Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Supplement, Volume 2.djvu/267

 PLY

PLUMlVIER's Mtbiqps. This medicine is compofed of the ful- phur auratum antimonii and calomel, commonly in equal parhj but tli is may be varied occafionally, according to the phyfician's difcretion. Thefe two powders muft be well le- vigated together, by which the bright red colour of the ful- phur is changed into a dufky brown. We refer to the Me- dical Effaysof Edinburgh, for the dofe, regimen to be ob- fcrved, and effects of this medicine; as alfo for the manner of preparing the fulphur of antimony according to Angelus Sala, which is faid to be preferable to the common method. See Med. Eff. Edinb. abridg Vol. I. p. 205. and feq. This medicine has been found greatly beneficial in cutaneous eruptions, in venereal infections, and in gleets remaining af- ter the cure of a gonorrhoea. It operates by carrying oft" the excrements of diftempers by infcniible perfpiration or fweat It has aifo been found fuccefsful in obftinate glandular fwell- iri^s See Med. EfT. abrid. ibid, and alfo Vol. II. p. 433.

PLUMMING, amongmincrs, a term ufed to exprefs the ufihg a mine dial, in order to know the exact place of the work where to fink down an air fhaft, or to bring an adit to the ■work, or to know which way the load inclines when any flexure happens in it.

It is performed in this manner: A fkilful perfon with an af- fiffant, and with pen, ink, and paper, and a long line and a fun dial, after his guefs of the place above ground defcends into the adit or work, and there fattens one end of the line to fome fixed thing in it, then the incited needle is let to reft, and the exacl: point where it rei'ls is marked with a pen : he then goes on farther in the line ftill fattened, and at the next flexure of the adit he makes a mark on the line by a knot or otherwife ; and then letting down the dial again, he there likewife notes down that point at which the needle ftands in this fecond pofition. In this manner he proceeds from turn- ing to turning, marking down the points, and marking the line till he comes to the intended place; this done, he afcends and begins to work on the furface of the earth, what he did in the adit, bringing the firft knot in the line to fuch a place where the mark (if the place of the needle will again aufwer its pointing, and continues this till he comes to the defired place above ground, which is certain to be perpendicularly over the part of the mine into which the air (haft is to be funk.

PLUMOSE anienncz, in natural hilrory, a term ufed to exprefs the antenna, or horns of certain moths and butterflies, which are formed in the manner of feathers, being compofed of a item and fibres, ifluing on each fide from it : thefe are jointed and moveable any way, and even the fmall fibres, at their fides, are jointed at their bottom, and are moveable, but they move all together. Reaumur's Hift. of Infetts. See the ar- ticle Fep.lers.

PLUNGE, in the manege. See the article Estrapade.

PLUMES, a writ that i flues in the third place after two for- mer writs have been difobeyed ; for firft goes out the original writ or capias, which if it has not effecr, then iffucs the alias; and if that alfo fails, then the phtries. Old Nat. Br.33. It is ufed in proceedings to outlawry, and in great diverfity of cafes. Tabl, Reg. iVrits. Blount, Cowel.

PLUVIALIS, in zoology, the name by which Latin authors call the plover, a bird of which there are two kinds, the green and the grey.

The green plover is fome what larger than the lapwing, and is all over, on the upper parts, of a blackifh colour, variegated with very numerous fpots of a yellowiih green ; its breaft is of a mixed brownifh and yellowifh green, and, its belly is white : this is very much efteemed at table. The grey plover is of the fame fize with the green, and is, on the upper parts, of a black colour, variegated with a pale greyifti green; and its breaft, belly, and thighs, are white. This is very common in Italy, as well as in England, and is efteemed nearly equal to the green at table. Ray's Ornitho- logy, p. 229.

Pluvialis major, in zoology, a name given by fome authors to the limofa, a bird in fome refpects refembling our redfbank, but larger and longer legg'd. Jldrovand. I. 20. c. 66. See the article Limosa. This bird is alfo called the glottis and totanas.

Pluvialis levis, in zoology, a name given by many to the common green wod-pecker, the picus viridis of authors, called alfo in Englifli the rain-fowl, from an obfervation of its al- ways being moil clamorous when rain is coming on. Rays Ornithology, p. 93.

PLYMOUTH marble, among our artificers, a term ufed for a fort of marble dug in great plenty about Plymouth, and in fome other p^rts of Devonshire, where it lies in very thick ftrata, and whence it is brought in large quantities to us ; and when wrought looks little Iefs beautiful than fome of the Ita- lian marbles.

It is very hard and firm, and of a beautiful texture ; its ground is a bluifli white, and its variegations are principally a pale red, and in fmaller quantities brown and yellow: thefe lie in very orderly beds, and often there is a very agreeable glow of a faint red diH'ufed thro' the whole fubftance. It is re- markably even in its whole ftructure, and is therefore capable of A more than ordinarily elegant polilh, Suppl. Vol. II.

P O fi

PLYNTERIA, «■*,,«, i„ antiquity, a feftival in honour of Aglaurus, the daughter of kin,; Cecrops, or rather of Mi- nerva, who had irom that lady the name of Aglaurus For the ceremon ies obferved at this folemnitv, fee Potter Archsol Graec. I. 2. c. 20. T. I. p. 425.

PNEUMATODES, a word ufed by Hippocrates to exprefs a perfon who fetches his breath fhort and quick; and fome times for one who has his belly or ilia much diftended by fltulencies. Pneimatias is alfo ufed in the fame double lenle.

PNEUMATOMPHALOS, a word ufed by Hippocrates to ex- prefs a perfon who has a windy or flatulent rupture of the navel.

itany, a name given by many bo-

PNEUMONANTHE, in bota. , ,

tanical writers to a fpecies of 'gmtiana, railed afro" by'fome the camman violet. See the article Gentiana.

PNEUMONICS, in medicine, a term ufed for fuch things as are good for the lungs.

PNIGITIS terra, in the materia medica of the antients, a name given at different periods of time, to two different fpecies of earth; the terra tmigith of Diofcorides and Pliny, being a ?rev marie, and the pmgitis of Galen a black clay. The laft of thefe is a very valuable aftringent, and is found in many parts of this kingdom, particularly in the neighbourhood ot London, and well deferves to be introduced into the praaice ofphyfic. Hill's Hift. of Foff. p. 35.

PNIGMOS, in medicine, any kind of fuffocation, from what- ever caufe; it is very often uf.d to exprefs that of hyfteric fits in women.

PNIX, a word ufed by phyficians to exprefs the fuffocation from hyfteric fits, or any other caufe.

POA, in the Linnaean fyftem of botany, the name of a dif tinfl genus of plants of the grafs kind, the chamBcrs of which are, That the calyx is a glume compofed of two valves con- taining feveral flowers difpofed in a two-rowed oval, br ob- long fpike; the valves oval and pointed, but without awns The flower is compofed of two oval and pointed valves ; thefe are hollowed, compreffed, a little longer than the va'lves of the cup, and without beards or awns; the ftamina are three capillary filaments ; the antherae are fplit at their ends - the germen of the piftillum is roundifli ; the ftyles are two' re- flex and hairy ; the fligmata are hairy alfo; the flower ad- heres clofely to the feed, and does not open to let it out ; the feed is fmgle, oblong, and pointed at both ends, and fome- what flatted. Linttai Genera Plant, p. 20.

POAKE-root, in Virginia, is ufed to denote the folanum bac- ciferum. The Indians ufe it for a purge, tho' commonly deemed a poifon. Phil. Tranf. N" 454. Sect. I.

POCHARD, in zoology, the name of a fpecies of wild duck called by fome the penelops and rethak, and by many in Ene- lifh the red-headed widgeon.

It is larger than the common widgeon, and is ftiorter and thicker bodied. The back and wings are grey, and beauti- fully variegated with grey and black ftreaks. The lower part of the neck, as alfo the rump, are black, but the whole head, and a great part of the neck, are reddifh ; the throat is white, variegated with yellow ; and the bread and belly fomewhat brown : but the great diftinflion of this bird from all the other ducks is, that the wings are all of the fame co- lour without variegation. Ray's Ornithol. p. 2S8.

POCKET (Cyel.)— Pocket, in the wool trade, a word ufed to exprefs a large fort of bag, in which wool is pack- ed up to be fent from one part of the kingdom to another. The pocht contains ufuaily twenty-five hundred weight of wool. °

Pocket infruments, in furgery, are fuch as a furgeon ou»hi always to have in readinefs, and may conveniently carry about him in a proper cafe : thefe are two' lancets of different fizes - the one proper to open abfeeffes, the other fmaller, for bleed- ing; a pair of ftrait fciffars, ufeful on many occafions ; a pair of crooked fciffars, proper to be ufed in dividing fiftula;, and in feveral other cafes ; a pair of forceps with teeth at one end, to remove dreffings, and upon occafion to extrad fplin- ters or thorns ; thefe are alfo ferviceable to the furgeon in his anatomical exercifes ; they are commonly made of ftcel, but thofe of filver are much neater; a razor; a ftrait incifion knife; a crooked incilion knife ; a ftrait double-edged incifion knife; a probe with one end broad and thin, proper for dip- covering a fiffure in the cranium, and of many other ufes • and the other end rounded, to examine the depth and fitua- tion of wounds and ulcers. The ncaleft probes are made of filver, tho' they are frequently made alfo of fteel, ivory or whalebone ; a grooved probe or director, to direct the ed»e of the knife or fciffars in opening finufes or fiftula: ; that by this means the fuhjacent veflels, nerves, and tendons, may remain unhurt. The upper end of this inftrument, fome- times, is ornamented, and ferves only for a handle ; fome- times it is made in form of a fpoon, to contain powder to fprinkle upon wounds or ulcers ; fometimes alfo this is made forked at the end, to divide the frasnum of the tonoue ; a fpatula to deprefs the tongue, in order to examine the ftate'of the tonfils, uvula, and fauces, when they are affeaed with any diforders ; it is alfo ufed to fufpend the tongue when the frsnum is to be divided ; for which purpofe it is to be made 2 R r with