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LEFT PABACHTJTE 108 PARAGUAY and writing his books, which were pub- lished in 10 volumes. Notwithstanding all his faults, errors, and absurdities, Paracelsus gave a new direction to medi- cal science, by his doctrine that the true use of chemistry is not to make gold, but to prepare medicines; and from his day the study of chemistry became a necessary part of medical education. He died in Salzburg in 1541. PARACHUTE, a device by which a descent is made from a balloon or an eminence. It is a light structure, and affords a large area of resistance to the atmosphere. It is usually in shape like an umbrella, 20 to 25 feet in diameter. It remains closed like an umbrella while the balloon to which it is attached is as- cending, opening as soon as the descent begins, the expanded top serving to mod- erate its velocity. It was sometimes used by aviators during the World War (1914-1918) to escape from damaged aeroplanes. Every observation balloon used in the war was equipped with parachutes. PARACLETE, the being who, both in the authorized and revised versions of the New Testament, is called the "Com- forter," alternative renderings being given in the margin of the latter. Ad- vocate, Helper, or Paraclete. He is "the Spirit of Truth" (John xv: 26, xvi: 13), the Holy Ghost (xiv: 26). His function with regard to the world is to convict it in respect of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment (xvi: 8-11) (Revised Ver- sion). Montanus in the 2d century. Manes in the 3d, and Mohammed in the 7th century, each claimed to be the prom- ised Paraclete, whom none of the three, however, identified with the Holy Ghost. PARADISE FISH, a popular name for Macropus viridiauratus (lacepede), from the East Indian Archipelago. Its coloration is brilliant and it is frequently found in aquaria. PARADISEID^, birds of paradise; a family of passerine birds. The family differs from the Corvidse, to which it is closely allied, in the outer being shorter than the middle, and longer than the inner toe, the hind toe being very large and equaling the middle in length. In his monograph on the family, D. G. El- liot divides it into three sub-families: Paradiseinae, Epimachinse, and Tecton- archinse. PARADOX, a tenet or statement con- trary to received opinion; an assertion which is contrary to appearance, and seemingly absurd, impossible, or at vari- ance with eommon sense, but which may, on examination, be found to be perfectly correct and well founded. PARADOXES, COUNTRY OF. Hol- land, where the ocean is higher than land. PARAFFIN, or PARAFFINE, a solid, fatty substance, produced along with other substances in the dry or destruc- tive distillations of various organic mat- ters, such as coal, bituminous shale, lig- nite, peat, etc., at a low red heat. It is found along with liquid oils in petroleumi, and in the native state in coal and bi- tuminous strata, known as fossil, wax, ozokerite, etc. Paraffin is a mixture of several hydrocarbons, probably homo- logues of marsh gas of high atomic weight. Many of the paraffins are found ready formed in petroleum and other mineral oils. In mining, a name adopted for a group cf native hydrocarbons, hav- ing the general composition: Carbon, 85.71 ; hydrogen, 14.29 = 100. It em- braces the species urpethite, hatchettite, ozocerite, zietrisikite, and elaterite. PARAGUAY, a republic of South America; bounded on the N. and N. E. by Brazil, on the S., S. E., and S. W. by the Argentine Republic, and on the N. W. by Bolivia; area, about 98,000 square miles; pop. (1905) 631,347; (1920) about 1,000,000. Topography. — A mountain chain called Sierra Amamboy, running in the ger^- eral direction of N. to S., and bifurcat- ing the E. and W. toward the S. extrem- ity, under the name of Sierra Maracayu, divides the tributaries of the Parana from those of the Paraguay, none oi which are very considerable, though they are liable to frequent and destructive overflows. The N. portion of Paraguay is in general covered by low, gently swelling ridges, separated by large grass plains, dotted with palms. There are mountains in the N. E. and N. W. cor- ners. The S. portion is one of the most fertile districts of South America, con- sisting of hills and gentle slopes richly wooded, of wide savannas, which afford excellent pasture ground, and of rich al- luvial plains, some of them marshy, or with shallow pools of water, but a large proportion are of extraordinary fertility and highly cultivated. Climate. — The climate is temperate, reaching as high as 100° in summer, but in winter being generally 45°. Production. — The meat packing and curing industry has been greatly devel- oped in recent years, and hides, jerked beef, and other animal products are ex- ported in considerable quantities. Yerba mate, or Paraguay tea, a natural prod- uct of the forests, is one of the chief