Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Supplement, Volume 2.djvu/315

 PUB

PUG

form a cure, fuch as burnt alum, vitriol, taV. mixed into a powder with fugar ; or a folution of half a fcruple of white vitriol in two ounces of celandine or other water. If thefe methods prove ineffectual, the afliftance of a furgcon muft be called in; who feating the patient before him, with his head bent backwards upon his lap, while an aflift- ant holds open the eyelids, takes bold of the thickeft or loofeft part of the pellicle with a hook, and elevating it a little, partes a threaded needle through it ; and taking hold of both ends of the thread, makes a gentle elevation of it ; then feparates its upper and lower margin with a lancet, that he may afterwards cut off the reft immediately in a ftrait line near the lachrymal caruncle, with a ftrait and fine pair of fciffars ; then he draws back the thread and membrane towards the cornea, and if it adheres any where to the eye, frees it by degrees with the fcalpell, or fciffars, not wounding the cor- nea, nor leaving any of the membrane behind to give rife to a new production of it. Heijiers Surg. p. 420.

PTERYGOlDiEUSmtf/V (Cycl]— This mufcle lies on the in- fide of the lower jaw, almoft in the fame manner that the mafleter does on the outfide, and is of the fame figure with that mufcle, only fmaller and narrower.

It is fixed above chiefly to the infide of the external ala of the apophyfis ptcrygoides. This infertion is wholly flefhy, and from hence it runs down obliquely toward the'angle of the lower jaw, and is inferted a little tendinous in the inequali- ties on the infide thereof, oppofite to the infertion of the maf- feter. Winjlovf?, Anat. p. 253.

pTERYGolD-ffiUS minor, an oblong fmall flefhy mufcle, fituated almoft horizontally between the outfide of the apophyfis ptery- goides, and the condyloide apophyfis of the lower jaw, the fubject being confidered in an erect pofture. It is fixed by one extremity to the outfide and edge of the outer ala of the pterygoide apophyfis, filling the foflula which is at the bafis of this apophyfis, near the bafis of the temporal apophyfis of the fphenoidal bone ; from thence it runs back- ward and a little outward into the void fpace between the two apophyfes of the lower jaw, and is inferted anteriorly in the condyloide apophyfis, at a fmall foffula immediately under the angle of the inner condyle. It is alfo fixed to the capfular ligament of the joint. Win/low's Anat. p. 253.

PTOSIS, a diftemperature of the eyelids, occafioned by a relax- ation or tumor of thofe parts, the fame as the phalangofis. He'tjlerh Surg p. 367. See Phalangosis.

PTYALAGOGA, a word ufed by phyficians to exprefs fuch medicines as promote a copious difcharge of the faliva, fuch as pellitory-root and the like.

PTYSMA, a word ufed to exprefs whatever is brought up from the lungs by fpitting.

PTYSMAGQGA, medicines which promote a copious difcharge by fpitting.

PUBERTY (Cycl)— Dr. Kramer obferves, that all boys at the time of puberty, between twelve and fourteen years of age, complain of uneafinefs at their breafts, which are fwelled and itchy, the nipples and areola? round them inflaming with pain, and fometimes excoriation and exulceration of forne of the lacti- ferous ducts. The beft remedy for which, he fays, is to prefs out the white ferum then contained in them, after which they cure with a bit of plaifter. Comrnerc. Norimb. 1735 Hebd. 30. feet. 2.

By the law of Scotland, perfons under puberty, or under the years of dlfcretion, are capable of committing the higher crimes, which being contrary to the law of nature, are ob- vious. But they are not chargeable with fmaller offences arifing from pofitive law or ftatute.

PUBIS (CycL)-The os pubis is the leaft of the three portions of the offa innominata; the two together form the forepart of the pelvis, and anatomifts diftinguifh in each, the body, the angle, and the branch.

The body of the os pubis is its upper part, fituated tranfverfely before the -inferior part of the os ilium. Its pofterior extre- mity is very thick, and by its union with the offa ilium forms the oblique eminence which diftinguifties thefe two portions of the oflannominata. It likewife contributes to the formation of the cotyloide cavity. Jts anterior extremity ends in a fmall eminence, or tuberofity, called the fpine of the os pubis, which is fometimes double. The upper edge has on its inner part an oblique ridge, which may be called the crifla of the os pubis, and is continuous with that ridge which diftinguifties the mar- gin and the bottom of the pelvis. Before this crifta is a broad, oblong, and oblique Hope. The lower edge is oblique- ly notched, and forms the upper part of the foramen ovale. The angle of the os pubis is its anterior portion, and makes ^art of that connexion called the fympbyfis of the ojfa pubis. This portion is flat, and not very thick ; and in fome fubjects toward the upper part of the fore-fide, near the angular cur- vature, it has an eminence, which increafes thefize and extent of the fpine already mentioned. The two ojja pubis cennect- «d together by this portion, form, on the forefide, an unequal convexity ; but on the backfide a pretty even concavity. The branch of the os pubis is a flat thin apophyfis, which run- ning downwards, unites with the branch of the os ifchium by I a cartilaginous fymphyfisj of which, however, there remain only fome light marks in adults. It compleats the formation; bupPL. Vol. II.

of the foramen ovale. The branches of the two ofa pubis form, on the forefide, a pointed arch j which, however, in a natural ftate, is much more round than in a dried ikeletdn. Wmjlovj's. Anatomy, p. 71.

PUCliLAGE, (Cycl.) in natural hiftory, a name by which fome authors among the French have called the porccllane-fhells. See the article Purcellana.

PUCERON, the name given by naturalifts to a fmall infect of a peculiar nature frequently found on the young branches of trees and plants, and that often in fuch dufters as wholly to cover them. See Tab. of Infects.

The puceron is a fmall animal, but very numerous in the feve- ral genera and fpecies j infomuch, that Reaumur has obferved! that there is fcarce a vegetable to be found, either in the fields or gardens, that has not its peculiar fpecies of puceron to feed on its juices. Mr. De la Hire, of the Paris academy, has left many curious particulars in regard to thefe animals in the me- moirs of the year 1 703 ; and Mr.Lewenhoek, and others fince, have given figures and defcriptions of feveral of the fpecies. Pucerons are all viviparous animals, and that after a very fin- gular mariner. It is to be obferved, that the name is fcarce more expreflive of the creature, than fome of the others given of late to infects ; that of the polype to a creature which has no legs or feet at all, is very improper ; and that of the puce- ?on hardly lefs fo, as it would naturally lead us to imagine, that^the creature thus called was able to hop like a flea, where- as, in reality, it is very flow in its motioris } and feldom (o much as walks.

T hefe creatures have fix legs, which are extremely fmall and. flender ; and which, when the animal is at its full growth, are loaded with a weight fo large, that they feem fcarce able to fupport it. Some of the fpecies arrive at a tolerable bignefs for common obfervation ; but the greater number are too fmall to be accurately feen without the afliftance of glaffes. Among thefe infects there are great numbers that in their full perfection have wings, and become a fort of little flies : thefe are diftinguifhed from the others by the name of dated pucerons. Reaumur's Hift, Inf. Vol. VI. p. 9. Thofe fpecies which never become winged, have nothing of the appearance of the caterpillar kind ; having not long, but fhort bodies, and much refembling flies wbofe wings had been taken off. All the fpecies have antennze or horns j but thefe in the feveral kinds are very different from one another, fome being very fhort, and others as remarkably long: and of thefe laft kinds, fome carry them ftrait before the head, as is the ufual cuftorn, and others carry them laid along over their backs ; in fome of thefe the horns are longer than the body. But befide thefe antenna?, the greater number of thefe crea- tures have two other horns or fpines placed in a very fingular manner behind them, near the tail. They are placed at fome diftance at their origin, but they become more diftant as they go out from the body. Thefe are much thicker and much fJhorter than the antenna: ; and there are among the various kinds of them, fome which actually want them, and others which appear to want them, tho' they have them in reality ; and others have in the places of them certain round fpots, which ftand juft where they fhould, and feem deftined to per- form their functions.

The feveral kinds of pucerons differ greatly in colour. The greater number of them are green ; but many are brown, fome yellow, and fome are black. In Auguft the rofe-trees afford a vaft number of them of a pale red, and fome exactly of the colour of the damafk rofe ; in fome other months of the year we find green ones on the rofe-trees. The fycamore and feveral other plants afford green ones in the fummer,- and red ones in November ; and there feems no doubt, but that thefe are the fame individual animals which change cctour, the leaves and juices of the plants being not capable of afford- ing them the fame fort of nourishment at fome times that they do at others. Some of them alfo are of a dufky colour, and others bright and fliining, as if varniihed over. Thofe of the willow, of the poppy, and fome other plants, are of a cloth- like appearance, and fome refemble velvet ; others, as thofe of the apricot, and of the catch-fly, are fhining as if covered with the fineft lacquer. Some appear of the colour of browfe metal, when it has its higheft polifli } fuch are thofe of the tanfy, and fome other plants. The largeft kind are found on the oak and other trees. The goofeberry bufh affords a fpecies that are of the colour of mother of pearl ; and in general, the fkin or covering of thofe fpecies which are thus bright and fhining, is much harder and firmer than that of the others. The more ufual fpecies are all over of one colour, but there are fome others which are fpotred ; that of the common worm- wood is prettily fpeckled with black and brown ; thofe of the forrel are green in the middle, and black at each extremity ; and there are feveral others, as of the willow, C3*c. that are variegated with thefe two colours.

It is not certain, however, that all the fpecies are peculiar to the plants that they are found upon ; for it has been obferved, that when a plant of the common wormwood has been full of them, by fome accident they have all left it to fix themfelves upon plants in the neighbourhood, which had juices of a lefs difagreeable tafte. Thefe creatures always live in companies ; wc never find them fingly on plants, and very feldom other- 3 F f wife