Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Supplement, Volume 2.djvu/183

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piftil, which finally becomes a clypeiform or fhield-Iifce fruit, containing a roundifh ftone, divided into three cells, in which there are three roundifh kernels. Town. Lift. p. 616. There is only one known fpecies of the paliurus, which is the common Chrijl-thom.

PALLAS, in aftronomy, a name given by fome to the firft. fa- tellite of Jupiter. Lowtborph Abr. Phil. Tranf. Vol. I. p. 407,

PALL AX, a name given by fome of the affected chemical wri- ters to an imaginary factitious ftone, compofed of the heaven and earth, of the moon or fitver, with an equal weight of the fu« or gold- This is their own explication of it.

PALLET (Cycl.)— Pallet, in fhip- building, is a room with- in the hold, clofely parted from it, in which, by laying fome pigs of lead, &c. a (hip may be fufficicntly ballafted, without lofmg room in the hold ; which, therefore, will ferve for flowing the more goods.

PALLIUM (Cyd.)~ -PALLiUM'ducate, in natural hiftory, a name given by writers on (hells to a kind of petlen or fcallop, of a large fize and beau'iful appearance, tho' fimple colour: there are two fpecies of this, a red and a yellow one. See the article Pecten.

Failiv M-purpurcttm, a name given by Bafil Valentine, and others of the affected writers in chemiflry, to a powder of a purple colour, prepared from gold. It is made by preparing an amalgama of gold and mercury, and after the mercury is driven off by the retort, the remaining matter is mixed with fulphur, and calcined by a well regulated fire till reduced to a purple powder. This is called alfo the filar powder? and has, like the other preparations of this metal, many imaginary vir- tues afcribed to it.

PALMETTO-rcjw/, a name given by Ligon to a tree of the palm kind. Its trunk is very tall and (freight, and hollowed regularly in the center ; yet fo tough, that it is never blown down, nor deftroyed by ftorms. It is recommended for the making long telefcopes for celeftial obfervations.

PALM (CycL)— The famous cabbage tree of Barbadoes is a kind of pahn: it grows £0 the height of three hundred feet, and tho' the fprouts of one year's growth are fo tender, that they are eaten as cabages, yet the tree itfelf is one of the mod: durable woods we are acquainted with, and will not rot on any account, but is fo firm, that it is fcarce poflible to make a nail enter it. Phil. Tranf. N. 36.

FALM-tree. The feveral fpecies of this tree maybe all raifed with us from the feeds, which muff be fown in pots of light earth, and plunged into a bark hot-bed. When the young plants come up, they muft be tranfplanted into finglepots, and preferved in the ftove. The foil th y fucceed beft in is made of one third pafture land, one third fea fand, and the other third rotten tanner's bark, or rotten horfc-dung ; and they mud be planted in pots, in proportion to their fize, but thefe thould not be too large. They will require to be re- moved once a year, but this muft be done with great care. Miller's Gard. Did.

PALMARIS cutaneus, a mufcle commonly known by the name of the pahnarh hrevis. It is a fmall thin plane of flefhy fibres, fituated tranfverfely, or more or lefs obliquely, under the (kin of the large eminence in the palm of the hand, between the carpus and the little finger ; its fibres adhering to the (kin, and being in fome meafure interwoven with the mem- brana adipofa. Thefe fibres are fixed along the edge of the apenewofes palmaris, from the large ligament of the carpus to- ward the little finger : and they run in for fome (pace on the plane of the aponeurofis, but without any connection with the bones of the metacarpus. Near the apmeurofis thefe fibres are more or lefs tendinous, and fome of them often crofs each other. They are fometimes fo thin and pale, as hardly to be lenfible; and in fome fubje&s the mufcle feems to be divided into feveral parts. IVi/flow's Anatomy, p. 193,

■ It is a doubt with fome authors whether the palmaris cutancus or hrevis be a diftinft mufcle. Fallopius calls it, caro qua-darn qua musculorum effigicm habet ; a portion of flefli which has the appearance of a mufcle. And Douglafs calls it, caro quadrate \ a fquare portion of flefh : tho' he adds the name palmaris he- wh given it, on its fuppofitionof being a mufcle, by another author.

PALMATED-raorj, are tuberofe-roots of a fiattifh (hape, and divided into feveral oblong and (lender branches, refembling fo many fingers. Of this fort are the roots of fome of the orchis kind, called hence palmated.

Palmated-/<w/", among botanifts. SeeLEAF.

Palmated-/?^, palmati- lapides, in natural hiftory, a name given by the antients to a fort of ftones which were always found of the (hape of a hand with its fingers. They were fre- quent in Spain, and fome which were found of a fine black were reputed to be a kind of marble. The greater num- ber were white, and were compofed of the matter of one of the fofter and lefs beautiful quarry -ftones.

PALMIPEDES, web-footed, in zoology, the name of a genus of birds living about waters, and fur mined by nature with feet for fwimminc. The general characters of thefe birds are thefe: they have all fhort legs, excepting only three, the flamingo, corrira, and avofetta, which are angular and of a Suppl. Vol. II.

PAL

peculiar genus. Their thighs are feathered to the joint ; their hinder toes, if any, arefliort; ; their rumps are lefs prominent than in other birds ; and they have in general broad beaks, and have an appendage on the extremity of their upper chap. Kays ornithology, p. 24.1.

PALMIPES, among the Romans, a long meafure, containing a foot and a palm, or five palms ; and was lefs than the cubit by one palm. Pitifc. in voc.

PALMITES, in botany, a name given by fome authors to the palma humilis, or dwarf palm, called by others chamecrops. Gen. Herb. 1335.

PALPjEBRA (Cytl.) — Palpebrje fuperiiris primus, in ana- tomy, a name given by Cofferius and fome others to one of the mufcles of the face, whofe office it is to lift up the upper eye-lid, and by that means open the eye : it is hence called by Cowper and Douglafs, aperiens palfeiram ; by fome, aperiens ocutum ; and by Albinus, the levator palpebra fuperioris. See Aperiens, Cycl.

PALPITATION of the heart, (Cycl.) a term ufed by medical writers to exprefs a fpaftic contraction of the heart, when it leaps and beats violently at different intervals. This is fometimes idiopathic, or a difeafe in itfelf, and at- tendant on no other ; but that rarely happens, and it is ufually fymptomatic, and merely an attendant on other difordcrs. In general we are to diftin'guifh a palpitation of the heart thus confidered as a difeafe, or at leaft as a fymptom of one, from thofe commotions of the heart which we occafionally bring on by running or any other violent exercife, which throw the blood into commotions.

Signs of it. The evident and obvious fymptom of this com plaint, is the vehement pulfation of the heart againft the folid parts of the bread, which is often fo great, that it may be feen or even heard by the perfons who ftand by. To this there are ufually joined an anxiety of the prtscordia, which throws the perfon into a fweat, a languor and lafiitude of the limbs in general,^ a palenefs of the face, a difficulty of refpiration and cardialgia, with frequent faintings ; and finally, there is ufually a coftivenefs and flatulences of the abdomen attending on it.

Perfins fubjeS to it. It is a complaint that chiefly affects per- fons of fedentary lives, and of a plethoric habit of body Scor- butic, hyfteric, and hypochondriac perfons are alfo frequently fubject to it ; and fuch as have obftructions of the menfes. Thofe people who have been ufed to regular bleedings, and have afterwards neglected them, are alfo fubjeel: to this com- plaint; and thofe who are fubjeet to fudden paffions, and frequently fupprefs them. Sleeping in the open fields has alfo been known to bring it on ; and perfons of a melancho- lic habit are ufually more than others fubjeel; to it. Young women, whofe menfes have not appeared, or who have had them fuppreffed by fome accident, and in whom nature is la- bouring to bring them on again, are alfo very fubjeel: to vio- lent palpitations ; and fuch as have acute or intermittent fe- vers coming upon them. Perfons of plethoric habits are often feized with palpitations of the heart in their Deep, and when they wake they feel them for fome minutes afterwards. Finally, perfons who have polypufes of the heart are always grievoufly afflicted with palpitations attended with difficulties of breathing.

Caufes of it. Befides what has been already obferved, it is to be remarked, that the paffions of the mind very frequently occafion this diforder; thus, fudden terror, fear, a fuppreffion of anger, and the like, will at any time bring on a palpitation, without any other caufe. A high diet and eafe, with a feden- tary life, alfo often occafion them ; and in young people, not arrived at puberty, they are often found to be occafioned by worms in the intcfitines.

Prognollics in it. The beginnings of complaints of this kind, and (lighter cafes, when they continue fo, are attended with no great danger; but when the diforder grows into a habit, it is not only very troublefome, but very dangerous. When more caufes than one 'confpire to produce it, it is not only more violent, but the patient is more fubjeet alfo to rc- lapfes ; and in the end, inflammations, fpittings of blood, po- lypufes of the heart, and infarctions of the vifcera come on: not unfrequently alfo are left fevers, which become dangerous. Sometimes alfoconvulfions and other affections of a like kind, even palfies are brought on by theie diforders. Finally, when an habitual palpitation of the heart has been brought on bv terror alone, it always proves very difficult of cure, whatever means are ufed.

Method of cure. The prima? vis muff: be firft cleanfed by in- fufions of rhubarb and fena, and other gentle purges : after this it is proper to bleed in the foot ; but it is to be obferved, that if the orifice be not large, nor the blood taken away in fufficient quantity, it is of not the leaft effect in this cafe. After this the blood is to be attenuated by drinking plentifully of warm and weak liquors, and by moderate exercife. After this, fome of the gentle aiexipharmics are to be given, and the fpring juices ot brook-Lime, water-crefs, and the like. Finally, there are to be given fuch things as. promote an equal diftribution of the blood and humors : mixtutes of volatiles and alcalies, as of fpirit of hartfho.-n and tindure of fait of tartar, and gentle anodynes, if neceffary. Befides thefe, cly- fters will often do great good, as will alfo the frequent wafh- T C ins