Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XV.djvu/567

 SYME SYMPHONY 539 a compound. Thus 311 signifies three atoms of hydrogen, and 3PI 2 three molecules of water, one molecule of water being composed of two atoms of hydrogen and one of oxygen. The prefixed numeral however only includes those symbols which are not separated by a + sign or a comma, or which are included in paren- theses ; as 2KCl,PtCl 4, which is the formula of potassic-platinic chloride, and which contains two molecules of chloride of potassium united to one molecule of tetrachloride of platinum. Two molecules of potassic-platinic chloride would bo written 2(2K01,PtCl 4 ). A numeral placed at the right of a symbol and a little be- low (or sometimes above) multiplies that sym- bol only. Thus, the formula of sulphuric acid, H 2 S0 4, signifies that it contains two atoms of hydrogen, four of oxygen, and one of sul- phur. A numeral placed in the same position with regard to any number of symbols placed in parentheses has the same function. Thus (H 4 N) 2 C0 3, which is the formula of normal ammonic carbonate, indicates that two mole- cules of the compound basyle ammonium, H 4 N, are united to one molecule of the oxion COs, or carbion. A capital letter with a dash above it is often used to stand for a compound instead of an element, as A for acetic acid, C2H 4 2 ; o for oxalic acid, C 2 H 2 04. Other symbols and abbreviations are also given in the article ATOMIC THEORY. SYME, James, a Scottish surgeon, born in Edinburgh in 1799, died there, June 26, 1870. He received his diploma as surgeon in 1821, and in 1823 became a fellow of the royal col- lege of Edinburgh, and in 1843 of the English college of surgeons. From 1821 to 1833 he lectured on surgery, and in 1833 was appointed to the chair of clinical surgery at Edinburgh. He originated or aided in establishing many improvements, including the resection of dis- eased joints in place of amputation (a prac- tice already introduced by Roux in 1812), the process for amputation of the foot at the ankle joint (known as " Syme's operation "), and the removal of large tumors of the lower jaw by exsection of the entire bone. His works include "The Excision of Diseased Joints" (1831), and "Principles of Surgery" (1832), both republished in Philadelphia (1866). See " Memorial of the Life of James Syme," by Eobert Paterson, M. D. (Edinburgh, 1871). SYMMACHUS, Cretins, a pope and saint, born at Sinagia in Sardinia about 440, died in Rome, July 19, 514. He was appointed archdeacon of the Roman church by Pope Eelix III., and was elected to succeed Anastasius II., Nov. 22, 498. A strong minority of Eutychians, head- ed by the patrician Festus and favored by the Greek ^ emperor Anastasius I., elected at the same time the archpriest Laurentius, who had consented to sign the Henoticon of the empe- ror Zeno. The claims of the two parties were referred to the arbitrament of Theodoric, king of Italy, who decided in favor of Symmachus, Laurentius being appointed bishop of Nocera. A council held in Rome in March, 499, having enacted decrees against all bribery and intrigue in papal elections, the opposition was renewed, and Laurentius secretly returned to Rome. Symmachus was accused of peculation and adul- tery, and Rome became the scene of rioting and bloodshed. A council of all the Italian bish- ops was convened at Rome in 502, and The- odoric hastened thither to secure tranquillity. The pope was unanimously acquitted of the charges brought against him. In France the bishops declined to acknowledge the competen- cy of a local synod to sit in judgment on their superior, and a third council met in Rome in 503, to which the emperor Anastasius (whom Symmachus had excommunicated) sent repre- sentatives, who accused the pope of Manichfe- ism and of promoting sedition. Symmachus, through his legate Ennodius, declared that he had freely submitted to the judgment of the former bishops, proved that he had combated Manichseism, and promised to restore the em- peror to his communion as soon as the latter ceased to protect Eutychianism. With the council ended the schism in Rome, but Anas- tasius persecuted all who sustained Symma- chus. The latter published a treatise in which he refuted the charges against his doctrine and morality. His feast is held on July 19. SYMMACHtS, Quintns Aurelins, a Roman au- thor of the 4th century A. D. He was edu- cated in Gaul, and, after being qusestor and prastor, was appointed in A. D. 365 corrector of Lucania and the Bruttii. In 373 he was proconsul of Africa, in 384 prefect of Rome, and in 391 consul. He was a sincere pagan, and labored to maintain his faith. His ex- tant works are 10 books of epistles containing 965 letters, and fragments of orations which Angelo Mai discovered in one of the palim- psests of the Ambrosian library, and others from a Turin and Vatican manuscript. The first edition of the epistles was published in the pontificate of Julius II. One of the best is that of Scioppius (4to, Mentz, 1608). SYMMES, John Clcves, an American soldier, born in New Jersey about 1780, died at Ham- ilton, Butler co., Ohio, May 28, 1829. He en- tered the army as ensign in 1802, fought in the war of 1812, settled at Newport, Ky., and wrote and lectured on his theory that the earth is hollow, open at the poles, and capable of being inhabited within. He published " The- ory of Concentric Spheres" (12mo, Cincin- nati, 1826). For an abstract of Symmes's the- ory and arguments, see the "Atlantic Month- ly" for April, 1873. SYMPATHETIC INK. See INK, vol. ix., p. 284. SYMPHONY (Gr. <jfo, with, and 0wwfr, voice), a term originally signifying merely a concor- dance of tones, but applied successively to cer- tain vocal compositions, to compositions partly vocal and partly instrumental, to short intro- ductory or intermediate instrumental passages in compositions which are predominantly vo- cal, and finally to elaborate and extended com-