Oak has been used as a Quinine substitute in the treatment of fevers. Tannins provide many of the healing properties of oak. Tannins bind with proteins in tissues, making a barrier resistant to bacterial invasion. Tannins strengthen tissues and blood vessels.
The opposite term Occident derives from the Latin word occidens, meaning west (lit. setting < occido fall/set). This term meant the west (where the sun sets) but has fallen into disuse in English, in favor of Western world.
n Occidental a native inhabitant of the Occident Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary Occidental Of, pertaining to, or situated in, the occident, or west; western; -- opposed to oriental; as, occidental climates, or customs; an occidental planet. Occidental Possessing inferior hardness, brilliancy, or beauty; -- used of inferior precious stones and gems, because those found in the Orient are generally superior.