Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Volume 2.djvu/315

 OPE

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OPH

adds, that thefe two Feafts were celebrated in the fame Month, becauie Saturn and Ops were Husband and Wife j and that it was to them we owe the Invention of Corn and Fruits : for which reafon, the Feaft was not held till the Harveft and Fruit-time were intirely over.

Laftly, he obferves, that the Vows offerM to the God- defs, were made fitting on the Ground ; to fhew that flie was Earth, the Mother of all things. OPENING a Vein, fee Bleeding.

Opening Flank, in Fortification, is that part of the Flank which iscover'd by the Oriilon. See Flank.

Opening of Trenches, is the firft Breaking of Ground by the Befiegers, in order to carry on their Approaches to- wards a Place. See Trench.

Opening of Gates, in Aftrology, is, when one Planet feparates from another, and prefently applies to a third bearing Rule in a Sign oppofite to that ruled by the Planet with which it wasjo'n'd.

OPERA, a Dramatic Compofition fet toMufic, and fung on the Stage j accompanied with mufical Instruments; and enrich'd with magnificent Drefiings, Machines, and other Decorations.

Hfttyere fays, that 'tis effential to the Opera to keep the Mind, the Eyes, and Ears in an Enchantment ; S. Evremond calls the Opera a chimerical Affemblage of Poetry and Mu- lic ; where the Poet and Mufician each cramp the other.

The Opera we derive from the Venetians, among whom 'tis held one of the principal Glories of their Carneval. See Comedy.

While the EngUJh and French Comic and Tragic Theatres were forming, the Venetians invented the Opera : The Ab- bot Ferr'tn, Introductor of Embaffaders to Gajlon Duke of Orleans, was the firft who form'd the Defign of introducing 'em into Tarts ; and heobtain'd the King's Privilege for the fame in 1669. And it was not long e'er it pafs'd thence into England. The Spectator obferves, that the French Mufic agrees with their Accent and Pronunciation, much better than the EngUJh; and are at the fame time better calculated for the gay Humour of that People. See Re- citative.

At Rome they have a kind of Spiritual Opera \ frequent in Lent j confiding of Dialogues, Duos, Trios, Ritornella's, Chorus's, &c. The Subject whereof is taken out of the Scripture, the Life of fome Saint, or the like. The Ita- lians call 'era Oratorio : The Words are frequently Latin 5 and fometimes Italian.

OPERATION, in the general, the A£t of exerting, or exerciiing fome Power, or Faculty, upon which an Effect follows. See Power.

The nablefl Operation of Man, is that by the Schoolmen call'd Vital, or Immanent, viz. the Operation of the Mind ; which, with regard to the Understanding, is threefold ; Ap- prchenfion or Perception, Difcretion or Judgment, and Reasoning or Difcourfe. See Apprehension, Judgment, and Discoubse. Thedirefting of thefe makes the Ob- ject ot Logic. See Logic,

WiJi regard to the Will, tHe 'immanent* Operations are Willing and Killing j to which are refer'd Loving and Ha- ting. See Will.

Operation, in Medicine, a methodical Action of the Hand, on the human Body; to re-eftablifti Health. See Ciiirurcery.

Bleeding is a very common, but at the fame time a dan- gerous .Op eratian* See Phlebotomy and Bleeding.

Trepanning is one of the fineft Operations in Chirurgery. Sec Trepanning. The Ctfarian Operation is the cutting a Woman with Child, and drawing out the Child through one fide. See Cjesarian.

The other Chirurgical Operations, are Sutures, Tupping, Caflratingt Cutting for the Fiftula, Amputation, Extirpation, Cuppng, exc See each in its Place in this Work.

Operation is particularly ufed in Medicine, for the Manner wherein any Remedy produces its falutary Effect ; or that Series of Actions, mediate and immediate, whereby the remote End iseffected. See Medicine.

See the Operations of each Kind of Medicines under the proper Heads, Specifics, Purgatives, Emetics, Opiates,

£S?e.

Operations, in Chymiftry, are the Proceffes, or Ex- periments, by means whereof the proper Changes are pro- duced in Bodies, and the Effects of the Art procured. See Chymistry.

Now, the Changes Chymiftry produces in Bodies are re- ducible to two Kinds, WiB. an Union of Parts, and a Sepa- ration thereof: Thus Chymiftry either feparates Spirits, Salts, Oils, £jc. or compounds 'em together.

A Chymical Operation, then, confifts in changing the Si- tuation of the Parts ; particularly, either in moving fome Farts, but not the Whole, which is call'd feparating ; or in adding new Part.r, which is call'd uniting.

All Chymical Operations, therefore, are reducible to two Kinds, we- fuch whereby the Parts of Bodies before join'd

or united, are feparated, which theantient Chymifls calVd Solution ; and fuch whereby the Parts before dif-joined are combined, or united, call'd Coagulation. See Solution and Coagulation.

Some, however, object Digeftion as a third Species of Operation, not reducible to either of 'em : But Boerhaaz-e Ihews, that it is a Compofition of both. See Digestion'.

Molt Chymifts, however, look on this Divifion as fcarce accurate and minute enough, and fubdivide it into a num- ber of particular, or fubordihate Of erations g as Calcination, Vitrif cation, F)ij\ illation, Sublimation, Cohobation, Amalgamation, Fermentation, T utre] : aBion f &.£i See each in its Place, Cal- cination, Vitrification, Sublimation, Distil- lation, Fermentation, £Sfr.

Operation, in Theology, is ufed for the Actions both of the Word, and the Man, in Jefus Chrift.

The Orthodox teach, that there are two Operations in Jefus Chrift, the one divine, the other human ; and not one Theandric Operation, as was the Doctrine of the Mono- thelites and Monophyfites. See Theandric, £i?c.

OPERATOR, in Medicine, tfc. a Perfon who operates* or works with the Hand, on the human Body, to preferve,, or reftore, its Health.

Thus we fay Operator for the Stone, meaning a Lithotomifr, or a Perfon who cuts. See Lithotomy. Operator for the Eyes, a Perfon who couches Cataracts, &c. See Cata- ract. Operator for the Teeth, a Tooth -Drawer. See Tooth.

OPHITES, in Natural Hiftory, a fort of variegated Marbles otherwife call'd Serpentine. See Marble and Serpentine.

It is thus call'd from the Greek opt, Serpent j by reafon its Spots refemble thofe of that Animal.

Ophites is alfo a Sect of antient Heretics, who fprung out of the Gnojiics -, fo call'd from their wor/hipping the Serpent that feduced Eve.

This Serpent, they taught, was inftruited thoroughly in all Knowledge 5 and make it the Father and Author of all the Sciences. On which Principle they built a thoufand Chime- ra's 5 part of which may be feen in St. Epiphan'uis, See Gnostic.

They faid this Serpent was the Chrift 5 that he was very different from Jefus born of the Virgin, into whom, faid they, the Chrift defcended ■, and that 'twas this Jefus, not the Chrift, that fuffered. Accordingly, they made all thofe of their Sect renounce Jefus.

The Sethians, or Sethites, mentioned by Theodoret, were either the fame with the Ophites, or very little different from them.

OPHIUCHUS, in Aftronomy, a Conftellation of the Northern Hemifphere 5 call'd alfo Serpentarms, SeeSER-

PENTARIUS.

OPHTHALMIA, or Opthalmia, in Medicine, aDif- eafe of the Eyes ; properly, an Inflammation of the Tunica Adnata, or CosjunSha 5 accompanied with a rednefs, hear, and pain. See Eye.

The Ophthalmia is either moift, or dry : In the firft, there is a /bedding of Tears ; in the fecond. none at all.

It fometimes happens In the Ophthalmia, that the two Eye-lids are fo diftorted, that the Eye continues conftantly open, without being able to Ihut j which is call'd yj\u.Mi< j fometimes the Eye-lids are fo faften'd together, that the Eye cannot be open'd, which is call'd puftasvp, j. d. clofure of things that ftiould be open.

The immediate Caufe of the Ophthalmia, is the Blood flowing in too great abundance in the little Veffeis of the Adnata, fo as to ftagnate therein, and diitend them. The remote Caufcs are the fame with thofe of other Inflam- mations.

Celfus calls the Ophthalmia, Lippitttdo, by reafon of a Gum fticking to the Eye-lids in this Difeafe, which the Latins call Lippa.

In Summer 'tis frequent to have Epidemic Ophthalmia's. Snow apply'd to the afflicted Eye, is reputed a good Remedy for the Ophthalmia ; The Ephemeridss of theLeo- pold'tne Academy mention an Ophthalmia cured by applying Cows-dung, whilehot, between two linnen Clothes, to the Eye. A Fox's Tongue, and the Fat and Gall of a Viper, are emperical Preiervatives againft thdOphthalmi a. The Word is form'd from the Greek o^ethptos, Eye. Pitcaim, and fome others, diftinguilh an external and internal Ophthalmia 5 the firft in the Adnata, which is that hitherto (poke of; the fecond in the Retina. The Symp- toms or Indications of the latter, are Mtifcx volitantes, Duft feeming to fly in the Air, £*?<;. SeeM uscje, &c.

This, when inveterate, degenerates, or ends in a Gutta Serena, or Antattrojis. See Gutta Serena, &c.

The Cure of Ophthalmia's, according to themodern Pra- ctice, depends chiefly on the due repetition of Purgatives. If thefe fail, recourfe is had to Veficataries, IfTues, Setons &c. Tho* Pitcaim prefers Bleeding ~ it being his Obferva-

tian,