Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Supplement, Volume 1.djvu/188

 A P H

Japjter. Vi Salmuth. ad Pandr. P. I. Tit. 24. p. 176. Struv. Synt. Antiq. Rom. c. it. p. 563. Fcji. de Verb. Signif. p. 15. Pitifc. Lex. Ant. T. 1. p. 120. feq.

' I ras was othcrwife denominated Pilem Epiroticus, or Albanus ; by tlie G recks wtXnpn ttu^wIm, and Kvfatr>w. The >#?# is defcribed as a ftitched cap in form of a helmet, with the addition of a little (tick fixed on the top, and wound about with white woo). Kenn. Rom. Ant. Not. P. 2. 1. 5- c 8. p. 321. Pitifc. loo cit.

The other Flamens only wore the Apex, in the time of per- forming divine fervice; the Flamen dialis always wore it out of doors ; for within it was allowed him to be bareheaded- Sohr. de Pil. Sea. 2. Pitifc. loc. cit. See Apiculum. Ap£X was alfo ufed among the Romans for the creit of a hel- met. V. Salmaf. Exerc. ad Sulin. p. 385. Apex is alfo ufed by grammarians for a long accent or mark, to denote that a fyllable is to be pronounced long, ^nincld. 1. 1. c. 7.

Quinclilian condemns the practice of putting the Apex on all long fyllablcs ; yet in fomc cafes he allows the Apex neceflary, cgr, where the different lengths of a fyllable diftinguifli the different fenfes of a word, as in malus, which as long, or fhort, denotes an ill man, or an apple-tree. See Accent, Cycl. and Suppl. APHACHA, in botany, the name of a genus of plants, the characters of which are thefe : The flower is of the papilio- naceous kind, and its piflil, which arifes from the cup, finally becomes a pod which contains roundifh feeds. To this it is to be added, that there are only two leaves at every joint of the fhlk, and that the tendrils grow from the ake of thefe leaves.

There is only one known fpecies of Aphaca, which is the yellow vetchling, called by fome the bind-wced-leaved vetch. Toumcf. Inlr. p. 399. APH/ERESIS, A^wgwK, (Cycl.) in medicine, denotes a ne- ceflary taking away or removal of fomething that is noxious, In furgery, it fignifies an operation whereby fomething fuperfluous is taken away. Brun. Lex. Med. in voo Ncnt. Fund. Med. T. 2. Tab. 5. §. 4. Van Horn. Microtec Se£t. 1. §. 17. APHANIS, in the Linnnean fyftcm of botany, the name of a genus of plants, the characters of which arc thefe : The cup is a tubular pcrianthium remaining till the feeds are ripe; it con- fifts of one leaf divided at the extremity into eight fegments, which are extremely fmall, and alternately different in fize. There are no petals ; the ftamina are four ereft, pointed, and very fmall filaments, inferred on the rim of the cup; the antheras are roundifh. The pitlillum has two gcrmina of an oval figure, and two flyles of the fame length with the fta- mina, inferted on the bafis of thefe gcrmina ; the ftigmata are headed. The cup fupplies the place of a fruit, fhutting together at its mouth, and containing two oval, pointed, comprefled feeds, of the length of the ftyles. Lhnicci Ge- nera Plantarum, p. 53- APHASIA, AfjeVta, in the fecptic philofophy, denotes a ftate of doubt, wherein a Perfon not knowing what to determine on, it is beft for him to be filent. Sext. Empir. Pyrrh. Hypo- typ. 1. 1. c. 26. Bibl. Ano Mod. T. 14. p. 52. mini. Hift. of PhiJof. p. 788.

In this feme, Aphajia ftands oppofed to pbnjis, under which are included both aflertiori and negation. APHELIA, A^*Aii«, in rhetoric, is ufed to denote fimplicity of

diction. See Diction, Cycl. APHESIS, A<p(ffis, in the Athenian laws, was when a perfon deeply indebted defired the people to remit part of the debt, byreafonof his difability to make payment. Potter, Archaeol. 1. 1. 24. Budd. Ifag. ad Theol. 1. 2. c. 7.

P- *3H-

Voetius has a diffcrtation exprefs on the words Aplcf.s and pa-

rrjisj and their difference.

APHETER1A, in the antient military art, a kind of engines ufed in the befieging of towns. Suia, Lex. T. 1. p. 394. Suidas does not mention their particular form or ftructure. Aquinus takes them to have been of the projective kind. Vid. Aqu'tn. Lex. Milit. T. 1. p. 56.

APHILANTHROPY, among phyficians, denotes the ftate or diforder, wherein a perfon has an unnatural difrelifh for mirth and fociety, and indulges folitude, and melancholy. Vid. JVedel. Pathol. Dogm. Sect. 3. c 9.

APHIOCEM, a cornpofition made principally of the buds of

. hemp before they flower. It is much in ufe among the Arabs, and has the intoxicating quality of opium. Pocsck's Egypt, p. i8r.

APHLASTUM, Apixrw, in the antient navigation, a wooden ornament, fhaped like a plume of feathers, fattened on the goofe's or fwan's neck ufed by the antient Greeks in the heads of their ihips. Aquin. Lex. Milit. T. J, p. 56. The Aphiajlum had much the fame office and effect in a fhip, that the crdt had on the helmet. It feems alfo to have had this further ufe, viz, by the waving of a party-coloured rib- band fattened to it, to indicate from what quarter the wind blew.

The Aphiajlum was the proper ornament of die head, as the Acrojloiium was of the ftern. '- j

A P H

The Greek Apbhjlum, anfwercd to, and was probably the origin of the Latin AphiJIre.

APHORISM, Apejwp©-, {Cycl.) is ufed in ecclcfiaftical writers for the Idler excommunication, by which the delinquent was cut off from the benefit of the facraments and the prayers of the faithful ; but allowed to bear a part in the red of the fervice. V. B'mib. Orig. Ecclcf. 1. 16. c. 2. §. 7. feq.

Aphorism is alfo ufed for a kind of figure in rhetoric, whereby fomething that has bced faid is limited or corrected. This is otherwife called Diorifmus. Mieral. Lex. Phil. p. 145.

APHORISTIC, fomething rel.iting to or partaking of the na- ture of aphorifms.

The Apborijlic method ftands contrailiftinguiihed to the fyf- tematic, or methodical, as alfo to the diexodic, or difcurfive way. The Aphorijlh method has great advantages, as containing much matter in a fmall compai's ; fentiments are here almolt as numerous as expreflions ; and docilities maybe counted by phrafes. Every thing is clofe and pertinent, no room for ufe- lefs difcuffiuns, or for languishing connections, and tranfitions; there is hardly a word to be loft. V. Bac. de Augm. Scient. 1. 6. c. 2. Jour, des Sc'av. T. 79. p. 362.

APHRACTI, Ap e **1ii, in the antient military art, denotes open veflels, without decks or hatches, furnifhed only at head and ftern with crofs planks, whereon the men Itood to fight. Kenn. Rom. Ant. Not. P. 2. I. 4. c. 2C. Pitifc. Lex. Ant. T. r. p. 121.

The Apbrcifii, or open vcfl'els, flood contradiltinguifhed from catapbracli, or covered ones,

APHRODISIA, AQftbtria, in antiquity, feftivals in honour of the goddefs AffnSUti, or Venus. — There were feveral of thefe Apbrodifia obferved in divers parts of Gnece ; the moft remarkable was that at Cyprus, firft inftitutcd by Cinyras, out of whofe family certain priefts of Venus were elected, and for that reafon named E»vg«&«. At this folemnity feve- ral myfterious rites were pracWcd : all who were initiated to them offered a piece of money to Venus as an harlot, and re- ceived as a token of the goddefs's favour a meafure of fait, and a ?*uw ; the former becaufe fait is a concretion of fea- water, to which Venus was thought to owe her birth ; the latter becaufe fhe was the goddefs of wantonnefs. Pott. Archaeol. Grasc. 1. 2. c. 20. T. I. p- 372. feq.

Aphrodisia, or Aphrodisiasmus, in medicine, denotes the ufe of venery, or the act of copulation between male and female. Brun. Lex. Med. in voc.

Aphrodisia is alfo ufed for the age of venery, more frequently denomineted puberty. Rul. Lex. Alch. in voc.

APHRODISIACS, in pharmacy, denote medicines proper to increafe the feed, and promote luft, or an inclination to venery.

In which fenfe Aphrodifucs Hand contradiftinguifhed from An- teipbrodifiacs.

It is difputcd whither the ufe of Apbradifum be lawful for a Chriftian, the rigid cafuifts ahfulutcly repeal them". The more moderate allow of them, where ufed for an honeft and laudable end, viz. the propagating the human fpecies b . — [' Junck. Confpeft. Therap. Tab. 18. p. 472. " Voter. Phyf. Exper. App. c. 1. q. 4.]

Some authors give the appellation Apbrcdifiaca, to the epilepfy. See Epilepsy, Cycl. APRODISIACE, in the writing of the antients, a name given to a gem, fuppofed, according to the idle traditions of thofe times, to have a power of procuring love to the perfon who wore it about him ; all the defcription we have of it is, that it was of a pale flefl) colour ; but the ftone as well as its vir- tues are wholly unknown to the world at prefent. APHRODISIUS, in chronology, denotes the eleventh month in the Bythinian year, commencing on the 25th July in ours. Wolf. Elem. Chron. §. 120. APHRODIT ARIUM, in the antient pharmacy, denotes a kind of dry medicine, compounded of frankincence, the fcales of copper, cerufs, ftarch, and pomegranates, mixed in equal quan- tities. Mginet. 1. 4. c. 40. Gorr. Def. Med. in voc. The name is alfo given to a kind of collyrium, mentioned by Galen. De Compof. Medic. 1. 4. APHRODITES, in natural hiftory, a name given by fome au- thors to the fineft fpecies of amethyft.

The antients had a way of diftinguifhing what they allowed to be gems, into feveral kinds, according to theirdegrees of colour : thefe they called fo many fpecies, and gave to each its peculiar name. This has been the occafion of no little confufion among the writers on thefe fubjefls, by feemingly enlarging the number of the gems. The psederos and gemma veneris of the antients are the fame ftone with this, tho' many have applied thefe names to the opal. APHROGALA, in the antient phyfic, denotes a kind of whipt cream, or milk agitated till it be converted wholly into froth. Brun, Lex. Med. p. 103.

The Aphrogala is direded by Galen, as proper againft hot diforders of the ftomach. Method. Medend. 1. 7. c. 4. APHROLITRUM, in the antient phyfic, denotes the fpume, or froth of Strum.

In which fenfe, Jphrolitrum feems to amount to the fame with Apbronilrum. Hoffman affirms that the nitron and litron. only differ in dialefl ". It appears, however, there was a

great