Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 01.djvu/169

ALOES tion called aloinæ. The species are succulent herbs, shrubs, or even trees, with erect spikes or clusters of flowers. They are used in the West Indies for hedges; the juice is purgative, and the fibers are made into cordage or coarse cloth.

ALOES, the inspissated juice of the aloe. There are four principal kinds, two officinal. (1) Barbadoes aloes (aloe barbadensis), formed from the juice of the cut-leaf of aloe vulgaris. It is imported in gourds, and has a dull yellowish brown, opaque color, breaks with a dull conchoidal fracture, shows crystals under the microscope, has a nauseous odor, and is soluble in proof spirit. (2) Socotrine aloes (aloe socotrina), the produce of several species of aloes; it occurs in reddish brown masses, and breaks with a vitreous fracture. Its powder is a bright orange color. It has a fruity smell. It comes from Bombay. (3) Hepatic aloes, or East India aloes, non-officinal, is liver colored; its powder is yellow. (4) Cape aloes, the produce of aloe spicata and other non-officinal species, is a greenish brown color; this is given to horses. An inferior variety is called caballine aloes. Aloes acts as a purgative.

ALOES WOOD (sometimes called also eagle wood, calambac, paradise wood, or agallochum), the heart wood of aquilaria ovata and aloes agallochum, trees of the order aquilariaceæ, natives of the tropical parts of Asia, and supposed to be the aloes of lign-aloes of the Bible. They are large, spreading trees. Aloes wood contains a dark-colored, fragrant, resinous substance, and is much prized in the East as a medicine, and for the pleasant odor which it diffuses in burning. A similar substance, still more esteemed, is obtained in the southeastern parts of Asia and the adjacent islands, from the central part of the trunk of aloexyIon agallochum, of the natural order leguminosæ, sub-order cæsalpineæ. This tree is found in Cochin-China and the Moluccas, where a character of sacredness is attached to it. Its fragrant wood is not only much prized in the East as a perfume, but many medicinal virtues are ascribed to it. Napoleon I. used it as a perfume in his palaces. The fragrance continues undiminished for years. Lign-aloes is a corruption of lignum aloes (aloes wood).

ALOPECIA, a variety of baldness in which the hair falls off from the beard and eyebrows, as well as the scalp.

ALOSA, a genus of fishes, of the family chipeidæ. It contains two British species, the A. finta, or Twaite shad, and the A. communis, or allice shad. The shad resemble herrings in their form and structure, but are so much larger that they have been popularly called the mother of herrings. The allice shad is rare in the Thames. The American species, clupea sapidissima, is abundant on the Atlantic coast.

ALOST, or AALST, a city of Belgium, the capital of the former province of East Flanders. It is on the Dender, a tributary of the Scheldt. The city suffered severely in the German invasion of Belgium in 1914. It contained many historical edifices including the Church of St. Martin, one of the finest in Belgium. This church contained a famous painting by Rubens. There was a town hall, a college, hospital, and several other important public buildings. The industries included weaving, lace-making, and flax spinning. Pop. about 35,000.

ALPACA, the name given to a species of llama, which has for a long time back been domesticated in Peru. It was first found by Pizarro. Its modern zoölogical name is auchenia paco. It has a long, fine fleece, valuable in the woolen manufacture. There is a second species of llama in Peru, but its fleece is short, and, therefore, much less valuable. Also a cloth woven from the wool of the alpaca.

ALPENA, a city of Michigan, the county-seat of Alpena co. It is on Thunder Bay and on the Detroit and Mackinac railroad. It is situated near numerous lakes, making it a popular summer resort. There is a fish hatchery, public library and parks. The city has