Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Supplement, Volume 2.djvu/365

 REX

RETINACULUM, the name of a chirurgical inftniment ufed in caftration, and in the operation for a hernia, to prevent the interlines from falling into the fcrotum. RETORT (CycL)— The quantity of air rifing from fome fubftances is apt to burft glaffes in difrilling; Dr. Browne Langrim has therefore given us a new contrivance of ap- plying receivers to retorts, by which fuch accidents may be prevented. To his firil receiver he adapts a fecond, inferted into an opening at the top of the firft, in order to give more room to the rarefied and new generated air. To an opening, at the bottom of each of thefe receivers, he fixes a bottle, tied on clofe by means of a bladder, fo that they may be removed at any time, and another infrantly placed in their room ; by which means very little of the fteam will cfcape. He alfo ties on a bladder to an open- ing) or upper neck of the fecond recipient; and this bladder being much thinner and weaker than any of the glafles, will always give way firfr, and prevent their burfting. And even when there is the greateft danger of this accident, the imalleft pin hole made through the top of the bladder, as foon as the fumes begin to rife, will be fufficient to let out the air as faft as it is generated. See Philof. Tranf. N° 475. Se6t. 3. where we have a figure of the whole apparatus. See alfo Tab. of Chemiftry, N° 22, and 34.

RETREAT, (Cycl.) or Tattou, in the art of war, is a beat of the drum in the evening, at the firing of a piece called the warning piece, at which ihe drum-major, with all the drums of the battalion, except fuch as are upon duty, beais round the regiment ; the drums of the quarter guards, of the generals guards, and all other fmall guards, do like- wife beat j the trumpets at the fame time founding at the head of their refpe&ive troops. This is to warn the foldiers to forbear firing, and the Gentries to challenge, till break of day, that the reveille is beat. The retreat is likewife called fetting the watch.

RETTO moto, in the Italian mufic. See Moto.

RETURNS (Cycl.) — Returns of a mine, in the military art, are the turnings and windings of the gallery.

RETURNUM averiorum, a judicial writ, the fame with re- torno habendo. Reg. Judic. 4.

RETUSE leafy retufum folium, among botanifts. See the article Leaf.

RF,VE-land. The land which in Domefday is faid to have been thaneland, and afterwards converted into reveland, feems to be fuch lands as being reverted to the king after the death of his Thane, who had it for life, was not fince granted out to any by the king, but refted in charge upon the ac- count of the reve, or bailiff" of the manor, Spelm. Feuds, c. 24. Blount.

REVERSE, in the military art, fignifies on the back, or be- hind. Thus we fay, a reverfe view, a reverfe commanding ground, a reverfe battery 9 &c.

REVOLUTUM folium, among botanifts. See Leaf.

REUTELE, in zoology, a name ufed by fome for the umbla miner, or red charre, a fifh common in the lakes of Ger- many, and of the northern parts of England and Wales. The name is originally German. Willughbfs Hire. Pifc. p. 196. See Charre.

REWARDS. Military reward^ among the Athenians, confid- ed fometimes in crowns prefented to thofe that had merited them; on which their names and noble actions were inferibed. Some had leave granted them to erect, pillars or ftatues, in honour of fome god, with Infcriptions fetting forth their victories. This was a favour that was feldom granted; Cimon indeed was honoured with it, but Themiftocles could never obtain the like. Another honour conferred at Athens on the valiant, was to have their arms placed in the citadel, and to be called Cecropidts, or citizens of the true old blood. Others were prefented with a «7«^oirAi«, or Compleat fuit of armour. Songs of triumph were honorary compliments paid to fome. The children of thofe who were killed in battle were maintained at the public expence, till they came to maturity; at which time they were pre- fented before the affembly of the Athenian people with a Compleat fuit of armour, one of the public minifters pro- claiming before them, " that hitherto, in remembrance of M their fathers merits, the commonwealth had educated f thefe young men, but now difmified them fo armed, to " go forth and thank their country by imitating their fathers " examples."

Solon made a farther pro virion for the parents of thofe that died in the wars, it being extremely reafonable that they mould be maintained at the public expence, who had loft their children, the comfort and fupport of their declining age, in the fervice of the public.

As for thofe who were any wife difabled, they had an al- lowance from the public towards their maintenance. Potter, Tom. 2. p. 118, feq.

REWEY, a term among clothiers, fignifying cloth unevenly wrought, or full of rcwes, 43 Eliz. c. 10. Blount, Cowel.

KtX midlorum, in zoology, a name given by fome authors to a fpecies of mullet diftinguimed from all the others by its having a prominent belly, and having no beards under the mouth. Willughby's Hift. Pifc. p. 286. See the article Mull us tmberbis.

R H A

REY grafs. This is a hardy fort of graft, much efl-eerried among the farmers for that quality. It will grow on any land, and therefore produces crops where nothing elfe will. It thrives beft of all on fower, clayev, and weeping grounds, and equally endures the fevereft droughts of Cummer, and frofts of winter, fuffering no damage from either. It is the beft of all winter foods for cattle, the ihorter it is eaten the better, and it fprings the earlieft of any. There is no danger of overftocking it, for if it be left to grow too much, the ftalk becomes hard and fticky. It is 'bed for horfes and for flieep, and very much prevents the rotting of the latter. The beft way of lowing it is with clover. The common quantity of feed is two bufhels to an acre, but three bufhels is much better ; though in fome lands, where the clover is likely to fucceed very well, they fow eight pounds of clover feed, and one bufhel of rey feed to an acre, and this makes a crop that will laft feven or eight years. Some mow it as hay, and thrafh it for the feed, which about London fells from half a crown a bufhel to three millings. Four or five quarters of this feed will be fometimes produced from an acre of the grafs. If at any time a field of this grafs is found to grow thin, jt is only neceflary to ftreW on a bufhel of the feed, and roll it with a wooden roller, and the plants rifing from this addition will make the whole crop fufficiently thick. Rey grafs has this great advantage, that it kills weeds without any other fown plant ; even thirties cannot grow among it. When the rey grafs is cut for hay before perfeflly ripe, the hay is the better, but the feed will not grow fo well. When the feed is newly thrafhed, it muft not be laid too thick, for it is very apt to heat and ferment, and the whole will be fpoiled. Mortimer's Huf- bandry, p. 40.

RHABARBARUM, in botany, the name given to the plant of which rhubarb is the root, and which Mr. Tournefort makes to conftitutc of itfclf a peculiar genus, of which there is no other fpecies. The characters he delivers of the genus are thefe. The flower confifts of one leaf, formed into the fhape of a bell, and divided into feveral figments s from the bottom of this rifes a piftil, which ripens into a thick fruit, containing one large triangular feed, which is fo af- fixed to its triangular capfule as it ripens, that there is no feparating it from it. Town. Inft. p. 89.

RHABDOMANTIA, P.a.^,1,,., among the antients, a fpecies of divination performed with rods. Potter, Archseol. Graec. 1. 2. c. 16. Tom. I. p. 334.

RHABDONALEPSIS, p«ffl», AW*„4,«, among the Greeks,. the reception or elevation of the rod, a feftival kept every year in the ifland of Cos, at which the priefts carried a cy- prefs tree. Potter, Archseol. Gra=c. I. 2. c. 20. Tom. I. p. 429.

RHABDOPHORI, r*a?. C o,, among the Greeks, officers appointed to preferve peace and good order, and to correct the unruly at their public games. Potter, Archzol. Giec. Tom. I. p. 448.

RHABDUS, Pa£d\<, among the antients, the iron rod with which the boy rolled the trochus. See Trochus.

RHAGADIOLUS, in botany, the name of a genus of plants, the characters of which are thefe. The flower is compofed of a number of femiflofcuies ftanding on the em- bryo fruit, and each perforated in its bottom part by the capillament which arifes from that embryo. Thefe are all contained in one common cup, the feveral leaves of which afterwards become fo many pods, difpofed in the fotm of a liar, and containing long fhaped and pointed feeds. There is only one known fpecies of this plant, which is the ftarry headed hawkweed of authors, or the hawkweed with falcated feeds. Tourn. Inft. p. 479.

RHAGE, a word ufed by medical writers for a filTure or chap in any part. The ftones of grapes are alfo by fome called rhages j and by others the fame word is made to cxprefs the extremities of the fingers or toes.

RHAMNOIDES, a name given by Tournefort, and others, to a genus of plants, called by Linmeus hipfofbae. See the article Hippophae.

RHAMNUS, buckthorn, in botany, the name of a genus of plants, the characters of which are thefe. The flower is compofed of only one leaf, and is of the fhape of a funnel, and divided into four fegments at the edge. From the bot- tom of this there arife a number of ftamina furrounding a piftil, which finally becomes a foft and juicy berry, ufu- ally containing four callous feeds, gibbofe on one fide, and ■ flat on the other. The fpecies of rhammts, enumerated by Mr. Tournefort, are thefe. 1 . The common buckthorn. 2. The lefier buckthorn.

3. The fmaller buckthorn with oblong and narrow leaves.

4. The green flowered buckthorn with black berries. 5. The fmall Spanifh buckthorn with leaves like box. Thefe are called by fome authors lycimns. 6. The Spanifh buckthorn with larger box-like leaves. 7. The olive leaved Spanifh buckthorn. 8. Tile Spanifh buckthorn with Hypericum leaves. 9. The Spanifli buckthorn with the leaves and whole appear- ance of the ceratia, or ftllqua. 10. The capillaceous leaved Spanifli rock buckthofn. Town. Inft. p. 593.

RHAPSO-