Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume V.djvu/145

 COMET must be mentioned those of 1780, 1807, 1811, 1815, 1819, 1825, 1843, 1847, 1858, and 1861. Among the most remarkable phenomena pre- sented by individual comets we may mention the six tails of the great comet of 1744, and the division of Biela's comet into two distinct comets, each having coma, nucleus, and tail. The latter phenomenon was first observed on Jan. 12, 1846, at the Washington observatory. Three days later European observers noted the same phenomenon. The two comets pursued their course side by side, with singular inter- changes of lustre, now Qne, now the other ap- pearing the brighter. At the return of the comet in 1852 both the comets were still visi- ble in the same telescopic field of view. The perihelion passage of 1859 took place (if at all) under circumstances unfavorable for observa- tion. The return of 1865 should have been readily observable; but the comet was not seen, nor has it since made its appearance. " Can it have come," says Sir John Herschel, " into contact with some asteroid as yet undis- covered, or perad venture plunged into and got bewildered among the rings of meteorites, which astronomers more than suspect ? " The recent discovery of the fact that the November and August meteor systems follow in the track of two comets (the November meteors follow- ing the telescopic comet No. I., 1866, and the August meteors following the conspicuous comet of 1862), has led to some interesting speculations respecting the nature of comets and meteors. Schiaparelli, to whom the dis- covery is in part due, considers the meteors to be dispersed portions of the comet's original substance, that is, of the substance with which the comet entered the solar domain. Thus comets would come to be regarded as consist- ing of a multitude of relatively minute masses. Others, however, regard comets as chiefly gas- eous, and the meteors as due to the solidifi- cation of portions of the gaseous coma which have been swept off by the repulsive action which forms the tail. Spectroscopic analysis has thrown some light on cometic structure, though hitherto only faint comets have been subject to careful analysis according to recent methods. Four comets examined by Dr. Hug- gins of England showed spectra indicative of gaseousness, so far as the nucleus and the bright- er part of the coma are concerned. The outer part of the coma seems to shine in part by re- flecting solar light. Two of the comets thus examined have shown a spectrum singularly like one of the spectra of carbon. Yet it is difficult to understand how carbon can be pres- ent in the form of luminous gas under the conditions actually existing in the case of these comets. The spectroscopic observations by Dr. Huggins on the latest arrival, Encke's comet, have been in all respects confirmed by Prof. Young of Dartmouth college. The mo- tions of Encke's comet, observed on many suc- cessive returns, seem to indicate the existence of a resisting medium ; but Sir John Herschel COMINES 141 has suggested another explanation ; and Prof. Asaph Hall has shown in the " American Jour- nal of Science and Arts " for December, 1871, that if resistance is actually in question, such resistance affects Encke's comet in an excep- tional manner, for other well known periodic comets show no traces of its effects. All the comets having a period not exceeding seven years' travel in the same direction around the sun as the planets. Among comets with pe- riods less than 80 years long, five sixths travel in the same direction as the planets. COMFREY (symphytum officinale), a plant of the order borraginacem, a native of Europe, but raised in our gardens. It was formerly imagined to promote the healing of wounds, or even of broken bones, a superstition of which Comfrey (Symphytnm offlcinale). traces have remained until the present time. Its virtues are simply those of a demulcent. COMINES, or Comynes, Philippe de, a French statesman and historian, born at the chateau of Comines, near Lille, in 1445, died at his dp- main of Argenton in 1509. He stood high in the favor of Charles the Bold of Burgundy, and on occasion of Louis XL's imprisonment by Charles at Peronne succeeded in bringing about a treaty of peace between them. In 1472 he forsook the cause of the duke of Bur- gundy and became councillor and chamberlain of Louis XL, who compensated him so amply for the loss of his property, which had been confiscated by Charles, that he soon became one "of the most wealthy and influential noble- men in France. The death of Louis, however, proved fatal to his fortunes. He was no favor- ite with Anne de Beaujeu, the regent, and was imprisoned on a charge of conspiracy against her. On the accession of Charles VIII. he was again employed in the public service, but went into retirement after the advent of Louis XIL, who seemed reluctant to favor him, although he left him in possession of a pension. The fame of Comines rests not only upon his astuteness as a statesman, but still