjects," a tragedy entitled "The Appeal," acted in Edinburgh for a few nights, and " The Earthquake," a novel. These works made no impression upon the pub- lic, but his "Ayrshire Legatees," which ap- peared in "Blackwood's Magazine" in 1820- '21, turned the popular tide in his favor. With- in the next three years appeared " Annals of the Parish," generally esteemed his best work, " The Provost," which he himself preferred, " The Steamboat," " Sir Andrew Wylie," " The Gathering of the West," "The Entail," " Rin- ghan Gilhaize," "TheSpaewife," " Rothelan," "The Omen," and "The Last of the Lairds," all novels of Scottish life, and all successful. In 1826 he visited Canada as the agent of the Canada company, a large landholding corpora- tion; he founded the town of Guelph, but a difference with his employers having cast him adrift again, he returned to England in 1829, resumed his literary labors, and produced a number of novels and a variety of miscellanies, including a " Life of Lord Byron," the "Auto- biography of John Gait" (2 vols., 1833), and " Literary Life and Miscellanies of John Gait" (3 vols., 1834). His novel " Lawrie Todd " (1830), relating some of his experiences in the new world, is considered in his best vein. It was followed by "Southennan," "Bogle Cor- bet," "Stanley Buxton," "The Member," "The Radical," "Eben Erskine," and "The