Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Volume 1.djvu/897

 GIL

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GIN

Thus far advanc'd, the Metal is fet to the Fire, upon a Grate, or in a fort of a Cage, under which is a Pan of Coals: In proportion as the Mercury evaporating and flying off difcovers Places where Gold is wanting, they take Care to fupply them, by adding new Pieces of Amalgama. —

The Work is then rubb'd over, with the Wire Brufti dipt in Beer, or Vinegar, which leaves it in a Condition to be brought to Colour, which is the laft Part of the Proccfs, and which the Gilders keep to themfelves as a mighty Secret; tho' wc know it cannot differ much from what we ftiall hereafter Ihew of the manner of giving Gold Species their Colour, under the Article Coining.

Gilding by the Fire with Gold Leaves.

To prepare the Metal for this Gilding, it muft be firft well fcratch'd, or raked ; then polifli'd, with a Poliiher ; and then fet to the Fire to blue, i. e. to heat, till it appear of a blue Colour. This done, the firft Lay of Gold is clap'd thereon, and lightly rubb'd down with a Poliftter; and thus expofed to a gentle Fire.

They afually only give it three fuch Lays, or four at moft ; each Lay confifting of a Angle Leaf for the common Works, and of two for the extraordinary ones : After each Lay they fet it a-frefti to the Fire. After the laft: Lay, the Gold is in a Condition to be burnifti'd.

Gilding of Books ; fee "Book -binding.

GILL, or Ground- Ivy, a Medicinal Plant, which gives the Denomination to a fort of medicated Ale, or Drink, called Gill, or Gill Ale, made by infufing the dried Leaves of the Plant therein. See Ale.

Gill is held very abfterfive and vulnerary, and is prefcribed in all Diforders of the Lungs, and Breaft ; and is alfo cfteem'd good in Obftructions of the Vifcera : Whence it alfo paffes for Hepatic, Diuretic, Splenetic, and Nephritic. It is laid to do Wonders in Tubercles and tartarous Indurations of the Lungs. Willis commends its Powder in obltinate Coughs; and Etmuller gives the Hiftory of a Scorbutic Confumption cured by a ftrong Decoction of this Herb after a "Vomit.

GILLA, in Chymiftry and Pharmacy, is an Arabic Term for Salt ; peculiarly uied among us for the Emetic Salt of Vitriol. See Vitr iol.

This Salt is prepared from that Mineral, by three, or four repeated Operations, viz. Diffolution, in May Dew 5 Filtration j and Cryftallization. In default of 'May Dew^ Rain Water may fcrve.

Gilla is ufed in Tertian Agues, and all Fevers arifing from a Corruption of the Humors of the firft Region. It deftroys Worms, and prevents Putrefaction. The Dofe is from 20 Grains to half a Drachm, taken in Broth, or in Cordial Waters. —

GILLS, Branchi/e, in Natural Hiftory, thofe membra- nous, cartilaginous Parts in Fifties, whereby they refpire, hear, & c. See Fish ; fee alfo Br anchia.

What we call Gills in Fifties, are properly their Lungs : Refpiration of Air is as necefTary to Fifties, as to terreftrial Animals : There is always a deal of Air inclofed among Wa- ter • and 'tis this Air that Fifties refpire. The whole Me- chanifm of their Gills is contrived with this View, viz. to feparate and imbibe this Air from the Water, and prelent it to the Blood, after the fame manner as it is prcfented to the Lungs ot other Animals. See Lungs.

M. du Verncy has unravel'd this infinitely complicated Piece of Mechanifm, in the Gills of a Carp: The firft: thing that offers, is a fort of Timber- work, confiding of a oreat Number of bony Lamina:, each lubdivided into an infinity of bony Fibres, whofe Office is to fuftain the innu- merable Ramifications of an Artery difpatch'd hither from the Heart. The Ufc of thefe Ramifications is to prefent the Blood extremely fubdivided, and, as it were, each Glo- bule of Blood by it felf, to the Water. Between thefe La- mina:, and throughout the whole Contexture of the Gills, are an infinite Number of very narrow Paffages, deftined to receive and fubdivide the Water which the Fifti takes in by the Mouth, into little Parcels. In this State the Air, its Prifon Doors being now in fome meafure open'd, makes its Efcape, and joins it felf with the Blood of all the little Arteries. — <

Thefe Gills have neceffirily an alternate Motion of Dila- tation and Comprcftion, which is effected by another very curious Piece of Mechanifm ; when they dilate, the Water is taken in, and when they contract, it is expell'd again. Hence 'tis probable that it is in the very Initant of Contra- ction, that the Air exprefs'd from the Water is fore'd to en- ter the Pores of the little Blood VefTels,by reaforc the Force is then greater than at any other time; and this Action re- quires a confiderable Force. The fame Realon holds with refpect to the Lungs of Men ; accordingly M. du Verncy maintains, that tho' :he Air enter the Lungs in the time of Infpiration, it is only received into the Blood in that of Expiration, when th'3 fuperfluous Air is carried off by the Trachea, fo that the real Infpiration, /', e. the Entrance of

the Air into the Blood, fhould b'e the Expiration'; Sec; Respir ation.

The Water is taken in by the Mouth, and carried off d- gain, ftrip'd of its Air, by the Gills $ and the Air gain'd from it, is diftributed firft to the Arteriole of the Gills", ana thence by the Law of Circulation to all the little Veins in- oculated therewith. See Circulation, &c:

GINGER, Gingiber, an Aromatic Root, of confider- able Ufe both as a Spice, and a Medicine. —

It is brought chicfty from Calicut, in the Eaft Indies; tho* of late ir has been cultivated with good Succefs in the An- tilles Iftands.

The Plant which affords it, refcmbles our Rufti, both it? refpect of Stem, and Flower.— The Root goes no depth tin- der Ground, but fpreads itfelf near the Surface, in iorm not unlike a Man's Hand; but very knotty.

When arrived at Maturity, they dig it up, and dry it m Hurdles, either in the Sun, or Oven : The beft is that which' is new, dry, well fed, hard to break, of a ruddy, brown" Colour without, refinous within, and of a hot, pungent Tafte.

They ufe to comfit the Root, when green, with Sugar* and Honey; having firft fteep'd it fome time in Water, to' take away part of its Acrimony, and difpofeit to part with; the Outer-ikin. They alfo make a Marmeladc of it, and dry Cakes.

The Northern People make great ufe of this Confection, as holding it foveraign againft the Scurvy. The Indians eat the Root, when green, by way of Salade, firft chipping it fmall, mixing it with other Herbs, and lealbning it with Oil and Vinegar.

As to its Medicinal Ufe, it is held good to ftrengthenthc' Stomach, and awaken Appetite. It promotes Digeftion, prevents Putrefaction, £f>c

GitiGTLK-Sread, a richer kind of Bread, the Flavour and Tafte whereof are heighten'd and itnprov'd with Spices, and particularly Ginger ; whence the Name. Sec Bread.

There are various Forms and Preparations of Ginger- Bread : We fliall content ourfelves with the following one,- which is well recommended.

Into a Pound of Almonds, grate a penny white Loaf, lift, and beat them together : To rhe Mixture add an Ounce of Ginger, fcraped fine, and Liquorice and Aunis Seed in Powder, of each a quarter of an Ounce : Pour in two or three Spoonfuls of Rofe-water, and make the whole into a Paile., with half a Pound of Sugar: Mould, and roll it, print it, and dry it in a Stove.

Others make it of Treacle, Citron, Lemon, and Orange Peel, with candied Ginger, Coriander, and Carroway Seeds, mix'd up with as much Flower as will make it into a Pafte.

GINGIVA, in Anatomy, the Gums; a hard fort of Flefti, inverting the Alveoli, or Sockets of the Teeth. See Flesh, and Teeth.

The Gingiva are form'd by the Union of two Membranes; one of which is a Production of the Periolieum, and the' other of the internal Membrane of the Mouth. See Mouth.-

GINGLYMUS, in Medicine, one of the Species of Ar- ticulation. See Articulation.

The Ginglymtis is that Jointure of the Bones, where each Bone mutually receives the other; fo that each both receives,- and is recived. See Bone.

There are three Species of Ginglymus : The firft, whe'tf the fame Bone, at the fame Extremity, receives and is re- ciprocally received by another Bone; after the manner of a Hinge : Such is that of the Cubitus and Humerus. See Cu- bitus, and Humerus.

Thefecond, when a Bone receives another at one ©f its Extremes, and is received into another, at the others As the VctebrK do. See Vertebra.

The third is that where a Bone is received into another,- after the manner of a Wheel, or Axis of a Wheel in a Box : Such is that of the fecond Vertebra of the Neck irv the firft. See Axis.

GIN-SENG, or Gin-Sem, in Natural Hiftory, a very extraordinary and wonderful Plant, hitherto only found in Tartary.

The Gin-feng is one of the principal Curiofities of the Cbinefe, and ^Tartars ; Their moft eminent Phyftcians have wrote many a Volume ot its Virtues.

It is known among them by divers other Names, as tho only Spirituous ; the pure Spirit of the Earth 5 the 'Plans that gives Immortality, &c. It makes, in effect, the wholes Materia Medica, for the People of Condition; being toe* pretious for the Populace.

All the Writers of the Cbinefe Affairs make mention of the Gin-feng: As Martimns, in* his Atlas ; F. Kirchcr, iff his China Illuftrata ; F. tachard, in his Voyages ; and F, te Comte, in his Memoirs. . ....

And yet wc knew but very little of this Pianr, before F, fartozix, a Jcfuit, and Miftionary in China h _ who being em- ploy'd by Order of the Emperor, in miking a Mapof Tar j tary, in the Xear 170?, had arv Opportunity of feeiog W