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 A S C ( 429 ) A S C AS, in antiquity, a particular weight, confining of twelve the order of vermes inteftina. The body of'the a" ounces, being the fame with, libra, or the Roman caris is cylindrical, filiform, and tapers at both endspound. It was alfo the nantie of a Roman coin, which The fpecies are two, viz. 1. The vermicularis is abo«t was of different matter and weight, according to the a quarter of an inch long, and is found in lakes, in different ages of the commonwealth. It is alfo ufed the roots of putrid plants, and very frequently in the to figmfy an integer, divifible into twelve parts ; from redtum of children and horfes. 2. The lumbricoides which laft acceptation it fignified a whole inheritance. is about the fame length with the lumbricus terreftris, ASAFOETIDA, in the materia medica, the concrete or common earth-worm, but it wants the protuberant juice of a large umbelliferous plant growing in Perfia. ring towards the middle of the body, the only mark This juice exfudes from wounds made in the root of by which they can properly be diftinguifhed. The the plant, liquid and white like milkv When expofed body of the lumbricoides is cylindrical, and fubulated to the air, it turns of a brownilh colour, and gradu- at each extremity ; but the tail is fomewhat triangular. ally acquires different degrees of confidence. It is The lumbricoides is the worm which is moft commcn brought to us in large irregular maffes, compofed of ly found in the human inteftines. For the method of various little fiiining grains, which are partly whitilh, expelling thefe two kinds of infedts, fee Medicine, partly reddilh, and .partly of a violet’colour. Thofe Of 'worms. ' maffes are accounted the beft which are clear, of a ASCENDANTS, in law, are oppofed to defcendents in pale reddilh colour, and variegated with a great num- in fucceflion ; i. e. when a father fupceeds his fon, or ber of elegant white tears. This drug has a ftrong an uncle his nephew, fac. heritage is laid to afcend, foetid fmell like garlic, and a bitter, acrid, biting or go to afcendants. tafte. It is frequently ufed in hyfteric and nervous ASCENDENS obliqum, the fame with the obliquus incomplaints, flatulent colics, and as a promoter of the ternus abdominis. See Anatomy, p. 192. menfes. It is likewife an ingredient in the officinal' ASCENDING, in aftronomy, is faid of fuch ftars as are riling above the horizon in any parallel"of the egum-pills, and feveral other compofitions. quator. ASA dulcis. See Benzoin. ASAPH, or St Asaph, a city of Flintlhire in North Ascending vejfels, in anatomy, thofe which carry the Wales, blood upwards, as the aorta afcendens. 9 7 fituated about 20 0miles7 N. W. of Chefter, in 30 go W. long, and 53 i8 N. lat. ASCENSION, in aftronomy, is either right or oblique. ASAPPES, or Azapes, in theTurkilh armies, a name Right afcenfion of the fun, or a ftar, is that degree given to the auxiliary troops which they raife among of the equinodtial, counted from the beginning of athe Chriftians under their dominion, and expofe to the ries, which rifes with the fun or ftar in a right fphere. firft Ihock of the enemy. Oblique afcenfion is an arch of the equator intercepted between the lirft point of aries, and that point of the ASARABACCA, in botany. SeeAsARUM. AS ARINA, in botany, a fynonime of the chelone. equator which rifes together with a ftar jn an oblique See Chelone. fphere.. ASARUM, in botany, a genus of the dodecandria mo- Ascension-^/, a feftival of the Chriftian church, nogynia clafs. The afarum is quinquifid, and refts held ten days before Whitfuntide, in memory of on the germen; it has no corolla. The fpecies are our Saviour’s afcenfion into heaven after his refurfour, only one of which, viz. the europseum, is a redtion. native of Britain. It is a ftrong fternutatory, and Ascension-//^7»</. an uninhabited ifland, lying almoft occafions great evacuations, both upwards and down- in the midway 0between Africa and Brazil, in iy° wards. W. long, and 7 S. lat. ASBESTOS, a fort of native foflile ftone, which may ASCENSIONAL difference, the difference between the be fplit into threads and filaments, from one inch to right and oblique afcenfion of the fame point to the ten inches in length-, very finq, brittle, yet fomewhat furface of the fphere. See Astronomy. traftable, filky, and of a greyilh colour, not unlike ASCENT of bodies on inclined planes. See Metalc of Venice. It is almoft infipid to the tafte, in- chanics. diffoluble in water, and endued with the wonderful Ascent offluids. See Hydrostatics. property of remaining unconfumed in the fire, which ASCETICS, in church-hiftory, fuch Chriftians in the only tvhitens it. But, notwithftanding the common primitive church, as enured themfelves to great degrees opinion, in two trials before the Royal Society, a of abftinence and falling, in order to fubdue their piece'of cloth made of this ftone was found to lofe a paflions. dram of its weight each time. Paper as well as ASCHAFFENBURG, a city of Germany, fituated on cloth has been made of it; and Pliny fays he had. the river Mayne, in the circle of the Lower Rhine, feen napkins of it, which, being taken foul from the about 20 miles call of Frankfort, in 90 E. long, and table, were thrown into the fire, and better fcoured 50° 1 s' N. lat. than if they had been wafh'ed in water. This ftone ASCIDIA, a genus of infedts belonging to the order of is found in many places of Afia and Europe ; particu- vermes mollufca. The body is- cylindrical and fheathy; larly in the ifland of Anglefey in Wales, and in Aber- it has two apertures towards the" top, the one a little deenfhire irt Scotland. lower than the other. There are fix fpecies of this ASCARIS, in zoology, a.genus of infeds belonging to infedt, viz. the papillofum, gelatinofum, inteftinalis, Vol. I. No. 18. 3 5 quadridcntata.