Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume I.djvu/838

 802 ARZACHEL Worterluch der Indogermanischen Sprachen. The last two, with Bopp's and Schleicher s comparative grammars, have been mentioned above The relations of Latin and Greek re- spectively to the family have been best set forth by Oorssen, Lateinische Sprache, and Or. Ourtius, Griechisehe Etymologic. ARZACHEL, Abraham, a Jewish astronomer, born at Toledo, Spain, flourished about 1060. He wrote a work on the obliquity of the zodi- ac, and determined the apogee of the sun. The famous Alfonsine astronomical tables, prepared in 1252 by order of Alfonso X. of Castile, were derived in part from the writings of Arzachel. Several of his works are extant in Latin. ARZAMAS, or Arsamas, a town of European Russia, capital of a district, in the government and 60 m. S. of the city of Nizhni Novgorod, on the Tyesha; pop. in 1867, 10,517. It is an old town, and has 34 stone churches, a fine cathe- dral built in 1812-'41, several convents, manu- factures of silk, linen, iron, and leather, and two annual fairs. AS, a Roman weight, equivalent to the libra of 12 ounces. It was also the name of a Ro- man brass coin, originally an as in weight, but reduced at successive times, until it weighed but half an ounce ; it was stamped at first with the figure of a sheep, ox, or sow, afterward with the face of Janus, and a ship's prow. AS, or Asa (Norse plur. JEsir ; Ger. plur. Aseri), in northern mythology, a member of the ruling race of gods, 12 male and 12 female, including Odin, Thor, Baldur, Freyr, Frigga, Freyja, Idunna, Eira, and Saga, who dwelt in Asgard. (See MYTHOLOGY.) ASA, the third king of Judah, reigned 41 years, about 957-916 B. C. He was the son and successor of Abijam, and great-grandson of Solomon. He distinguished himself by his opposition to the forms of idolatry which had become prevalent in the preceding reigns. Be- ing assailed by Zerah, an Ethiopian king, with an immense army, Asa won a complete vic- tory, and for ten years enjoyed peace. Then he became involved in a war with Baasha, king of Israel, and, at the cost of the accumulated treasures of the tomple, induced the king of Damascus to enter into alliance with him. His reign was upon the whole a prosperous one. He was succeeded by his son Jehoshaphat. ASAHKTI I) V (also called utercus didboli and cibuA deorum), a resinous gum derived from the root of the narthex asafatida, a plant of the family limbellifercB, which grows in Persia, Afghanistan, and neighboring regions. It yields all its virtues to alcohol. Triturated with water, it forms a white or pink milky emulsion. Its peculiar' property is its strong disagreeable odor and taste. This resides in the volatile oil it contains, which may be sepa- rated by distilling the aqueous or alcoholic so- lution. The oil is said to contain from 15 '75 to 23 per cent, of sulphur. Asafcetida is used in Persia as a condiment for flavoring sauces and food. The leaves are eaten and the root roasted ASBESTUp for the same purpose. It is used in medicine as an expectorant and antispasmodic or nervous stimulant. It is supposed to act beneficially in Narthex aeafcetida. hysteria, flatulence, and some spasmodic affec- tions of the respiratory organs. (See ANTI- BPA8MODIC8.) The volatile oil is undoubtedly absorbed, as is shown by the odor being per- ceptible in the breath and other excretions. ASAPH, a Levite, appointed by David as lead- ing chorister in the musical services which he organized in connection with divine worship. The duty thus assigned him descended by a certain succession in his family, constituting them a kind of order parallel with the priest- hood, though not equal to them in dignity or influence. The " children of Asaph " appear still in the times of Ezra and Nehemiah as holy singers. Asaph is called in Chronicles a seer (hozeh), and twelve psalms (1. and Ixxiii.- Ixxxiii.) are attributed to him. Another Asaph was chancellor of King Hezekiah. ASBEN, in Africa. See AIR. ASBESTl S (Gr. dff/Jetrrof, a substance unaffect- ed by fire, from a privative and fffltwv/u, to quench), a term used rather to denote a pecu- liar form assumed by several minerals than to designate any particular species. Tremolite, actinolite, and other forms of hornblende, ex- cepting those containing much alumina, pass into fibrous varieties, the fibres of which are sometimes very long, fine, flexible, and easily separable by the fingers, and look like flax. These kinds, like the corresponding mineral pyroxene, are called asbestus. Pliny supposed it to be a vegetable product, although good for making incombustible cloth, as he states. The amianthits of the Greeks and Latins was the same thing ; the word meaning undefiled, and alluding to the facility of cleaning the cloth by throwing it into the fire. The colors vary from white to. green and wood-brown. The name amianthus is now applied usually to the finer and more silky kinds. Mountain leather is a