Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Supplement, Volume 2.djvu/820

Rh for a genus of plants, described by Linnæus under that of arachis. See the article Arachis, Append.

ARACHIDNOIDES, in botany, the name used by some for a genus of plants called by Linnæus arachis. See the article Arachis, Append.

ARACHIS, in the Linnaean system of botany, the name of a genus of plants, the characters of which are these; the cup is a perianthium, divided into two parts; the flower consifss of three papilionaceous petals; the stamina are two subulated filaments, adhering at the base, and divided at the top; the antheræ are roundish; the gwrmen of the pistil is oblong; the style Tubulated, and of the length of the germen; and the stigma simple : the fruit is a pod of an oblong oval form, narrowest in the middle, with only one cell, containing two oblong gibbous seeds.

This genus comprehends the arachidna and aracbidnoides of other authors. Vid. Linnaei Gen. Plant, p. 361.

ARALIASTRUM, in botany, the name of a distinct genus of plants, otherwise called panax. See the article Panax,

ARBOR vine, a name used for some species of convolvulus, or bindweed. See the article Convolvulus, Suppl.

ARCHANGEL, m botany, a name given to the white lami- urn, or dead-nettle. See the article Lamium, Suppl.

ARCTOTHECA, in botany, the name used by Vaillant for the arctotis of Linnaeus, See the next article,

ARCTOTIS, in the Linnaean system of botany, the name of a genus of plants, the characters of which are these : the common cup is roundish and imbricated with squamæ; the composite flower is radiated; the proper hermaphrodite ones insundibuliform, with the limb divided into five segments; and the proper female ones ligulated and of a lanceolated shape; the tube is extremely short; the stamina are five very short capillary filaments; the antheræ are cylindric, of the length of the flower, and divided into five parts; the germen of the female flowers is ovato-quadragonal, villose, and coronated with very small squamae; the style is filiform; and the stigmata, which are two in number, oval, thick, and erect. There is no pericarpium, the cup serving instead of one. The feeds are Angle, villose, coronated with the leaves of their proper perianthium, and placed in a circle. The receptacle is plane, and somewhat hairy. Linnæai Gen. Plant, p. 420.

ARENÆjE, funds, in natural history. See the article Sand, Cycl. and Suppl.

ARGENTUM, silver, in natural history. See the article Sil- ver, Cycl. and Suppl.

ARISARUM (Suppl.) is also the name used by some for a species of arum, or wake-robin. See the article Arum, Suppl.

ARMENIAN bole. See the article Bole armenic, Suppl.

ARO-ORCHIS, in botany, a name by which some call a genus of plants, described by Linnæus under that of kampseria. See the article Kæjempferia, Append.

ARMY. For diseases incident to armies, see the articles Disease, Camp, Garrison, Hospital, Soldier, &c. Append.

ARROW '-root, in botany, the name of a genus of plants, called by authors maranta. See the article Maranta, Append.

ARSON, in the law of England, a felony at common law, in maliciously and voluntarily burning the house of another by night or by day. Sec Hawkins's, Pleas of the Crown, B. 1. chap. 39.

As to the punishment of arson, it seems now clearly settled, that the principal, not being in holy orders, is excluded from the benefit of clergy. See Hawk. lib. cit. B. 2. chap. 33. sect. 1 07.

In some places this crime is punished by burning the offender. And this was the old Roman law. See Pitisc. Lex. Antiq. in voc. Incendiarius and Incendiary, Append.

ARTHRODIA, in zoology, the name of a lately eftabliihed clafs of animalcules, containing those with visible limbs. See the article Animalcules, Append.

ASARABACCA, in botany, the name of a genus of plants, called by authors asarum. See the article Asarum, Suppl.

ASCITES. See the articles Dropsy, Cycl. Suppl. and Append.

ASCYRUM, in the Linnaean system of botany, the name of a genus of plants, the characters of which are these: the cup is a four-leaved perianthium; the two exterior ones very small, placed opposite to each other, and linear; the two interior ones large, plane, erect, and cordated; all of them being permanent. The flower consists of four oval petals; the two exterior ones being opposite to each other, and very large; the interior ones smaller. The stamina are numerous capillary filaments, connected at their bases into four distinct parts; the anthers are roundish; the germen of the pistil is oblong; there is no style: the stigma is simple; the fruit is an oblong acuminated capsule, formed of two valves, and included in the larger leaves of the cup; the feeds are numerous, small, and roundish.

It is extremely like the hypericum in appearance; but these cha- racters sufficiently distinguish them. Vid. Linnæei Gen. Plant, p. 369.

ASH, in botany, the English name of a genus of trees, called by authors fraxinus. See Fraxinus, Suppl,

Mountain- Ash, a name given by some to the sorbus, or service-tree. See the article Sorbus, Suppl.

Poison-Asn, a name given to the toxicodendron of botanists. See the article Toxicodendron, Suppl.

ASILUS, in zoology, the name of a genus of infects, called in English the hornet-fly, or wasp-fly. See the articles Hornet-fly and Wasp-fly, Suppl.

The distinguishing characters of this genus, are these: they are of the two-winged kind, with a style or oblong body, terminated by a protuberance or head, and called a ballancer, under each wing: to this add, that the head is furnished, by way of mouth, with a snout of a Tubulated figure, which is simple and very sharp at the extremity. They are among the largest of the fly-kind. See the article Fly, Suppl. Authors have called these infects by the names of Muscæ crabrcniformes, muscæte rapaces, and muacæts vespiformes. Hill's Hist. of Anim. p. 31.

ASINUS, the ass, in zoology, an animal of the horse-kind. See the article Equus, Suppl

Though the ass agrees with the horse in many respects, it nevertheless has but a mean resemblance to that noble animal; being not only smaller, but wanting the symmetry and beauty, so conspicuous in the horse.

The ass's ears seem much over-proportioned in length to the head. Its eyes are large, but have nothing bright or striking in them; the neck is long, but lank; and the tail is very long, but not hairy all the way, as in the horse. The fur of the ass is coarse and dun, only a streak of black runs down its back and across the shoulders.

So nearly allied are the horse and ass kind, that they will copulate together, the produce of which commixture is a mule. See the article Mule, Suppl.

There is a species of wild ass, called zebra, differing greatly in the colours and disposition of its streaks from the common ass. See Zebra, Append.

ASPEN -tree, in botany, the English name of the poplar with trembling leaves. See the article Poplar, Suppl.

ASPHODEL, asphodelus, in botany. See the article Aspho- delus, Suppl.

African Asphodel, a name used by some for the phalangium or spider-wort of Tournefort. See Phalangium, Suppl.

Lilly- Asvphodel, the Engliah name of a genus of plants. See the article Lilio-asphodelus, Suppl.

ASS, aanus, in zoology. See the article Asinus supra.

Wild Ass, onager and zebra. See the articles Onager, Suppl and Zebra, Append.

ASTERIAS, in zoology, a name used by some naturalists for the star-fish, otherwise called after stella marina. See the article Stella marina, Suppl.

ASTHMA (Cycl. and Suppl.)— Dr. Mead has lately given us his observations on this Distemper. Monit. & Pract. Medic. Cap. 8.

Whatever occasions the ambient air to enter the lungs with less freedom than usual, brings on this disease. Hence it may arise, 1st. From whatever is an impediment to the action of the diaphragm, the intercostal and abdominal muscles. 2dly, From whatever obstructs the free passage of the air into the aspera arteria, or its ramifications, whether the obstruction arises from a tumor, or from viscid humors. 3dly, The air itself may be a cause, if it be much heavier, or lighter than usual. 4-thly, The tenderness of the lungs may sometimes occasion this distemper, as appears from those who are subject to a difficulty of breathing upon removing from the thick air of the town into the clear air of the country. 5thly, The difficult passage of the air thro' the lungs may be reckoned among the causes of difficult respiration. And this may happen either from the weakness of the heart, or the too great thickness of the blood.

The method of cure, in this distemper, must, vary with its causes. Blood letting is, generally speaking, useful in every species of it. Vomits are useful, if the stomach or lungs be loaded with tough phlegm. The body must be kept open with gentle cathartics. Flatulent food and drink should be avoided; exercise used 'till weariness; and friction 'till a sweat is ready to break out.

Oxymel of squills and simple cinnamon water, or garlick, are good in case of viscid and tough humors. But if the fault lie in the nervous juice, the strong smelling gums are proper, especially the milk of gum ammoniac. Anodynes are very hurtful in the first cafe, but serviceable in this, if joined with volatile salts or spirits. The paregoric elixir is one of the best of this tribe.

As every kind of this disesfe is attended with more or less. effervefsence in the blood, the bark will be found useful; and the doctor assures us, that he has known instances where it has done vast services mixed with the cinnabar of antimony.

ASYLUM, in the history of insects, a name sometimes used for the gad-fly, called by zoologists œstrum. See the article Oestrum, Suppl.

ATRACTYLIS, in the Linnaean system of botany, the name of a genus of plants, the characters of which are these: the cup is ovated, imbricated, and beset with numerous lan- ceolated squamæje-; the flower is compound and radiated;