Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Supplement, Volume 2.djvu/702

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Vfn mufic, is often ufed to mew that a piece is de- figned for the violin ; and VV, for two violi or more. 43} V. S. is an abbreviation for Volti Subito. See the •* article Volti Subito. v ACCA, in zoology, the female of the ox-kind. See the ar- ticles Bos and Ox. VACCARY, Vaccaria, in our old writers, a houfe or place to keep cows in ; a dairy-houfe, or cow-pafture. Flet. lib. 2 Blount, Coivel. VACCINIUM, in botany, a name by which fome authors have called the great bilberry, or vitis idaa magna of other wri- ters. Dale. Pharm. p. 294. VACUNALIA, among the Romans, a feftival kept in honour of the goddefs Lacuna.

It was celebrated in December by the country labourers, af- "ter the fruits were gathered in, and the lands tilled. Pitifc. Lex. Antiq. in voc. VADIATION, Vadiatio, in the civil law. See the article, Vadari^ Cycl.

VA-EMBU, in the materia medka, a name given by fome au- thors to the acorns Afiaticus, or Afiatic fweet flag. Hort. Malab. vol. 11. p. 99. VAGINA (Cycl.) — Vaginje Femoris Tenfor, in anatomy, a name given by Albinus to a mufcle of the thigh, called by others the niembranofus, and the rmtfculus fafcia lata ;• and by fome mufculus aponeuroticus. See the article Membra-

NOSUS.

VAGINANS Folium, among botanifts. See the article Leaf.

VAGUE Acid, a term much ufed by the modern chemifts, and fignifying a certain volatile fluid fait or acid,- fuppofed to be found every where m mines, and in combination with dif- ferent other fubftances, to form many of the ordinary eom - pound foflils.

This mixing with foflile oil,- petroleum, oleum terrse, or the like, probably conftitutes the various forts of native foflile tranfparent fulphurs ; uniting with femi-metals, it forms cin- nabar, antimony, and other foflils, both folid and fluid ; unit- ing with metals, it forms divers kinds of vitriols ; with calca- rious earths, different alums ; and laftly, with pyrites, which rs the matrix of vitriol, calcined rn a wood-fire, it produces common fulphur.

It may probably be held rrruch of the fame nature with that acid, which burning fulphur diffufes from its blue flame, fo fuffocating and fatal to all animals. Certainly the analyfis feems to intimate as much.- And hence this may probably be looked upon as a male fait, ferving to impregnate the fe- male (alts and earths. Boerbaavc, Chem. 112. There feems to be a certain vague fait or acid diffufed in all parts of the earth, which, when alone, is volatile; but when it has a body, or proper fubjecT. to adhere to, it becomes fixed. The idea of this fait we are at a lofs how to convey, other- "wife than by its effects ; it feems to come neareft the nature of fpiiitus fulphuris per campanam, and is difcovered in all ful- phur, in all vitriol, in all alum, in all nitre, in all foflile coal, and many other fubftances ; and is, perhaps, that pernicious fume or damp found in mines, and the fmoke which flies from' bituminous turf, and other the like bodies. It is looked upon as an indeterminate principle, diftributed through every part of the globe, both infide, and out. It is this acid that diflblves iron and copper near fome hot baths. It is this that, meeting with foflile oil, becomes coagulated, and is converted into fulphur ; that being received into the earthy part of the lapis calcarius, converts it into alum ; and infinuating itfelf into the fubftancc of iron, produces green vitriol; into that of copper blue vitriol.

This doctrine of a vague acid may feem a little hypothetical, till the actual feparate cxiftence of fuch an acid can be fhewn ; of which we do not know any clear infhinces. The argument for it ftands thus ; We find feveral mineral bodies that afford acids upon their analyfis; or appear to contain acids; and therefore nature makes ufe of thefe acids in the compofition of fuch mineral bodies ; But to render this argument condufive, the acids fhould be fhewn to exift in the earth, and instances he produced of nature's working in this manner, with the feve- ral fteps of the procefs. Inflead of this direct proof, we only find a prejudged theory in authors, fupported indeed by probable reafonings, and a plaufible folution of phenomena : But all this may poflibly be 110 more than a bare accommoda- tion to the mind. Shaw, Chem. 112.

VAL/Z/o, in the materia medica, a name ufed by fome authors . for a kind of lignum aloes, which it. brought from China,

and is very black, and fcented. Dale, Pharm. p. 44^-

VAISSEAUX Enjilez, a term ufed by the French writers in chemiftry, for thofe vefiels ufed in diftilling in an open fire, or in fand, which do not confift in the common way of a retort, joined immediately to a receiver, but have a receiver with a double opening, and a neck at each end, placed between the retort and the ordinary receiver. The neck of the retort is let into one of the necks of this middle veffel, and its other neck is rhruft into that of the receiver ; by this means the re- ceiver, into which the liquor is to fall, ftands at a greater di- ftance than it otherwife would from the fire, and the vapours are more eafily condenfed in it by its coolnefs, while they have alfoa double or treble fpace to expand: in, and by that means are not fo likely to burlt the veffels.

VALDIA, in botany, a name given by Plumier to a genus of plants, fmce called by Linnasus, ovieda. Plumier, Gen. 24. See the article Ovieda.

VALE of a Pump, at fea r a term for the trough by which the water runs from the pump along the fhip-fides, to the fcupper- holes,

VALERIAN, Valeriana, (Cycl.) in the Liunsean fyftem of botany, makes a diftinct genus of plants, taking in the vale- rianella of Tournefort, and the valerianoides of Vaillant. The characters of this genus are, that the cup fcarce deferves the name of one, and is only a fort of rim or foliaceous- edge, furrounding the germen. The flower confifts of a fingle petal, in form of a tube, prominent in its inferior part, and containing a honey juice, divided into five fegmems at the edge, all which are obtufe. The ftamina are three, or fewer, pointed, erect filaments, and of the fame length with the flower. The anthers are roundifh. The piltillum has its germen below the receptacle. The fryle is thread-like, and of the fame length with the ftamina ; and the ftigma is fomewhat thick. The fruit is a eapfule, that fplits and falls off. The feeds are fingle and oblong, Thefe are the characters of the genus ; but there is great variation among the different fpecies. Linncsi Gen. Plant, p. 8.

The characters of this genus, according to Tournefort,, are thefc : The flower confifts of one leaf, and is fhaped like a funnel, and divided into feveral fegments at the edge. This fiands upon a cup, which finally becomes an oblong feed, of a fiattifh form, and winged with down. The fpecies of Valerian, enumerated by Mr. Tournefort, are thefe : 1. The great Pyrenean Valerian, with the leaves of cacalia. 2. The fcentlefs Alpine Valerian, with undivided leaves, and a creeping root. 3. The middle marfh Valerian, with flighdy divided leaves. 4. The firft Alpine Valerian of Cafpar Bauhine. 5. The other Alpine Valerian, of the fame author. 6. The figwort-leaved Alpine Valerian. 7. The round ifli-leavcd mountain Valerian. 8. The Alpine Valerian, refembhng the Celtic Spikenard. 9. The cretic Valerian^ with the drop wort- root. 10. The Celtic Valerian, com- monly called Celtic fpikenard. 11. The common broad- leaved red Valerian. 12. The fmall narrow-leaved red fea- Valerian. 13. The common narrow-leaved red Valerian, 14. The great broad-leaved fea Valerian. 15. The fmall narrow-leaved, white-flowered fea Valerian. 16. The gar- den Valerian. 17. The great wild Vakrian. 18. The great wild Valerian, with lhining leaves. 19. The great marfh Valerian. 20. The fmaller marfh Valerian. 21. The little marfh Valerian, with a final! flower. 22. The little Alpine Valerian. 23. The annual Valeria??, with leaves like thofe of the calcitrapa. 24. The broad-leaved annual jagged Portugal Valerian. 'Tourn. Inft. 0*131.

The Valerians may be known, when not in flower, by their roots being fcented, and their leaves ahvavs {landing two at a ftaUc.

. The great garden Valerian is an alexipharmic, fiidorific, and diuretic. The root is the only part of it ufed in medicine; this is to be taken up in September, and carefully dried. It is then given in powder in afthmas, pleurifies, coughs, ob- ftructions of the liver and fpleen, and in the plague, and ail ma- lignant and petechial fevers. It is alfo recommended by fome as a vulnerary, and by others as one of the greateft medicines in the world for weaknefles of fight.

The wild Valerian root is'much more famous than this, but in. a different intention. It is of a ftrong diliigreeable fmell, and is given in nervous cafes with very great fuccefs. There are not wanting inftances of perfons cured of confirmed epilepfics by it. In ail convulfions it is a very fuccefsful medicine.

VALERIANELLA, in botany, the name of a genus of plants, the characters of which are thefe; The flower'confifts of one