Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Volume 1.djvu/114

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ALM

begins, in three or four Days, to gather into a Mafs ; which being taken out, wafhed, and melted over again, is fit for ufe,

The Mineral Stone, before it is calcined, being expofed to the Air, will moulder in pieces, and yield a Liquor whereof Copperas may be made $ but being calcined it is fit for Allwn. — As long as it continues in the Earth, or in Wa- ter, it remains a hard Stone. — Sometimes a Liquor will ifTue out of the Side of the Mine, which by the Heat of the Sun is turned into a Natural Alhim.

In the Atlum-Works at Civita Vccchia, theProcefs, as de- fcribed by M. Geoffrey, is fomewhat different.— The Stone, which is of a ruddy hue, being calcined, they boil and dif- folve the Calx in Water 5 which imbibing the Salt, i. e. the j#/zMB,feparates it felf from the ufelefs Earth. Laftly, leav- ing the Water thus impregnated with Salt to ftand for fome Days, it cryftallizcs of it felf, like Tartar about a But, and makes what they call Roche or Roman- Allum.

At Solfatara, near Puzznoli, is a considerable oval Plain, the Soil whereof is wholly faline; and fo hot, that the Hand cannot long bear it.— From the Surface hereof, in Summer- time, there arifes a fort of Flour, or faltifli Duft 5 which being fwept up, and caft into Pits of Water at the bottom of the Plain ; the Heat of the Ground, without any other Fire, evaporates the Water, and leaves an Allum behind.

Atlum diffolves in Water, and what remains undiffolved at bottom, is a fort of Calx, which diffolves readily enough in Oil, or Spirit of Vitriol— And hence there arifes fome doubt, whether Allum, as it does not leave an Earth be- hind, does properly belong to the Clafs of Salts. — Mr. Boyle affures us, that Allum Ore robb'd of its Salt, does in tra6t of Time recover it again in the Air. See Air.

The Swedifb Aihtm is made of a Mineral which contains a great deal of Sulphur and Vitriol, not to be taken away but by Calcination or Diftillation. The Matter remaining in the Iron Veflels ufed in feparating the Sulphur from the Mineral, being expofed to the Air for fome time, becomes a kind of blueifh Afhes, which they lixiviate, cryttallize, and convert into Allum.

The Word Allwn comes from the Greek «M, Salt • or perhaps from the Latin Lumen^ Light 3 becaufe it adds a Luftre to Colours.

Allum is of fome ufe in Medicine, in quality of an Ab- forbent ; but being apt to excite Vomiting, is not much ufed inwardly, and rarely without fome fmooth Aromatick, as a Corrector. — Tis ufed outwardly in aftringent Lotions, and is an Ingredient in feveral Dentifrices.

It is a principal Ingredient in Dying and Colouring 5 nei- ther of which can be well performed without it. — It ferves to bind the Colour upon the Stuffs, and has the fame Ufes there, that Gum-water and glutinous Oils have in Painting. It likewife difpofes Stuffs to take the Colour, and adds a degree of Brifkneft and Delicacy to it $ as we fee vifibly in Cochineal, and the Grain of Scarier.

The Effects of Alhim feem owing to its ftyptick, or aflrin- gent Quality, by which it binds the finer Parts of Colours to- gether, and prevents their exhaling. Hence alfo it preferves Paper that has been dipp'd in its Water, from finking when wrote upon. See Colour, Dying, ££?c.

Saccharine Allum, bears a near refemblance to Sugar. — It is a Compofition of common Allum with Rofe-watcr, and "Whites of Eggs, boil'd together to theConfiftence of a Pafte, and thus moulded at pleafure. As it cools, it grows hard as Stone.

Burnt Allum, Alumen Ufium > is Allum calcined over the Fire, and thus render'd whiter, more light, and eafily pulveriz'd.

Plumofe Allum, Alumen c Plumofiffii, is a fort of faline, mineral Stone, of various Colours, moft commonly white bordering on green j refembling Venetian Talc, except that inftead of Scales, it rifes in Threads or Fibres, refembling thofe of a Feather $ whence its Name, from (Pluma, Feather. Some will have this to be the Lapis Amianthus of the Anticnts. Sec Amianthus.

ALLUMINOR, or Enluminor, or Illuminer, one who by Trade coloureth, or paints upon Paper or Parchment. See Colour, Painting, $$c.

ALLUSION, Allusio, inRhetorick, a Figure whereby fome thing is applied to, or underftood of, another, by reafon of fome Similitude of Name, or Sound.

Camden defines Allujion a dalliance, or playing with Words like in Sound, but unlike in Senfe 5 by changing, adding, or fubtracting a Letter, or two ; whence Words re- fembling oneanother, become applicable to different Subjects. Thus the Almighty, if we may ufe facred Authority, chang'd Abram, i. e. high Father, into Abraham, i. e. Father of many. — Thus the Romans play'd on their tippling Em- peror Tiberius Nero, by calling him Biberius Mero : and thus in gumtftian the four Fellow  and ludere i to play.

ALLUVION, Alluvio, in the Civil Law, an Acceffion or Accretion made along the Sea-fhore, or the Banks of large Rivers, by means of Tempcfts or Inundations. See Accretion, &c.

The Civil Law places Alluvion among the lawful means of Acquifition ; and defines it to be a latent imperceptible

Accretion. Hence, where any considerable Portion of

Ground is torn away at once, by an Inundation 5 and joinM to fome neighbouring Eftate ; this is not acquired by riTht of Alluvion, but may be claim'd again by the former Pro- prietor.

The Word is form'd of the Latin Adluo, I wafli to ; com- pounded of ad, and lavo, I warn.

ALMACANTARS, Almacantaras, or Almacanta-* rats, in Aftronomy. See Almucantars.

Almacantars Staff. See Almucantars Staff. ALMAGEST, the Name of a celebrated Book, compofed by 'Ptolemy ; being a Collection of many of the Obferva- tions and Problems of the Antients» relating both to Geometry and Aftronomy.

In the Original Greek it was called *$[*%& fffip'sn, q. d> Grcatcfl Conjlrntlion, or ColleBion ; Which lalt Word Ms- gifle, join'd to the Particle Al, gave occafion to its being cal- led Almagcfle by the Arabians, who translated it into their Tongue about the Year 800, by Order of Mai won, Caliph of Babylon. — The Arabic Word is Almaghcfti.

Rtcciclus has alfo publifh'd a Reformed Ailronomy, which he intitles, after Ptolemy, the New Almagejl ; being a Col- lection of anticnt and modern Obfervations in Aftronomy. See Astronomical Obfervation.

ALMANACK, or Ephemeris, a Calendar or Table, wherein are fet down the Days, and Feafts of the Year, the Courfe of the Moon, ££t. See Calendar, Year, Day, Month, Moon, &c.

The Original of the Word is much controverted among Grammarians. — Some derive it from the Arahick Particle Al, and Mana, to count. — Others, and among them Scali- ger, rather derive it from Al, and fwaxo?, the Courfe of the Months: Which is contradicted by Gc//"z/;,who advances ano- ther Opinion ; He fays, that throughout the Eafl, 'tis the Cuflora for Subjects, at the Beginning of the Year, to make Prefents to their Princes ; and among the reft, the Aftrolo- gers prefent them with their Ephemerides for the Year en- fuing ; whence thofe Ephemerides came to be called Al- manha t i. e. Handjels t or New- Years Gifts. See Ephe- merides.

To fay no more, Verjlega?z writes the Name Almon-ac ; and makes it of Saxon Original : Our Anceffors, he ob- ferves, ufed to carve the Courfes of the Moon of the whole Year upon a fquare Stick, or Block of Wood, which they called Al-monaght, q. d. Al-moon-beed.

The modern Almanack anfwers to the Fajli of the antient Romans. See Fasti.

\Tbe Neceffaries for making an Almanack, the Reader will find under the Article Calendar.

Henry III. of France, very prudently decreed by an Or- donnance of 1579, that L No Almanack- Maker fliould pre- e fume to give Predictions relating to Civil Affairs, either ' covert.' See Astrology.
 * of States or private Perfons, in Terms either exprefs or

In the Philofiph. ColleB. we have a perpetual Almanack^ defcribed by Mr. R. Wood.

ALMANDIN, or Albandin, a Precious Stone, of the Ruby Kind 5 fomething lighter and fofter than the Orien- tal Ruby : and as to Colour, partaking more of that of th® Granat than the Ruby. See Ruby, Granat, &c.

It is rank'd among the richeft of Stones ; and takes its Name from Albana, a City of Carta, whence Pliny fays it is brought. See Precious Stone.

ALMARIA, for Armaria, in our antient Records, ths Archives of a Church, or the like. See Archive. ALMERY. See Ambry. ALMOIN, in Law. See Fr&kk- Almoin. ALMOND, Amygdala, a kind of Fruit, inclofed with a thick Stone, and under a thin Skin. See Fruit.

The Almond is the Produce of a pretty tall Tree, refem- bling a Feach Tree 5 frequent in Germany, France, and the neighbouring Countries 5 as alfo in Barbary, &c. — Its Flow- ers are pentapetalous, and ranged in the Rofe manner: The Piftil becomes a flefhy Fruit, containing a Seed, which i3 the Almond and which drops out when the Fruit is arrived at Maturity.

Almonds are chiefly of two Kinds, Sweet and Bitter, The Sweet Almonds, Amygdala -Dulces, are of a foftj grateful Tafte ; and are reputed cooling, healing, emollient, and nutritive : are much prefcribed in Emulfions, and found of good etfea in all Diforders from cholerick and acrimoni- ous Humours.— The Oil of Sweet Almonds, drawn without Fire, is a fafe and ufeful Remedy in nephntick Pains. It is alfo of good repute for CoftiveneG and Gripes in Children.

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