Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, first edition - Volume I, A-B.pdf/109

 A L C A L c ( :7 ) contain two conic feeds in each. There are only their nails and hair. In dying, it gives a yellow co- lythree fpecies of the alchemilla, viz. the vulgaris of lour, when fteeped with common water; and a red (hops, which is efteemed a powerful vulnerary; the ' one, when infufed in vinegar. There is alfo an oil ex- the or leaft ladies-mantle; and the alpina, or tradled from the berries of alcanna, and ufed in me- minor, cinque-foil ladies-mantle; all of which are natives of dicine as a calmer. Britain. Alcanna. See Ichthyocolla. a practitioner in alchemy. See AlALCANTARA, a city of Spain, in the province of ALCHEMIST, chemy. Eftremadura, on the frontiers of Portugal; 7. o. ALCHEMY, that branch of chemiftry which had for W. long. 39. 10. N. lat. objedts the tranfmutation of metals into Knights of Alcantara, a military order of Spain, itsgold;principal the panacea, or univerfal remedy; an alkaheft, which took its name from the above-mentioned city. or univerfal menftruum; an univerfal ferment; and The knights of Alcantara make a very confiderable many other things figure in the hiftory of the expeditions againft the stry, Introdufcion.equally ridiculous. See ChemiMoors. is alfo fometimes ufed as a fynonymous term ALCARAZ, a town of Spain, in the province of New- Alchemy Caftile, fituated on the river Guadarema; 3. o. W. for chemiftry in general. A.LCHIMILLA. See Alchemilla. long. 38. 3. N. lat. Alchymy, and Alchymist. See AlALCAZAR de Sal, a fmall town of Portugal, in the ALCHIMY, province of Eftremadura, near the confines of that of chemy, and Alchemist. ALCHITRAM, or Alchitran, a term among alcheAlantejo. ALCE, ocAlces, in zoology, the trivial name of a mifts for the oil of juniper, <bc. fpecies of the cervus, belonging to the order of mam- ALCIBIUM, or Alcibiadum, in botany, an obfolete term of a fpecies of echium. See Echium. malia pecora. See Cervus. ALCEA, or Vervain-mallow, in botany, a genus ALCMAER, a town of N. Holland, remarkable for the of the monodelphia polyandria clafs. There are only fine paftures in its neighbourhood, and the great quantwo fpecies of this genus, viz. the rofea and ficifolia. tities of butter and cheefe made there. This genus differs little from the common mallow, ALCMANIAN, in ancient lyric poetry, a kind of verfe either in figure or medical virtues, excepting that confifting of two dadtyles and two trochees ; as, the leaves of the alcea are more deeply divided. VirginiXbus puerifque canto. Alcea veftcaria, in botany, an obfolete name of a fpeALCOA arbor, the name of a tree in St Helena, faid cies of the ketmia. See Ketmia. ALCEDO, or the Kings-fisher, in ornithology, a to emulate ebony. genus of the order of picae. The alcedo has a long, ALCOBACO, a fmall town of Portugal, in the proftrait, thick, triangular bill; with a flelhy, plain, Ihort, vince of Eftremadura: It is defended by a pretty flat tongue. There are. feven fpecies of the alcedo, ftrong caftle ; but what makes it moft remarkable, is viz. 1. The ifpjda, or common kings-fifher, with a the abbey of St Bennet, which is the burying-place of fliort tail, blue above, and yellowifli below. It haunts moft of the kings of Portugal. the fhores of Europe and Afia. 2. The erithaca, ALCOHOL, or Alkool, in ehemiftry, fpirit of wine with a fliort tail, a blue back, a yellow bill, a purple highly redtified. It ij alfo ufed for any highly redtihead and rump, and the throat and oppofite part of fied fpirit.—Alcohol is extremely light and inflammathe neck white. It is a native of Bengal. 3. The ble : It is a ftrong antifeptic, and therefore employee! alcyon, with a fliort black tail, white belly, and fer- to preferve animal ftlbftances. For tlie other qualities ruginous breaft. It is a native of America. 4. The of alcohol, fee Chemistry. todus, with a fliort green tail, a blood-coloured throat, Alcohol is alfo ufed for any fine impalpable powder. and a white belly. It is a native of America; and is among chemifts, the procefs the green fpatrow, or green humming-bird of Edwards, ALCOHOLIZATION, of redtifying any fpirit. It is alfo ufed for pulverizay. The fmyrnenfis, with a ftiort green tail, ferrugi- tion. nous wings, and green back. It is a native of Aa term among chemifts for the tartar of ufrica and Afia. 6. The rudis, with a brown fliort ALCOLA, rine. tail variegated with white. It is a native of Perfia ALCORAN, or Alkoran, the name of a book held and Egypt. 7. The dea, with two very long fea- equally facred-among the Mahometans, as the Bible is thers in the tail, a blackifti blue body, and greenifti among Chriftians. wings. It is a native of Surinam. All the fpecies The word alkoran properly reading; a tiof this genus dive in. the water, and catch fifti with tle given it by way of eminence,fignifies juft as we call the their long beaks. Old and New Teftaments Scriptures. See MahomeALCHEMILLA, or Ladies-mantle, a genus of the tanism. tetrandria monogynia clafs. The leaves of this genus Alcoran, in a figurative fenfe, is an appellation given are ferrated. The cup is divided into eight fegments ; to any books full of impoftures or impiety. the flowers are apetalous, and colledted in bunches Alcoran, the Perfians, is alfo ufed for a narupon the tops of the ftalk ; the feed-capfules general- row kind ofamong fteeple, with two or three galleries, where Vol. I. No. 4. 3 U ,the