GOA POWDER, from the Andivn araroba (Lancet, 20th May 1882, p. 817). The active prin.; ciplo is chrysophanie acid. It is used In psoriasis. According to Mr. Smith, Gott powder conidata of the powdered thallus of Rocella tinctoria, which lie says has long been employed In British India as a remedy for ringworm.—Smitli.
G 0 Air.
?Qs ; Teys; Tuytts, Anna. &coo, Capra (f.),. . It. Chbvre, . . . . Caper, . . . . LAT.
ZiegO, C KR. Ilebek ; Katnbing, Mawr.
Kapros, . . . GIL Cabra, Sr Bakra (he-goat), luso. ' . . . . TURK.
Th0 goat belongs to the order Ungulata, tribe Ruminantia, sub-fatnily Caprinie, goats and sheep. Their position may be shown as under :— Sub-Fam. Caprinte, goats, sheep.
1. Capricorns, or antelope goats, or mountain ante lopes. Gm Nemorinedus, 3 sp.
2. True goats. Oen. lIemitragus, 2 sp. ; Capra, 8 sp. ; Ovis, 8 v.
Netnorhcedus bubalinta is the Serovr or forest goat, N. goral is the Gooral or Himalayan chamois, both of the Himalaya, and N. crispus is of Japan ; Hemitragus jerulaieus is the Tehr or Himalayan wild goat, and H. hylocrius is the Neilgherry wild goat,. See Capra ; Ovi.s.
Goats and sheep aro employed in bringing the borax of Tibet, and as the carriage animals for other traffic across the mountains. Coming upon them on the very narrowest, steepest, and alippiest ascent, or on the brink of a precipice, they pursue their way, not tunaing a.side for any one or any thing ; and flocks of many hundreds meeting, none make a mistake, but follow their own respec tive leaders. Goats are chosen as the leaders of the carriage animals through the passes of the H imalaya.
The goat has a habit of shivering at intervals, and this is taken by the Hindus to be an afflatus. In the north. of India a goat is turned loose along a disputed border - line, and where it shivers thero the mark is set up. The Thugs would only. SaerifiC0 a goat if their patroness
Devi had signified acceptance by one of these tremors. Plutarch . mentions that among the Greeks, if tho goat intended for sacrifice did not shiver tuul shake itself when water was thrown over it, the offering was not deemed acceptable to the oracle.
Goats' hair is produced in almost every diP trict of the Panjab, and called ,jat. It is used for making ropes, also for matting, and for the strong bags wherein grain, etc., is carried on the back.s of oxen. Grain dealers use rugs made of it in the shops iu which the grain is poured out when being winnowed or weighed out. The Kuki have a largo goat breed, with hair upwards of a foot in length. In the northern parts of Afghanistan, the coarse long hair of the goat is woven also into a strong material, used for covering the tents of the nomades.
The Lena shawl-wool is the produce of the goats of the Tibetan Himalaya. It used to be a trevalent opinion that these goats were found in "ashmir, but that valley is far too warm and damp for them. The best shawl-wool is produced in the vicinity of Caro, Manasarowar, and the elevated lands to the eastwtual The shawl-wool iR the fleece of the goat, next tho skin only ; the outer coat is coarse hair, and the two colours are white and light brown. The dogs of Tartary have also a soft down below the hair, very little inferior to that of the goats.
Goat-skins for Britain are principally obtained from British India, the coast of Barbary, and the Cape of Good Hope. They form the best dyed morocco of all colours. Kid-skins supply the finest white and coloured leather for gloves and ladies' shoes.—MacGregor, p. 51 ; Gerard's Koonawar, p. 115.