Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 01.djvu/642

ANEURIN. and it has even been maintained that the subject of the poem is the massacre of the Britons at Stonehenge (472). Stephens connects the event with the battle of Dagstan (603). The Gododin was published with an English version and notes in 1852, by Rev. J. Williams ab Ithel, and the text appears with a translation in F. Skene's Four Ancient Books of Wales (1866). The Cymmrodorion Society published in 1855 a new edition, with translation by Thomas Stephens. Aneurin is the reputed author of one other poem. See.

AN'EURISM: (Gk., aneurysma, a dilatation, from , ana, up + , eurys, wide). A pulsating tumor, consisting of a sac or pouch into which blood flows through an opening in an artery. The sac of an arterial aneurism may be formed in the first instance by one or more of the tunics of the vessel, generally the outer one, the two inner having given way. This is called a true aneurism, in contradistinction to the false. The pathological condition underlying most aneurisms is a weakening of the arterial walls from disease. Thus, in the early stages of the disease of the arteries known as arterio-sclerosis, the walls of the vessels are weakened, and so less resistant. The changes in the vessel walls being uniform, the resulting aneurism is apt to consist of an even dilatation of the entire vessel, making what is called a fusiform aneurism. If, however, there is one particularly weak point in the coats of the artery, the distention is greatest at that point and an aneurismal sac is formed. Such an aneurism is described as a saccular aneurism. An aneurism may occur at a point where an artery branches, and be irregular in shape from involvement of both main trunk and one or more of the branches, cirsoid aneurism. Owing to injury to the internal coat of an artery, the blood may get in between the layers of the vessel walls and work its way up or down between them. This form of aneurism is called a dissecting aneurism. Sometimes a direct communication is found between an artery and a vein, in which case the latter, being exposed to unusual pressure, is apt to become distended and tortuous. Such a condition is called aneurismal varix. A false aneurism is one in which there is rupture of the entire wall of an artery and the blood comes in direct contact with the surrounding tissues. This is sometimes called a diffuse aneurism. Aneurisms prove fatal by their pressure on some important part, or by bursting and allowing a sudden escape of blood. They are cured by the deposit, within the sac, of fibrin from the blood, a result the surgeon can promote by obstructing the artery above the aneurism by compression or by ligature, applying the latter close to the sac if the aneurism is of the "false" variety, but at a distance if it is the result of disease; by inserting needles into the tumor; or by inserting and coiling silver wire within the sac and passing an electric current through it. Internal aneurisms are treated by those remedies which moderate the heart's action, as digitalis, rest, etc.

ANFOSSI, an-fos'se, (1729-97). An Italian composer. He was born at Naples, was a pupil of Sacchini and Piccini, and wrote Il finto medico (presented in 1764) as his first operatic composition. He was appointed chapel-master at Venice in 1775, and directed the opera at London from 1782 to 1787. Subsequently he was choirmaster in the church of St. John Lateran, Rome. Of his numerous operas, which are marked rather by skillful arrangement than by much originality, the best known were L'avaro, Il curioso indiscreto, and I viaggiatori felici. His sacred compositions are considered less important.

ANGARA, an'garii'. A river in Siberia, the most important affluent of the Yenisei on its right (Map: Asia, J 3). Properly speak- ing, there are two rivers by that name: the Up- per Angara, rising among the ridges of the Olek- ma and Vitim Mountains, in lat. 57° N. and long. 114° 56' E., and emptying into the northern end of Lake Baikal; and the Lower Angara, an outlet of the lake, whence it issues as a stream of clear, transparent water, flowing by the city of Irkutsk toward the north, then to the west, for a dis- tance of about 1300 miles. The river is about 9000 feet wide at its broadest part, and 1600 feet at its narrowest. It is of sufficient depth for navigation, but has numerous rapids in the mid- dle of its course. Works for the improvement of navigation have been started by the combined efforts of the Government and private persons. It is proposed to clear the stream of its sub- merged rocks and to dig a canal about two miles long to circumvent the Paduna, the most dan- gerous rapids on the stream, and a continuous waterway will thus be formed between the lake of Baikal and the Yenisei River. Into the An- gara fall numerous considerable tributaries — the largest of which are Irkut, Kitai, Bielaya, Oka, and Tasserva on the left, and Kunda, Yanda, Ilim, and Tchadobetz on the right. It was dis- covered by the Cossack traders early in the sev- enteenth century; in 1645, Kolenikoff ascended it as far as the lake of Baikal. The Lower Angara is also called Upper Tunguska.

AN'GEL. An antiquated English gold coin, varying in value from $1.60 to $2.50. It was so called from the figure upon its obverse of the Archangel Michael piercing the dragon. Angels were coined from Edward IV. to Charles I.

ANGEL (Gk., angelos, messenger). The English word denotes a superhuman being intermediate between God and man. But the original meaning was simply that of a "messenger," either human or superhuman. It is doubtful whether the word was used at all in pre-exilic times as a designation of a being greater than man. In Genesis vi: 2, the term "sons of God" was rendered "angels" by the Greek version; in earlier days they were no doubt regarded as divine beings. The "angel of Yahweh" is thought by many scholars to be a manifestation of this deity, and it was probably so understood in antiquity; but the "angel" is likely to have been brought into the text as a substitute for Yahweh himself, appearing in the original form of the narrative. In Jacob's vision the "angels" seem also to have been originally "gods" or "sons of gods." As long as Yahweh manifested himself in human shape, he had no need of a messenger. There were beside him "gods many and lords many" with their habitat in the sky or on the earth, in trees and fountains and stones, by the hearth and in the tomb; but they were not messengers. Some of them appear to have been associated with Yahweh as his council or retinue. In the story of the Garden of Eden, Yahweh says: "Man has become like one of us." Possibly the title "Yahweh of hosts" refers to armies of such