Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XV.djvu/122

 HI SMILES other species belong to this section, which Tor- rey at one time regarded as a distinct genus, to which ho gave the appropriate name of coprosmanthu*. Nearly 200 species of smilax are enumerated as growing in various parts of the world, but, judging from the confusion of names existing among our own, the number of real species is much less. The most impor- tant exotic species are those which furnish the drug sarsaparilla. (See SARSAPABILLA.) An- other medicinal product is the China root, the rhizome of S. China and several other east- ern species, which, under the name of radix China, came into use about A. D. 1535 as a remedy for syphilis, gout, and rheumatism ; it is now little used except in the East. The fresh rootstocks of this and other species are cooked and eaten by the Chinese. Under the name of smilax florists cultivate in green- houses large quantities of myrsipJiyllum anpa- ragoides, a liliaceous plant from the Cape of Good Hope, closely allied to asparagus ; it has small tuberous roots, and very slen- der, strong, branching stems, which climb by twining to the height of 20 ft. or more ; its proper leaves are minute scales, from the axils of which, as in asparagus, appear small branches, so modified that they look like true leaves, the functions of which they perform ; the flowers are small, whitish, and incon- spicuous, and are fol- lowed by green ber- ries about the size of those of asparagus. It is raised from seeds, the roots being kept from year to year. This plant is one of the most valuable and popular of all greens used for decorations, as it does not readily fade, and its thread-like stems al- low it to be used in the most delicate work. It is a very useful window plant if the atmos- phere of the room is not excessively dry. SMILES, Samuel, a British author, born at Haddington, Scotland, in 1816. After practis- ing as a surgeon for some time at Leeds, he became editor of the Leeds " Times " in 1845, secretary of the Leeds and Thirsk railway, and in 1852 secretary of the Southeastern railway, from which post he retired in 1866. He has published " Physical Education, or Nature of Children" (Edinburgh, 1837); "History of Ireland and the Irish People under the Gov- ernment of England" (London, 1844); "Life of George Stephenson" (1857); "Self-Help, with Illustrations of Character and Conduct" (1859) ; " Brief Biographies " (Boston, 1860) ; Smilax Vine (M Vine (Myrsiphy asparagoides). Hum SMITH " Workmen's Earnings, Strikes, and Savings " (London, 1861) ; " Lives of the Engineers, with an Account of their Principal Works " (4 vols. 8vo, 1861-'5; new ed., 5 vols., 1875), inclu- ding that of Stephenson; "Industrial Biogra- phy" (1863); "The Huguenots, their Settle- ments, Churches, and Industries in England and Ireland" (1867); "Character," a com- panion volume to "Self-Help" (1871); "The Huguenots in France, after the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes" (1874); and "Thrift" (1875). Most of his works have passed through several editions in England and America. S3IIRKK. I. Sir Robert, an English architect, born in London in 1780, died at Cheltenham, April 18, 1867. He was the oldest son of Robert Smirke, a popular genre painter. After a tour through Germany and southern Europe, he settled in London in 1805 as an architect. He brought himself early into notice by his design for Co vent Garden theatre (1808-'9), which was destroyed by fire in March, 1856. Subsequently he was employed in designing many public buildings in the metropolis, the most considerable being the mint, a Grecian Doric edifice erected in 1811 ; the post office (1823-'9); the college of physicians; King's college, as the eastern wing of Somerset house (1831); -and the British museum (1823- '47). These were all in the classical style. His chief Gothic works are the restorations of York minster and the improvements and ex- tensions of the Inner Temple. He also erected buildings for the United Service, Carlton, and Oxford and Cambridge clubs, the last in con- junction with his brother Sydney. He was elected a royal academician in 1812, and in 1831 was knighted. He published " Specimens of Continental Architecture" (fol., London, 1806). II. Sydney, younger brother of the pre- ceding, also an architect. His style is more ornate and florid than that of his brother, and has been employed with effect upon several of the London club houses, especially the Carlton in Pall Mall. He also directed the restorations of the Temple church and Lichfield cathedral, and in 1847 succeeded his brother as architect of the British museum. He was elected a member of the royal academy in 1860, pro- fessor of architecture in 1861, and treasurer in 1862. He has published "Suggestions on the Architectural Improvements of the West of London" (1834), and "Architecture of the Temple Church " (4to, 1842). SMITH, the name of four counties in the United States. I. A central county of Missis- sippi, intersected by Strong river and drained by the head streams of Leaf river ; area, 620 sq. m. ; pop. in 1870, 7,126, of whom 1,711 were colored. The surface is generally level and the soil poor. The chief productions in 1870 were 144,688 bushels of Indian corn, 28,286 of sweet potatoes, 45,040 Ibs. of rice, 5,666 of wool, and 2,411 bales of cotton. There were 1,065 horses, 2,027 milch cows, 4,308 other cattle, 3,694 sheep, and 11,254