gall

Gall, Sioux war chief

Gall (gôl), c.1840–1894, war chief of the Sioux, b. South Dakota. He refused to accept the treaty of 1868 (by which he would have been confined to a reservation), joined Sitting Bull and other dissident chiefs, and was the chief military lieutenant of Sitting Bull in the great defeat of George Armstrong Custer in the battle of Little Bighorn in 1876. He retreated to Canada but, after a quarrel with Sitting Bull about returning to their former lands, returned and surrendered at Poplar, Mont. He became a farmer on the reservation and with his friend James McLaughlin, the Indian agent, did much to improve relations between Native Americans and whites.

Bibliography

See T. B. Marquis, Sitting Bull and Gall (1934).

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gall, in botany

gall, abnormal growth, or hypertrophy, of plant tissue produced by chemical or mechanical (e.g., the rubbing together of two branches) irritants or hormones. Chemical irritants are released by parasitic fungi, bacteria, nematode worms, gall insects, and mites. Crown gall, which attacks peach and other fruit trees, grapes, and roses, is caused by bacteria. Despite its name (the crown is the head of foliage), the tumorous growths usually occur on the stem below ground level. The gall insects (e.g., certain aphids, wasps, moths, beetles, and midges) deposit their eggs in the plant tissues, which begin to swell as the larvae hatch. Sometimes the larvae feed on the gall and pupate within it. The irritant is released by the female at the time of oviposition or by the developing larva itself. Each species of gall insect has its favorite host and forms galls of a characteristic shape; some are large and woody and others may be soft, knobby, or spiny. They may be formed on any part of a plant but generally occur in areas where cells are actively growing. In the United States, Galls are commonly seen on oak and willow trees and on rose bushes, goldenrod, and witch hazel. The Hessian fly, the wheat midge, and the mites and midges that attack fruit trees are the most damaging economically of the gall insects. Galls are rich in resins and tannic acid and have been used in the manufacture of permanent inks and astringent ointments, in dyeing, and in tanning. A high-quality ink has long been made from the Aleppo gall, found on oaks in the Middle East; it is one of a number of galls resembling nuts and called gallnuts or nutgalls.

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gall

Abnormal, localized outgrowth or swelling of plant tissue caused by infection from bacteria, fungi, viruses, or nematodes, or by irritation by insects and mites. The common plant disease crown gall, characterized by the proliferation of galls on the roots and lower stems, is caused by the bacterium Agrobacterium tumefaciens.

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gall

a sore on the skin caused by chafing

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gall [gȯl]

(medicine)

A sore on the skin that is caused by chafing.

(metallurgy)

Damage to metal surfaces resulting from friction and improper lubrication.

(physiology)

bile

(plant pathology)

A large swelling on plant tissues caused by the invasion of parasites, such as fungi or bacteria, following puncture by an insect; insect oviposit and larvae of insects are found in galls.

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gall

sponge soaked with it given to crucified Jesus. [N.T.: Matthew 26:48]

See : Passion of Christ