Gr.: ἀκακία, ἄκακος, τῇ Αἰγυπτιακῇ ἀκάνθῃ (Dsc. I 64 W.). ἔστι δὲ εἶδος ἀκάνθης (Dsc. I 100 W.)

Lat. Acacia. Or Acacia Arabica, or Acacia Nilotica.

ἀκακία

Lat. Acacia. Or Acacia Arabica.

Acacia is a genus of Mimosaceae, or Fabiacee.

Acacia grows in the Sudan, but also grows in Egypt. It is a woody, branchy, thorny growth with a white flower and a fruit like that of the lupin.

A gum exuded by the African acacia trees. The resinous juice of the Acacia Arabica figures as an ingredient in medical pre­scriptions for eye-salves. Entries on the tree and the drug extracted from its fruit and leaves can be found in Dsc. Mat. med. I 101.1-2 (I 92.28–94.8 W: ἀκακία φύεται ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ...ἁρμόζει δὲ ὁ χυλὸς πρὸς τὰ ὀφθαλμικὰ καὶ ἐρυσιπέλατα, ἕρπητας, χιμέτλας, πτερύγια, τὰ ἐν τῷ στόματι ἕλκη, καὶ προπτώσεις δὲ ὀφθαλμῶν καθίστησιν; "Acacia grows in Egypt... The juice is good for eye diseases, erysipela, creeping sores, pterygium, ulcers of the mouth, and falling eyes"). Gal. Simpl. VI 1.12 (XI 816.17–817.12 K) and Plin. NH XXIV 109. Dioscorides mentions the suitability of the juice for the treatment of eye ailments among other conditions and also singles out its astringent and cooling properties in the same context (δύναμιν δὲ ἔχει στυπτικήν, ψυκτικήν; there is also a gum that comes out of this thorn which is astringent and cooling).

The gum of myrrh is an odoriferous gum-resin.

1-2. Etymology–General Linguistic Section.

Gum arabic, also known as acacia gum, chaar gund, char goond, or meska, is a natural gum made of the hardened sap of two species of the acacia tree. It comes from a Semitic Languagesالعربية (Arabic).

From Latin acacia, from Ancient Greek ἀκακία (“shittah tree”), from ἀκή (“point”), ἀκίς (akis; "thorn"), probably from Egyptian. The origin of the name Acacia means 'spiny' which is a typical feature of the species.

Described by the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in 1773 based on the African species Acacia nilotica.

From ἄκακος (unadulterated). Suda, Lexicon, α, 833: ἄκακον, ὁλόκληρον, καθαρόν. σημαίνει δὲ καὶ τὸν ἔξω κήρας.

J. Pollux, Onomasticum V 119: ἄκακος, ἄδολος, ἄπλαστος, ἐκφανής, ἐκκείμενος, ἀκατάσκευος, ἐλεύθερος, εὐθυρρήμων, εὐήθης.

Suda, Lexicon, α, 782:  Ἀκακία: ἡ ἀγαθωσύνη.

3. Abbreviation(s).

No abbreviations.

On this gum and its astringent and refreshing qualities, it takes first place, as a drug, preferable to be used in large quantities, for curing or relieving a variety of eye ailments.

1. Testimonia.

Dsc. Materia medica 1.101: ἀκακία φύεται ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ. ἄκανθα δέ ἐστι δενδρώδης, θαμνώδης, οὐκ ὀρθοφυής, ἄνθος ἔχουσα λευκόν, καρπὸν δὲ ὥσπερ θέρμου, λευκόν, ἐν λοβοῖς κείμενον, ἐξ οὗ καὶ ἐκθλίβεται τὸ χύλισμα ξηραινόμενον ἐν ἡλίῳ....καὶ τὸ κόμμι δὲ ἐκ τῆς αὐτῆς ἀκάνθης γεννᾶται.

Gal. Simpl. VI 1.12 (XI 816-817.12):  [ιβʹ. Περὶ ἀκακίας.] Ἀκακίας καὶ τὸ φυτὸν μὲν αὐτὸ στρυφνόν ἐστι, καὶ ὁ καρπὸς καὶ ὁ χυλὸς, ὅστις καὶ πλυθεὶς (817.) ἀσθενέστερός τε ἅμα καὶ ἀδηκτότερος γίγνεται, ὥς τινα δριμύτητα κατὰ τὴν πλύσιν ἀποτιθέμενος.

Dsc. Mat. med. I 101.1-2 (I 92.28–94.8 W: ἀκακία φύεται ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ...ἁρμόζει δὲ ὁ χυλὸς πρὸς τὰ ὀφθαλμικὰ καὶ ἐρυσιπέλατα, ἕρπητας, χιμέτλας, πτερύγια, τὰ ἐν τῷ στόματι ἕλκη, καὶ προπτώσεις δὲ ὀφθαλμῶν καθίστησιν; "Acacia grows in Egypt... The juice is good for eye diseases, erypela, creeping sores, pterygium, ulcers of the mouth, and falling eyes").

Cf. Gal. Simpl. VI 1,12 (XI 816-7 K):   [ιβʹ. Περὶ ἀκακίας.] Ἀκακίας καὶ τὸ φυτὸν μὲν αὐτὸ στρυφνόν ἐστι, καὶ ὁ καρπὸς καὶ ὁ χυλὸς, ὅστις καὶ πλυθεὶς ἀσθενέστερός τε ἅμα καὶ ἀδηκτότερος γίγνεται, ὥς τινα δριμύτητα κατὰ τὴν πλύσιν ἀποτιθέμενος (acacia is a plant acerba and contains crop and juice, that is weak and pungent as well, so that depones caustic substance in lotions), and Gal. Comp. sec. loc. (XII 793, 16 K): Περίχριστον ὀφθαλμῶν. Ἄρτος καθαρὸς κεκαυμένος μιγεὶς ἀκακίᾳ (Ointments for eyes. Use pure bread mixed with gum arabic).

Plin. NH XXIV 109 (folia habet ceu pinnas quae tactis ab homine ramis cadunt protinus ac postea renascantur).

2. Abbreviation(s) in papyri.

No abbreviated terms.

This species has been used since early Egyptian dynasties. The wood of Acacia nilotica was used by ancient Egyptians to make statues and furniture. Acacia have diverse and extensive uses, ranging from food (many species contain edible shoots and seeds, and the flowers are used to produce a delicate and non-crystallizing honey) and medicine to paint and perfume to timber and firewood. The leaves of many species bear large amounts of tannins, with wide commercial production for tanning leather.

On this gum and its astringent and refreshing qualities, with reference to Greek medical writers, and ancient Egyptian Papyrus Ebers, p. 140. It takes first place as a drug preferably to be used in large quantities, for curing eye ailments.

Dioscorides mentions the suitability of the juice for the treatment of eye-conditions (ἁρμόζει δὲ ὁ χυλὸς πρὸς τὰ ὀφθαλμικά), and singles out its astringent and cooling properties in the same context (δύναμιν δὲ ἔχει στυπτικήν, ψυκτικήν).

Acacia must have been a kind of gummi arabicum. The Egyptians called this dried plant-juice komi.

Various species of acacia yield gum. True gum arabic is the product of Senegalia, abundant in dry tropical West Africa from Senegal to northern Nigeria.

Vachellia nilotica (syn. Acacia arabica) is the gum arabic tree of India, but yields a gum inferior to the true gum arabic. Gum arabic is used in a wide variety of food products, including some soft drinksand confections.

An astringent medicine high in tannins, called catechu or cutch, is procured from several species, but more especially from Senegalia catechu (syn. Acacia catechu), by boiling down the wood and evaporating the solution so as to get an extract.

Acacia nilotica has a wealth of medicinal uses. Acacia seeds are often used for food and a variety of other products. It is used for stomach upset and pain, the bark is chewed to protect against scurvy, an infusion is taken for dysentery and diarrhoea.

Depending upon the species, the plants are spiny shrubs or small to large sized trees, preferring sandy regions, with the dry climate during the greater part of the year, growing from 10 to 50 feet in height. Those species growing in arid regions bear spines representing branches which have become short and hard. Gum Acacia is a demulcent and serves by the viscidity of its solution to cover and sheathe inflamed surfaces. Gum Acacia consists principally of Arabin, a compound of Arabic acid with calcium, varying amounts of the magnesium and potassium salts of the same acid being present. Chemically, acacia gum is a combination of complex polysaccharides and proteins. On the molecular level, this arabino-galactan-protein complex is a beautiful amalgamation of complex branches, trapping water in its ‘folds’ for the use of the plant. Acacia gum is used in a variety of products ranging from ink to ice cream. In herbal medicine, the gum is used to bind pills and lozenges and to stabilize emulsions. It is also used to produce a medium for applying essential oils, balsams, resins, camphor, and musk.

Plinius, NH XXIV 109.3:

For further discussion and references, see Gazza 1956, 76; Préaux 1956, 140; André 1972, 131–2; Nielsen 1974, 25–6; Youtie 1975, 560; Youtie 1976, 124–6; André 1985, 2; Andorlini 1993, 475-549; Durling 1993, 25–6; Kramer–J. 1993, 145; Andorlini 1995b, 23–4 (PSI Congr. XXI 3 III.8n.); Fausti 1997, 100; Fournet–Magdelaine 2001, 158 (GMP I 14.7n.); Clackson 2004, 82 (PHorak 15.7n.); Mitthof, GMP II 8, p. 131.

T. D. A. Forbes & B. A. Clement. "Chemistry of Acacia's from South Texas". Texas A&M University.

J. Clemens, P.G. Jones and N.H. Gilbert, Australian Journal of Botany 25(3) 269-276.

P.Köln X 410; P.Horak 14-15; P.Acad. inv. 4.16-28; P.Kell. 89; GMP II 4, 7, and 8; P.Ryl. I 29a.31.

O.Bodl. II 2182.3; O.Bodl. II 2185.5; P.Mich. inv. 482.7; P.Princ. III 155.7; P.Ryl. I 29a.31;GMP I 13, 4; 14, 7. GMP II 4.II.3; 8.12.

SB 14 11964.7,19, 27; SB 22 15299.13; Stud.Pal. 13.2. O.Tait Bodl. 2182 and 2185.

Isabella Andorlini