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 ASH ( 430 ) A S I quadridcntata, ruflica, and echinata, all inhabitants 120miles S. W. of Canterbury, in 45' E. long, and of the ocean. 51 15' N. lat. ASCII, among geographers, an appellation given to ASIA, one of the four great parts of the world, and thofe inhabitants of the earth who, at certain feafons of the fecond in order. It is bounded on the N. by the the year, have no (hadow: fuch are all the inhabitants Frozen Sea, on the E. by the Eaftern Ocean, which of the torrid zone, when the fun is vertical to them. is part of the South Sea, on the S. by the Indian Sea, ASCITES, in medicine, the dropfy. See Dropsy, and on the W. by Europe and Africa. It is of larger and Medicine., extent than any of the three parts in our continent. ASCLEPIAD, in ancient poetry, a verfe compofed Arts and fciences were early cultivated here; though of four feet, the firft of which is a fpondee, the they are thought to have come originally from Egypt: fecond a choriambus, and the two laft daftyls; or but all the confiderable religions now known had their of four feet and a csefura, the firfl a fpondee, the fe- firft beginning in Afia ; and there are ftill a great numcond a daftyl, after which comes the csefura, then ber of people who maintain their ancient tenets, which, according to them, are a hundred thoufand years old. the two dadtyls, as, They have one fort of religion in China, and another Maecenas atavss edite regibus. ASCLEPIAS, in botany, a genus of the pentandria in India, whofeewspriefts aie the Brachmins; not to digynia clafs. The generic character is taken from mention the 7 > Chriftians, and Mahometans, five oval-, concave, horn-like ne&aria, which are found whofe beginnings are fufficiently known to all the in the flower. There are 18 fpecies of afclepias, none world. This was the feat of feveral ancient empires of which grow wild in Britain. The root is ufed by or monarchies; fuch as that of the Aflyrians, Medes, the French and German ph.yficians as afudorific, diu- Perfians, and Greeks.. It is 4740 miles in length retic, and emmenagogue; but it is not in ufe with us. from the Dardanels on the W. to the eaftern fhore of ASCODRUTjE, in church-hiftory, a fort of Gnoftics, Tartary ; and 4380 in breadth from the moft fouthern who placed all religion in knowledge; and, under pre- part of Malacca, to the moft northern cape of Nova tence of fpiritual worfhip, would admit of no' external Zembla. It may be divided into ten great parts, or corporeal fymbols whatever. namely, Turky in Afia, Arabia, Perfia, the Mogul’s ASCOLI, a city in the marquifate of0 Ancona in Italy,0 empire, with the two peninfulas of India, Thibet, fituated on the river Tronto, in 15 E. long, and 42 China, and Corea; Great and Little Bocharia, with 5c/ N. lat. It is alfo a city of the kingdom of Na- Carazm, Little and Great Tartary, Siberia, and the ples,7 fituated in the province of Capitonata, in x6° Iflands. The governments of Afia are generally monarchical ; and Turky, Ptrfia, the Mogul’s Empire, jo E. long, and 41° 15* N. lat. ASCOLIA, in Grecian antiquity, a feftival celebrated Thibet, and China, are fubjedt to fingle monarchs; by the Athenian hufbandmen in honour of Bacchus, but the reft is divided among feveral fovereigns ; infoto whom they facrificed a he-goat, becaufe that animal much that there are reckoned feven emperors, and 30 kings, befides petty princes, and the rajas of India, deftroys the vines. ASCUS, in natural hiftory, the pouch or bag of the a- which are very numerous. With regard to the extent poflum. See Opossum, of their religions, the Chriftian is but finall in refpedt ASCYRUM, in botany, a genus of the polyadelphia of the Mahometan, which comprehends one third of polyandria clafs. The calix confifts of four leaves; Afia; and the Pagan is near twice as much extended the corolla'has four petals; the filaments are. nume- as the Mahometan. Befide thefe, fome pretend there rous, and divided into four bundles. The fpecies are is the natural religion, which has about as many folthree, viz. the crux andreae, the hypericoides, and lowers as the Chriftian. The languages are fo many the villofum, all natives of the Welt-Indies or A- and fo various, that it is impoflible to enumerate them ^ merica. but the chief are the Turkifh, the Grecian, the AraASELLUS, in zoology, the trivial name of a fpecies bic, the Chinefe, the Perfian, and the Old Indian. of onifeus. SccOniscus. In fliort, every country and ifland has almoft a diftindl ASH, in botany. See Fraxinus. language. Befides. the animals we have in Europe, ASHBURTON., a town of Devonftiire, fituated about there are lions, leopards, tigers, camels, elephants, twenty-two miles 7 S. W. of Exeter, in 40 15' W. rhinocerofes, and many others. long, and jo° jo N. lat. Lejjer Asia, the fame with Natolia. SccNatolia. ASHBY be i-A zquch, a. market-town of Leicefter- ASILUS, or hornet-fly,, a genus of infedls belonging to ftiire, in i° 25 W. long, and 520 40' N. lat. the order of infedla diptera. It has two wings., a ASHES, the earthy part of wood and other combur horny, ftrait, two-valved beak. There are 17 fpecies ftibles, remaining, after they are confumed by fire. of this infeA. Thefe, if produced from a vegetable, are of a white ASINUS, or Ass, in zoology, the ndme of a fpecies of. colour and faltilh tafte, and, when boiled with fair equus.. See Equus. water, yield a lixivium of an acrimonious, alkaline, in ornithology, a fynonime of a fpecies of ftrix.v fiery, urinous tafte. The aflies of all, vegetables are ASI.O, See Strix. vitrifiable, and are found to contain iron. See Agri- ASISIO, or Asitiq, a city of. the pope’s territories int0 culture, and Chemistry. Italy, fituated about 16 miles E. of Perugia, in 13 ASHFORD, a. market-town of Kent, fituated about 3 c' E. long. and 430 N. lat. ASLANT,.