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A S T however, it is ditinguihed by its colour and uperior hardnes.

is alo the name of an extraneous foil, called in Englih the tar-tone. See.

clas. The involucrum is lanceolated, open, however, it is ditinguihed by its colour and uperior digynia equal, and coloured. The pecies are two, viz. the hardnes. major and minor, both natives of the Alps. Asteria is alo the name of an extraneous foflil, call- ASTRARIUS hterei, in law, is where an anceftor by ed in Englifli theJlar-ftone., See Star-stone. has fettled his heir apparent and family ASTERIAS, or Star-fish, in zoology, a genus of conveyance in a houe in his life-time. infedts of the order of vermes molufca. The body is ASTREA, in aftronomy, the fame with virgo. See deprefled, with a hard cruft, and prickly tentacular Virgo, and The mouth is in the centre, and has five valves. There ASTRENIUM,Astronomy. in botany, a genus of the dioecia penare fixteen fpecies of afterias, all found in different tandria clafs. There is but one fpecies, a native of eas. America. ASTERISCUS, in botany, a fynonime of the anthe- ASTRICTION, inlaw. SeeTniRLAGE. mis. See Anthemis. among phyficians, denotes the operation ASTERISK, a mark in form of a ftar, *, placed over a As-triction, of aftringent medicines. See the next article. word or fentence, to refer the reader to the margin, ASTRINGENTS, in materia medica, fubftances dior elfewhere, for a quotation, explanation, or the ftinguHhed by a rough auftere tafte, and changing folike. of iron, efpecially thofe made in the vitriolic ASTEROCEPHALUS, in botany. - See Scabiosa. lutions acid, into a dark purple or black colour; fuch are ASTEROIDES, in botany. See Buphthalmum. galls, tormentil root, biftort root, balauliines, terra ASTEROPODIUM, a kind of extraneous foffil, of japanica, <bc. Aftringents yield their virtues the fame fubftance with the afteriae,- or ftar-ftones, to by infufionacacia, both to water and vinous fpirits, but genewhich they ferve as a bafe. See Star-stone. ASTEROP PERUS, in botany, a fynonime of the af- rally in greateft perfe<5Hon to the former. The medical effects of aftringents are, to conftringe the fibres, ter. See Aster. incraffate or lightly thicken the juices. Their ASTHMA, in medicine, a painful, difficult, and labo- and more experienced ufe is in diforders proceeding from rious refpiration. See Medicine. ASTI, a city of Peidmontj in Italy, fituated upon the a debility or flaccid ftate of the folids ; in haemorriver Panaro, about 0thirty miles eaft of Turin, in 8° rhages from a thinnels of the blood, laxity, or rupture of the veffek; in preternatural difcharges of oi E. long. and 44 40' N. lat. ASTORGA, a city of the province of Leon,'in Spain, ther kinds, after the offending matter has been duly fituated upon the river Inerto, about thirty 0miles corrected or evacuated; and in external relaxations. fouth-weft of Leon, in 6° 20' W. long, and 42 20' ASTROGNOSIA, the fcience of the fixed ftars, or the knowlege of their names, conftellations, magniN. lat. ASTOUR, in commerce, a term in the E. Indies, for tudes, fee. what in England we call difcount. See Discount. ASTROITES, or Star stone, in natural-hiftory, is called on account of its refemblance to a ftar. See ASTRACAN, a city of Afiatic Ruffia, and capital of foStar-stone. a kingdom of the" fame name. It is fituated on the eaftern ffiore of the river Wolga,0 about eighty miles0 ASTROLABE, the name for a ftereographic projection north of the Cafpian fea, in 52 E. long, and 47 of the fphere, either upon the plane of the equator, the eye being fuppofed to be in the pole of the world ;• ■ N. lat. ASTRAGAL, in architedture, a little round moulding, or upon the plane of the meridian, when the eye is in form of a ring, ferving as an ornament at the tops fuppofed in the point of the interfeCtion of the equiand bottoms of columns. See Architecture. noxial and horizon. Astragal, in gunnery, a round moulding encompaffing Astrolabe is alfo an inftrument for taking thealtitude a cannon, about half a foot from its mouth. of the fun or ftars at fea. See Astronomy. ASTRAGALOIDES, in botany, a fynonime of the Astrolabe, among the ancients, was the fame as our armillary fphere. phaca.' See Phaca. ASTRAGALUS, in botany, a genus of the diadelphia Astragalus, in anatomy. See p. 185.

ASTROLABE, the name for a tereographic projection of the phere, either upon the plane of the equator, the eye being uppoed to be in the pole of the world; or upon the plane of the meridian, when the eye is uppoed in the point of the interection of the equinoxial and horizon.

is alo an intrument for taking the altitude of the un or tars at ea. See.

, among the ancients, was the ame as our armillary phere.  ASTROLOGY, a conjectural cience, which teaches to judge of the effects and influences of the tars, and to foretel future events by the ituation and different apects of the heavenly bodies. This cience has long ago become a jut ubject of contempt and ridicule.  ASTRONOMICALS, a name ometimes given to exagesimal fractions. See, Of exageimals. 