Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Volume 1.djvu/121

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AMATORII Mufctili, in Anatomy, an Appellation fome- Hmcs given to thofe Mufcles of the Eyes which give them a Cart fideways, and affHt in that particular Look by lome called Ogling. See Eye.

When the Abdutlor and Humilis aft together, they give this oblique Motion. See Abductor, and Humilis. The Word is form'd of the Larin Amare, to love. AMAUROSIS, in Medicine, a Deprivation of Sight ; the Eyes remaining fair, and feemingiy unattested. See Eye,££?£. Amaitrofis is the fame with what the Latins more ufually call Gutta Serena. See Gutta Serena.

The Word is Greek, d(mv^ain{, q, d. Darknefs ; form'd of
 * f*«'£?», ebfeuro.

AMAXOBII, Amaxobians, or Hamaxobians, in an- tient Geography, a kind of People who had no Houfes, nor even Tents ; but lived altogether in Chariots. See Hamaxo- bians.

The Word is compounded of etfoel;*, a Chariot., and $/«■, vita, Life.

AMAZON, in Antiquity, a Term fignifying a bold, cou- rageous Woman ; capable of daring, hardy Atchievemenis. See Virago, Heroine, £S?c.

The Word is borrow'd from the Amazons, a Nation of warlike Women, in Scytbia, inhabiting near the T'anais ; who liv'd without Men, and had only to do with Strangers 5 killing their Male Children, 2nd cutting off" the left Breaits of their Females, to make them more fit for the Combat.

'Tis from this lalt Circumitance that they take their Name, viz-, from the Privative <*, and f**'pccrates mentions a Law among 'em, whereby they were doom'd to remain Virgins, till fuch time as they had flajn three Men of their Enemies. — He adds, that the Rca- ion of their cutting off the right Breaft, was to make the right Arm the Wronger ; as fuppofing this would now receive the Nutriment, which wou'd otherwife have gone to that.

Some Authors rclarc, that inftead of killing, they twiited the Legs of their Male Children ; to prevent their being able to contend with 'em for the Mattery.

M. 'Petit, a French Phyfician, publi/Vd a. Latin Diflerta- tion in 1685, to prove that there really was aNationof Ama- zons : It contains abundance of curious Inquiries, relating to their Habit, their Arms, the Cities built by 'em, t$c. — On Medals, the Amazons Bult is ufually arm'd with a little Ax, bore on the Shoulder, and a Buckler, in form of a Half- Moon, by the Latins called Pelta.

Some modern Geographers and Travellers mention Ama- zons ft ill in being. — fobn de los Sanfios, a 'Portuguefe Ca- puchin, in his Defcription of Ethiopia, fpeaks of a Race of Amazons in Africa. And JEneas Sylvius gives us a very precife Account of a Rcpublick of real Amazons, in Sobe- mia, which laired nine Years ; founded by the Courage of a Maid named Valafca.

AMBAGES, a Lathi Term for a Circumlocution • or, an indirect Dilcourfe or Diction, tending to exprefs or Ihew fometbing by a Compafs of Words or Sentiments fetch'd from afar. See Circumlocution.

AMBARVALIA, in Antiquity, a Fcaft, or Ceremony among the Romans ; celebrated annually, to procure of the Gods a happy Harvest. See Feast, &c.

At thefe Feafts, they facrificed a Bull, a Sow, and a Sheep ; which, before the Sacrifice, were led in Proceflion around the Fields - whence the Feall took its Name : from the Greek a;j.$i, about ; or the Latin ambio, I go round, and arvum, Field. — Tho, Scaltger writes it Ambarbalia 5 and deduces it from ambire urbem, to go round the City.

From the Beafts offer'd in Sacrifice, the Ceremony was alfo called Suovetaurilia. See Suovetaurilia.

'Tis not certain whether this Feaft was fix'd, or movea- ble ; nor whether it was celebrated once, or twice a year ; Authors being of different Opinions on both thofe Heads.

The Amber-vale Carmen, was a Prayer prefcrr'd on this Occ<.fion ; whereof we have the Formula prcferved in Cato, C. 141- de Re Rujlica.'

The Prietts who chiefly officiated at the Solemnity, were called Fratres Arvalcs. See ArvilVs. AMBASSADOR. See Embassador. AMBE, in Anatomy, a luperficial Jutting out of a Bone. See Bone.

The Word is alfo ufed as the Name of a Chirurgical In- firumenr, with which they reduce dillocated Bones.

AMBER, Succinum, Carabe or Karabe, Glessum, Electrum, Chrysolectrum, in Natural Hiftory, &c. a yellow tranfparent Subiiance, of a gummous or bituminous Form and Confidence, but a reiinous Tafte, and a fmell like

Oil of Turpentine ; chiefly found in the '£?iltick Sea, alono the Coairs of 'Pritffia, &c.

Naturalifts are infinitely divided as to the Origin of Am- ber, and what Clafs of Bodies it belongs to: fome referrin« it to the Vegetable, others to the Mineral, and fome even to the Animal Kingdom. — Its Natural Hiftory, and its Chy- mical Analyfis, afford fomerfnng in favour of each Opinion.

Pliny deicribes it as " a reiinous Juice, oozing from aged " Pines, and Firs ; (others fay, from Poplars, whereof there " are whole Forefts on the Coaits of Sweden ;) and dif- 11 charged thence into the Sea ; where undergoing fume Al- a teration, it is thrown in this form upon the Shores of " c Pruj]ia ; which lie very low : They add, that it was hence " the Antients gave it the Denomination Succinum ; from " Succus, Juice." Nat. Hijl. Lib. XXXVII.

This Opinion of the antient Naturaliit, is confirmed by the Oblervations of many of the modern ones ; particularly the learned Father Came Hi. "Pbi/ofopb. T'ranfacl. N° 190.

Some have imagin'd it a Concretion of the Tears of Birds ; others, the Urine of a Beail ; others, the Scum of the Lake Cepbifide, near the Atiantick ; others, a Congela- tion form'd in the Saltick Sea, and in fome Fountains where it is found fwimming like Pitch.

Others fuppofc it a Bitumen, trickling into the Sea from fubterraneous Sources ; there concreted into this form, and thrown afhore by the Waves.

This lait Opinion was a long time the mod popular ; and feem'd to have the boil Ground : but this, too, is now difcarded ; as good Amber having been found in dig- ging at a confiderable diifance from the Sea, as that gather- ed on the Coafr.

Others fuppofe Amber a compound Subftance. — Prnffia, fay they, and the other Countries which produce Amber, are moiiten'd with a bituminous Juice, which mixing with the vitriolick Salts abounding in thofe Places, the Points of thofe Salts fix its Fluidity, whence it congeals : and the Refult of that Congelation makes what we call Amber ; which is more or lets pure, tranfparent, and firm, as thofe Parts of Salt and Bitumen are more or lefs pure, and mix'd in this, or that Proportion.

The Chymifls are as much divided as the Naturaliits. Amber being found by DifHllation to yield an acid Spirit, which precipitates into a Salt 5 is inferred, by fome, to be of a mineral Nature 5 this being a Circumflance peculiar to that Kingdom, and never found in the Diitillation of Vegeta- bles : To which may be added, that Amber difTolves in A1-" cohol, not in Water; melts at the Fire, and is inflammable; which are Characters, that feem to refer it to the Clafs of Sulphurs, or Bitumens.

Others, on the contrary, argue it of the Vegetable Kind, from its refolving into the fame Principles with Vegetables ; viz. Water, Spirit, Salt, and Oil.— Soerbaave refembles it to Camphire, which is a concreted Oil of the aromatic Plants of that Country, elaborated by Heat into a cryftalline Form.

There are feveral Indications which difcover where A?n- beris to be found.— The Surface of the Earth is there co- ver'd with a foft fcaly Stone ; and Virriol in particular abounds there, which is fomctimes found white, fometimes reduced into a Matter like melted Glafs, and fometimes figur'd like petrify'd Wood.

Amber affumes all Figures in the Ground 5 that of a Pear, an Almond, a Pea, &c. Among others, there have been found Letters very well formed ; and even Hebrew, and Arabick Characters. — Within fome pieces of Amber have Jikewife been found Leaves, Infecls, %$c. included • which feems to indicate either that the Amber was original- ly in a fluid State ; or that having been expofed to the Sun it was foften'd, and render'd fufceptible of the Leaves, In- fers, &c. which came in its way. The latter of thefe feems the more agreeable to the Phenomenon, in regard thofe Infers, &c. are never found in the Centre of the piece of Amber, but always near the Surface.

'Tis obferv'd by the Inhabitants of the Places where Am- ber is produe'd, that all Animals, whether terreftrial, aerial, or aquatick, are extremely fond of it ; and that they fre- quently find Pieces of it in their Excrements, and in their Bodies when open'd.

The moft remarkable Property of Amber, is, that, when rubbed, it draws or attracts other Bodies to it ; and this, 'tis obferv'd, it does, even in thofe Bodies which the An- tients thought it had an Antipathy to; as oily Bodies, Drops of Water, the Bafiliik, Sweat of human Body, &c. See E- lectricity.

Add, that by Friction it is brought to yield Light pretty copioufly in the dark ; whence 'tis reckon'd among the native <Phofphori. See Friction, Phosphorus, Light, gsfc.

Amber is reputed of fome medicinal Efficacy ; beino'ufed in SufTumigations, to remove Defluxions; and' in Pouder, as an Alterant, Abforbent, Sweetner, and Aflringent. See

SuFfUMlGATION, ABSORBENT, ASTRINGENT &C.

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