Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Volume 1.djvu/478

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CON

A Convulfive Motion, is a Contraaion made by Fits and Intervals ; wherein it differs from a Couvuljion, which is a continued Contraction. . . f

Convulfive Motions arifc from a Diforder in the Origin ot the Nerves. A Convulfke Tcnfion of the Solids, is one ot the princinal Caufes which deftroy the Mqmhbnmi that fhould obtain between the Solids and the Fluids. Journ. de Scav. ml, -

Convulsive is alfo ufed for any Thing that occafions Couvuljion, or a Convulfive Motion.

Thus, Wounds of Nerves arefaidto be Convulfi-vc ; white Hellebore is Convulfive.

Children are very liable to Convulfive Diforders from va- rious Caufes ; as Repletion, curdling of the Blood in the Stomach or Inteflines, Worms, Dentition, tSc. See Chil- dren:, Worms, Dentition, lie.

The Cramp is a Convulfive Contraaion of fome muicular Part of the Body. See Cramp.

COOK-ROOM, in a Ship, is where the Cook and the Mate drefs and deliver out the Meat, t$C.

COOLERS, in Medicine, Remedies fo call d ; which may be confider'd under thefe two Divifions : ift, Thole which produce an immediate Senfe of Cold; which are inch as have their Parts in lefs Motion than thofe of the Organs of Feeling. See Cold. _

-dly Such as by a particular Vifcidity, or Gtoflnets ot Parts give a greater Confiflency to the Animal Fluids than they had before ; whereby they are difabled from moving fo faft, and will therefore have lefs of that intefline Force on which their Heat depends. See Calidum.

Of the fotmer Kind are Fruits, and acid Liquors ; to the latter belong Cucumbers, and all Subftances producing Vii- cidity. ,

COOM, a Term for Soot that gathers over an Oven s Mouth ; and alfo for what works out of the Wheels of Car- riages. , . . ,

Soot is fometimes ufed in Medicine, mfus d in Wine wirn other Ingredients, as an Antihyfterick, and againft Palpita- tions of the Heart, (gc. See Soot.

The Spirit of Soot is alfo ufed for the fame Intentions, and in Cephalick Cafes.

COOMB, or COMB of Com, is a dry Mealure, contain- ing four Bufhels, or half a Quarter. See Measure ; fee alfo Bushel, X$c.

COORDINATE, fomething of equal Order, Rank, or Degree with another.

COORDINATION, in refpeft of Caufes, is an Order ot Caufes, wherein feveral, of the fame Kind, Order, and Tendency, concur to the Produaion of the fame Effea. See Cause. ■, ■

COPAL, a Gum, of an agreeable fine]]; refembling that of Incenfe ; brought from NewSpain, where it oozes out from Incifions made in the Batk of a large Tree ; much after the manner in which the Vine yields its Water, when cut in the Spring. See Gum. _

The Indians ufe it to burn on their Altars : Among the Europeans, it is ufed in Difeafes of the Heart. 'Tis very rare : when good, 'tis of a fine tranfparent yellow ; and melts eafily, either in the Mouth or Fire.

In defea of this is brought another Kind from the Antil- les which is almoft the only one known among the Druggifts. Its' chief Confumption is in the making of Varmfh. See

COPARCENERS, or 'Parceners, vulgo COPARTNERS, and 'Partners, are fuch as have equal Portions in the Inhe- ritance of their Anceftor. See Parceners.

'Parceners are fo either by Law or Cuftom. 'Parceners by law, are the Iffue Female ; which, in default of a Male Heir, come equally to the Lands of their Anceftor.

Parceners by Cuftom, are thofe who by fome peculiar Cufiom of the Country, challenge equal Parts in fuch Lands ; as in Kent, by the Cuftom of Gavelkind. See Ga- velkind.

The Crown of England is not fubjea to Coparceny. See Crown. _

COPARCENY, ot COPARSENY, the Share or Quota of a Coparcener. See Coparcener.

COPE, an Ecclefiaftical Ornament, ufually wore by Chan- tors and Sub-Chantors, when they officiate in Solemnity. See

'Tis alfo wore by the Romijb Bifhops and other Ordinaries : It reaches from the Shoulders to the Feet. The Ancients called it 'Pluvial. „,..>., « _„

S Martin's Cope, was a Relick, formerly in great Efteem among the French Kings ; and carried with them to War as their Standard. See Chapel, and Chaplain.

COPERNICAN Syftcm, or llypothefis, is the Syflem of the World, wherein the Sun is fuppos'd at reft in the Centre; and the Planets, with the Earth, to defcribe Ellipfes round him. See System.

The Heavens and Stars arc here iuppos d at reit ; and that diurnal Motion which they appeat to have from Eaft

to Weft, is imputed to the Earth's Motion from Weft to Eaft See Earth, Sun, Star, i£c.

This Syftern was afferted by many of the Anticnts • an i particularly Ecphautes, Seleucus, Ariftarchus, 'Pbilalat,, 'Plato, and Pythagoras ; from whom it was antiently d cn ' initlarea the' vytbmoric Syftern. See Pythagorean.

It was alfo held by Archimedes, in his Book de grant rum areiue numero ; but after him it became neglected, and" even forgotten, for many Ages ; till about 200 Yeats' a „ when N. Copernicus rcviv'd it ; from whom it took the Name of the Copcrmcan Syftern.

Nicb. Copernicus, now a Name fo popular, was horn at Thorn, in Polijh 'PruJJia, in the Year 147;, according ,„ JmtBlnus, or 147; according to Mxftlinus. After the ufual domeftick Education, he was fent to the Univerfity of Cra- cow ; where he applied himfelf to Philofophy and Phyfidt and at length commenced Dodtor in Medicine. In the mean time, having a ftrong Propenfity to Mathematicks, he dili- gently attended the LeBures of Albert. Brudzcvius, an( j even learnt of him at home. After he had here attain'd t„ the Ufe of the Aftrelabe, and was entering upon Aftrono. my, he took Regiomontanus for his Guide : Tho he run thro' all the Mathematicks of the Age, yet he feem'd moll taken with Petfpeaive ; on occaiion whereof he learnt Paint, ing, in which he is faid to have excell'd. When 23 y carj of age, being at Boulcgn, he became acquainted with that eminent Mathematician Dom. Maria ^ Ferraricnfis ; an j was admitted to fhare with him in making of Aftronomical Obfervations. Here, in the Year 1497, Copernicus firft 0D . ferv'd an Occultation of Palilicium by the Moon. Going on to Rome, he taught publickly, and made fome confide- rable Obfervations ; and at his return to Cracow, was made Canon of the Church of Wermelandt, or Ermeland, and lt length Vicar-General.

The Courfe he took in profecuting Aftronomy, which has rendcr'd his Name immortal, is as follows : Obferving how the Aftronomers of thofe Times were gravell'd to make the Planets move equably in circular Orbits, viz. to fuppofe 'em to move, not about their own Centre, but that of the Equant ; and that they could no way make out a tolerably regular Syftern, out of all their Shifts and Hypothefes ; He refolv'd to try what he could do. With this View he pe- rus'd the Writings of all the Philofophers and Aftronomers extant ; and pick'd out of each what appear'd probable and elegant. In this Review he was chiefly taken with two al- moft fimilar Opinions ; (the one attributed to Martiaims Ct- fella, the other to Afollonius Pergmis :) which give a very good Account of the Motions of Venus and Mercury ; and explain the Caufe of their Direaions, Stations, and Retro. gradations very happily : The latter, withal, performing the fame in the three fuperior Planets. But, then, in both thefe Hypothefes, the Earth being fuppos'd the Centre ; Co- pernicus chofe rather to adopt the Opinion of the Pythago- reans ; to remove the Earth out of the Centre of the World, and to give it, not only a diutnal Motion round its own Axis ; but alfo an annual one round the Sun.

On this Footing he began to obferve, calculate, compare, £$c. and at length, after a long folicitous Difquifition, found himfelf in a Condition to account for the Phenomena and Motions of all the Planets ; and to make an orderly Ar- rangement, or Difpofition of the whole Heavens ; wherein nothing could be alter'd, or difplac'd, without bringing the laft Confufion into the whole.

Thefe Things he began to write down about the Year 1507. He then proceeded to furnifti himfelf with fome new Apparatus ; particularly a Parallaaick Inftrumcnt, and fome 'Ptolemaic Rulers, wherewith to obferve the Altitude of the Stars, and determine the Periods of the Sun and Moon: And without other Means, compofed his fix Books de Or- Vium Celeftium Revolution! his ; containing the Whole of Aftronomy, deliver'd after the Example of Ptolemy, in the Geometrical Method. We have already obferv'd that he began it in 1507 ; He finifli'd it in 1530. Five Yeats after he polifh'd and imptov'd it. He died of a Dyfentery, and a Palfy on his right Side, in the Year 1543.

See the Order, and Difpofition of the heavenly Bodies, as laid down by him, compar'd with thofe in the other Syl* terns, under the Head System.

COPERNICUS, is the Name of an Aftronomical Inftni- ment, cuntriv'd by Mr. Whifton, for the Calculation and Exhibition of Eclipfcs, and of the Motions of the Planets, boih Primary and Secondary, i$c.

It was fo call'd by the Inventor, as being built on the Co- fernican Syftern ; or as reprefenting the Heavenly Bodies agreeably thereto.

It confifts of feveral concentrical Circles of Wood ; upon which are inferib'd Numbers, transfer'd thither from the Aftronomical Tables : By the various Difpofition of thele Circles, which are made fo as to Aide within each other, Quel'tions are folv'd ; and thus long Calculations arefavd, and the Work of many Hours brought into a few Minutes.

For