Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 05.djvu/38

LEFT HIPPOCAMPUS HIPPOCAMPUS, a genus of fishes, closely allied to the pipe-fishes; the upper parts have some resemblance to the head and neck of a horse in miniature, which has suggested the name. When swim- ming they maintain a vertical position; they occur in the Mediterranean and At- lantic. HIPPOCRAS, a spiced beverage, held in great esteem by the monks in the Middle Ages as a warm and grateful cordial and stimulant in cases of cold, and also as a beverage in winter nights, and for the aged and relaxed. The spiced hippocras consisted of cinnamon, cloves, etc., bruised and macerated for seven days in Canary wine (Madeira), and then sweetened either with honey or sugar. The "ypocras," for lords and ab- bots, was prepared with aqua vitse, or brandy, spices, ambergris, and musk. HIPPOCRATES (pok'ra-tez), the greatest physician of ancient times, usually designated the "Father of Medi- cine"; born in the Island of Cos, about 460 B. C. Hippocrates belonged to the family of the Asclepiades, priest-physi- cians, who claimed to be descended from jEsculapius, god of medicine. He prac- ticed medicine in Athens, Thrace, Thes- saly, Delos, and in other parts of Greece. Among his genuine wi'itings are: "Prog- nosis"; "Aphorisms"; "On Epidemics"; "On Diet in Acute Diseases"; "On Air, Water, and Place"; "On Wounds of the Head." He died in Larissa, Thessaly, about 377 B. c. HIPPOCBENE (hip'po-kren), a cele- brated fountain on Mount Helicon in Bceotia, sacred to the Muses. It was fabled to have burst from the ground when struck by the feet of Pegasus, and to possess the power of poetic inspira- tion. HIPPODROME, the Greek name for the public place where the horse and chariot races were held. The name is sometimes applied to a modern circus. HIPPOLYTE (-pol'i-te), in classical mythology, a queen of the Amazons, given in marriage to Theseus by Her- cules, who had conquered her, and taken away her girdle by order of Eurystheus. She had a son by Theseus, called Hip- POLYTUS {q. v.). HIPPOLYTUS (-pol'i-tus), in classi- cal mythology, a son of Theseus and Hippolyte, famous for his continence. His step-mother, Phaedra, fell in love with him, and when he refused to pollute his father's bed, she accused him of offering violence to her person before Theseus, who, believing the accusation, 22 HIRAM entreated Neptune to punish his son. Hippolytus fled from the resentment of his father, along the seashore. His horses were frightened at the noise of sea-calves, which Neptune had purposely sent there; his chariot was broken and he was killed. On this myth, Euripides founded his play entitled "Hippolytus." HIPPOMANE (-pom'a-ne), a genus of plants, order Euphorbiacese. The spe- cies H. mancinella is the famous Man- chineel tree, which is asserted to be so poisonous that persons have died from merely sleeping in its shade. It flour- ishes in the Antilles and on the American continent, near the sea, and forms a very handsome tree, with foliage not unlike that of the pear tree. The juice which fills the tree is of a pure white color, and when dropped on the hand it burns like fire, forming an ulcer very difficult to heal. The fruit, which resembles a very beautiful apple in appearance, con- , tains a similar juice, but of a milder i character. The timber is beautifully variegated, and susceptible of a high polish. HIPPOPOTAMUS (pot'a-mus), in ordinary language, the river horse, H. amphibiiis. It inhabits the great rivers and lakes of Africa. Anciently it was found in the lower part of the Nile : now it does not occur there. It is at home in the water, diving beneath it when dan- ger arises, but at intervals raising its head above the surface to breathe. It feeds chiefly on the roots and bark of water trees and plants. It lands dur- ing the night to look for pasture, and is destructive to crops. Its tusks furnish the best ivory; its flesh is eaten. In zoology, the typical and only ad- mitted genus of the family Hippopo- tamidss. The hippopotamus is now » found only where the water never freezes, but is of nearly uniform tem- perature throughout the year. HIPPURIS (pu'ris), in botany, mare's tail, a genus of Haloragacex, tribe Haloragese. The perianth is single, superior, forming a very indistinct rim to the germen; stamen one; style one; fruit one-celled, one-seeded. Known spe- cies one or two. HIPPURITES (-i'tez), a genus of fossil bivalves, having the under shell of great depth and of a conical form, with a flat lid or operculum, occurring in the lower chalk. They are allied to the liv- ing Chama, or gaping cockle. HIRAM, a king of Tyre, who sent to congratulate David on his accession to the throne, and aided him in building his palace (II Sam. v: 11; I Chr. xiv: 1).