Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Supplement, Volume 1.djvu/215

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to powder a few ounces of the pureft nitre, and put it into a deep crucible; put it into a wind furnace, and add gradually hot coals about it, but let them be fuch as have done crackling, otherwife the veflel may burft. The coals muft only reach up to the middle of the crucible, and it muft be covered, to prevent any thing from falling into it, when the nitre is melted, and is moderately red, add to it the powder of a fine white piece of cryftalline Arfenic, a noify ebullition is immediately made, and the nitre fwells up, foams, and would run over the top of the veflel, if not very large and wide ; an arfenical fume is at firft emitted, having the fmell of garlic, and after this the fmell of aqua-fortis. If the vapour of this mixture be faved in diftillation, it is much the fame with the penetrating fpirit of nitre; but it is a very dangerous procefs, for the veflels ufually burft in the operation. In this experi- ment great care muft be ufed, that the Arfenic be perfcety pure and clean, for the minuteft animal or vegetable fibre, even fo much as the fplinter of a box the Arfenic may have been kept in, or any thing of that kind, will make a very impetuous and violent deflagration with nitre melted and red hot. Cramer's Art of Allaying.

Arfenic is attracted with a different force by different metals, and attracts them reciprocally ; of all metals, it abforbs iron moft greedily; after this copper, tin, lead, and fdver, in this order of fucceflion ; therefore, all metals may be freed from the foulnefs of Arfenic by iron. The fcorise may be ufed for this purpofe in fulion, in an open fire ; for though they do not produce this effect as fcoriae, yet here being reduced to iron again, they act in the fame manner as if pure iron had been put in.

This poifonous mineral, though not found native in its perfect form, but buried in ores of various kinds, yet is capable of being feparated, and raifed out of that ore, by the vapours continually paffing through the earth ; and, in this cafe, is carried up into the air, and occaftons many of the epidemical and fatal difeafes, to which the countries, where minerals abound under the earth, are fubject. Cattle, whofe nofes are kept nearer the ground than the human organs of refpiration, are fooner and more violently affected by thefe exhalations, which are often too heavy to affect any thing much above the furface, not rifmg high up into the air, but falling almoft im- mediately down on the furface again, and there deftroying the herbage, and occafioning that barrennefs which is better known than underftood in all the mine countries. When thefe poifonous exhalations are thus heavy, they are of no great hurt to man, but when they are lighter and more fubtle, though they are necefTarily lefs ftrong, yet, being carried up to his mouth and nofe, they are fuffirient to affect with the moft terrible fymptoms. Delafont does not fcruple to attri- bute the plague itfelf to the air's being infected with thefe arfenical exhalations, entering the human body, either by the pores, or by refpiration, or both. If they are taken in only by the breath, they affect the lungs and brain principally ; but if they enter by the pores, they attack all parts at once, and there operate not by coagulation, as Willis fuppofes, but by corrofion, proceeding from a faline and acrid quality, with which we know the fumes of Arfenic to be endued. Many of the bodies of thofe who have died of the plague, have been found, on opening, to have the lungs and ftomach affected, exactly in the fame manner as in perfons who die by fwallow- ing Arfenic ; the lungs inflamed, and the inner coat of the fto- mach eroded, and often black and corrupted. The origin of many other epidemical difeafes, as well as that of the plague, may be referred to the fame caufe ; and the difeafes may be varied according to the varying of the fumes which occafion them, which may be fometimes plainly and Amply arfenical, fometimes mixed of arfenical, fulphureous, faline, mercurial, and the like ; and thefe may not equally affect all perfons, but may fpare thofe whofe bodies are in a more temperate irate, and only affect thofe who are full of blood, who have obftructions, or perturbations of the humours, or who are of depraved conftitutions. Delafont* & Differ t. Medic, de Pefte. The general opinion of the contagioufnefs of the plague, and other epidemical difeafes, is carried much too far ; doubtlefs many perfons, in the time of a general vifitation of a country with fuch a difeafe, do take it by infection; but thefe are but a fmall part of the number of the fick, a thoufand being af- fected with it from the peftilential nature of the air ; that Is, a thoufand have it primarily, for ten who have it by infection from other fick perfons. It is obferved, that many who are continually converfant among the fick in thefe difeafes, yet efcape it wholly ; and there is fo much in the tempera- ment of the body, neceffary for receiving the difeafe, that it is a queftion whether any thing be to be allowed for the effect of the contagioufnefs of the difeafe ; the perfons who catch it by this means, muft firft be in a ftate of body proper to receive it, and fuch will receive it without. the affiftance of contagion, from the mere arfenical or other poifonous ftate of the air. Jielafont de'Pefte.

Arfenic, though a virulent poifon, has been introduced into medicine. Mr. Boyle mentions a balfam made of it, with nitre and fpirit of wine, or vinegar, as efficacious in the cure of venereal ulcers. See his Works, vol. I, p. 57, 501.

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Dr. Cheyne mentions pills made of Arfenic, as ufed for the cure of obftinate quartans. Cheyne, Nat. Method of curinB: dileafes. s

ARSENOQUITA, from the Greek Ap«»M«lnr, in middle-age writers, a fodomite, or one who practices male venery. Ratherius Veroneflus complains in his days, the clergy were fo univerfally corrupt, that there was not one but was either an adulterer or an Arfenoauite. Quam perdita Tonfuratorum univeriitas tota, fi nemo in eis qui non aut Adulter aut fit Arjermuha, Du Cange, Gloff. Lat. T. 1. p. 242.

ARSEPEDONAP1VE, A fWl Wb,, in antiquity, a name given by iome to the Egyptian pric-fts, or doftors. Eufeb. de Pnepar. Evang. N. 4. p. 472. R e i?nman, Ant. Liter.

/Egypt- §■ 1.

ARSMAR T, in the botanic pharmacy, a medicinal plant, of a hot, pungent, penetrative tafte, whence it is alfo called Hydropiper, or water-pepper. Botanifts call this plant Perfi- carta, and fometimes Perficaria non maculofa, by way of di- stinction from another fpecies of that plant called Perficaria mitts, or Maculofa. See Persicaria. Arfmart, by its heat and pungency, becomes almoft intole- rable to the tongue ; and hence it obtains in fcorbutic, hypo- chondriac, and other diforders, arifmg from a fluggifh circu- lation of the fluids.

Several value its diftilled water for its efficacy in the ftone in the kidneys or bladder. Some alfo ufe the plant in external appli- cations, particularly to diffipate bruifed blood ; others for the toothach, &c. Boyle's Works abr. T. 1. p. 46. J unci. . Confp. Therap. tab. 16. p. 439. £>uinc. Pharm. P. 2. n. 331. Lemer. Treat, des Drog. p. 647.

ARSURA, in ancient cuftoms, a term ufed for the melting of gold or filvcr, either to refine them, or examine their value. Spelm. Gloff. .45. b.

The method of doing this is explained at large in the black book of the exchequer, afcribed to Gervaife in the chapter de Officio Militis Argentarii, being in thofe days of great ufe, on account of the various places, and different manners in which the king's money was paid.

Arsura is alfo ufed for the lofs or diminution of the metal in the trial. In this fenfe, a pound was hid tot orders Denarios, to lofe fo many pennyweights.

Arsura is alfo ufed for the duft and fweepings of filverfmiths, and others, who work in filver melted down. Du Cange % GlofT. Lat. T. 1. p 343,

Arsura is alfo ufed, in (bme writers, for the difeafe called Eryfipelas, or Ignis Saccr. Du Cange, loc. cit. See Ery- sipelas, CycL and Suppl.

ART and PART, in the law of Scotland, is ufed for being an accomplice of a crime, either by aiding oradvifing. The facts inferring Art and Part need not be particularly laid in the libel or indictment, for thefe general words, as terms of ftated fignification, are fufficient. Yet thefe facts may be fet forth, and it is proper fo to do, if the profecutor choofes to confide in the court rather than in the jury. V. Macken%. Crim. Law.

Alfo in the criminal letters, the perfons of the accomplices muft be defcribed by proper names and defignations. One may be Art and Part, i°. By giving counfel to perpe- trate, without diftinction, whether the crime would* have been committed without fuch counfel or not. This being what can never be perfectly known. But it is to be obferved, that in the more atrocious crimes, he that gives counfel is equally punifhed as him that commits them ; but in the lefs atro- cious lefs feverely. And fometimes reafons of mitigation are taken from the age, the manner of advifing, &c. 2°. By aid and afliftance, and that either previous, or conco- mitant, or fubfequent, to the commiflion of the crime. The firft rarely comes up to Art and Part, unlefs very particularly qualified ; the fecond commonly does, and it is eafily known, if it does not ; the third never, and hardly deferves the name, unlefs it be in providing for the criminal's efcape. But any of the three make Art and Part, if the perpetration was preme- ditated,

3 . By a clear and explicit mandate to commit the crime, or to do fomewhat unlawful in itfelf, which with great probabi- lity might produce it, if executed by the hand of the manda- tory, and not that of another.

ARTABA, Agl«£j), an antient meafure of capacity ufed by the Perfians, Medes, and Egyptians.

The Perfian Artaba is reprefented by Herodotus as bigger than the Attic medimnus by three Attic chcenixes ; from which it appears, that it was equal to 6 ^ Roman modii ; confequently that it contained 166 § Pounds of wine or water; or 126 § pounds of wheat. Bcverin, de Pond. & Men f. P. 2. p. 1 25. The Egyptian Artaba contained five Roman modii, and fell fhort of the Attic medimnus by one modius ; confequently held 133 \ pounds of water or wine, 1 00 pounds of wheat, or 60 of flour.

The Babylonians allowed their god Belus twelve Artabas of fine flour for his daily fuftenance ; which will amount to 60 Roman modii,. and confequently 720 pounds of flour.

The Median Artaba was of the fame content with the Attic

medimnus,

3