Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 05.djvu/122

* COCCItJS. 94 Vcbcr die Keubildung ton Glashiiuten im Augc (1857); Der Mechaiiisniiis der Akkomodalioii des mcnschlichen Atifics iiach Beobachtunyen im Leben (1807) ; Veber Aufiemerletziinijen und Hue BehamUung (1871) ; Oplifhalmomclrie timl Span- nunfismcssung am kraiilccn Auge (1872); Veber die Diagnose des (^ehjiinpurs im Leben (1877). COC'CO (West Indian name), Cocoa-Root, Taho, or Eddoes. Plants of the genus C'olo- casia. and of the nearly allied genus Caladium, of the natural order Aracea?. ver;- generally cultivated in tropical and sub-tropical countries for tlieir roots, or Hat underground cornis, which aboimd in starch, and are used as articles of food, being deprived by roasting or boiling of the characteristic acridity of the order — which, indeed, some of them possess in a com- paratively small degree. They are totally dif- ferent from the true yams. The names eoceo, rocoa-root. and eddoes. perhaps more strictly belong to Colocasia antiquorum, a steniless plant with ovate leaves, and flowers inclo.sed in a cylin- drical erect spathe. The taste of its roots is like that of potatoes, and the plants are much cultivated. Colocasia niacrorrhiza is a closely re- lated species of the South Sea Islands. In the Himalaya these plants form the principal food of many of the inhabitants. The root in its fresh state is stinuilant. diaphoretic, and ex- pectorant. In Hawaii, and the South Sea Islands generally, taro is one of the staple sources of food for the natives. The rootstock is roasted, after which it is pounded in wooden trays with water into a thick dough. This is allowed to ferment, and may be eaten in that state or pre- pared in a number of ways. Its native name in Hawaii is poi. In .Tapan. Porto Rico, etc.. the rootstocks are utilized as we use potatoes. COCCOSTETJS, kok-kos'te-us (Neo-Lat.. from Gk. k6((kos, kokkos, berry -f (5<7Tfor, osteon, bone). A gonts of heavily armored fishes, of the order Arthrodira. fossil remains of which are found in the Devonian rocks of Eirope and Xorth America. The head and the forward part of the trunk were covered with strong, bony jilates. and the plates of these two regions articulated by a hinge-joint that admitted of free movement of the head upon the trunk. The skull had large orbits, placed well forward, and in the middle of the frontal surface was a pit that indicated the position of the ])ineal body. The jaws were strong, and the mandibles or lower Jaws were furnished with conical teeth. The trunk of Coc- costeus was shark-like in form, and was provided with a single dorsal fin. an anal fin. and a pair of rudimentary pelvic fins. It was probably covered by a soft skin that readily decomjiosed after the death of the animal, and that hence escaped fossilization. The vertebral column shows an interesting progressive stage in the evolution from the cartilaginous backbone of the earlier fish to the completely calcified skeleton of the later genera. The neural arches and the spiny processes of the vertebr:p have alone become cal- cified, so that in well-preserved specimens they appear as two rows of bony processes, with an inteivening empty canal that represents the car- tilaginous centra or "bodies' of the vertebral elements. All the species of the Coccosteus are small, none of them having been found with a length greater than 20 inches. The best-kno«-n s»pecies and the type of the genus is Coccosteus COCHEM. (Iccipiens. which is common in the Old Red Sandstone of the Scottisli Devonian. A few specimens, though none so ])erfect as the Scot- tish, have been found in the Xorth American De- vonian. See Fish ; Dip.noi: Lixg-Flsh. COC'CULUS IN'DICUS (Xeo-Lat. coceulus, dim. of Lat. corcuin, berry, and Lat. indicus, In- dian). The name given to a very poisonous seed brought from the East Indies, which is used for various medicinal purposes, and illegally, it is Siiid, for imparting a l>itter flavor to malt li- (juors. It possesses acrid and intoxicating quali- ties. It is used in India for stupefying fish, that they may be taken by tlie hand. When the seeds, kno^^l as 'fish-berries,' are thrown into a stream. any fish in the neigliborhood are quickly stupe- fied. It contains a most poisonous principle, called 'pierotoxin,' while the pericarp contains another called "menispermin.' equally poisonous. It is the .seed of the Anamirta ])aniculata. a beautiful climbing plant, of the natural order •Ienisperniace:e. The action of pierotoxin. when taken internally in poisonous doses, resembles that of strychnine (see Xux VoMic.v) ; the most noticeable symptoms being uneasiness, restless- ness, and tetanic convulsions. The drug is used to destroy lice and the parasite ringworm. It has been employed internally, in small doses, to clieck the night sweats of phthisis. Poisoning occasionally occurs from drinking the drug, as it is sometimes prepared as a domestic parasiti- cide — the bottle being filled with equal volumes of the berries and rum. and allowed to stand after shaking. Absorption through broken skin also causes poisoning at times. The genus Ana- mirta is closely allied to the geiuis Coceulus (see Calumba). in which it was formerly in- cluded. The fruit of several allied species pos- sesses properties analogous to those of the Ana- mirta paniculata. COCCYX. See Spixal Column. COCHABAMBA, ko'cha-blim'ba (Cocka, lake -j- bamba. plain). The capital of the Depart- ment of Cocliabamba, Bolivia, situated on the Rio de la Rocha, in a fertile valley, about 8000 feet above the sea-level (Jlap: Bolivia, D 7). It is laid out with wide and regular streets, and contains several pretentious structures, notably the theatre. Government building, and the hos- pitals of Viedma and San Salvador. Coclia- bamba has a college and secondary schools. The city manufactures cotton and woolen goods, leather, soap, and earthenware, and besides car- ries on considerable trade, especially in grain. Population, in 1896, 20,530. Cocha'bamlm was founded in 1563. and was called Oropesa, In 1847 it was created an episcopal see. COCHEM, ko'Kem. The capital of a district in the Rhine Province. Prussia, at the confluence of the Moselle and Endert. 24 miles soutliwest of Coblenz. It is noted for its picturesque situa- tion, near the entrance to the Emperor William Railway Tunnel, two and two-thirds miles in length, the longest in Germany. Cochem has steamboat and railway stations, interesting medifeval houses, and a beautiful riverside park, in which is a war moniunent by Schies. The an- cient episcopal castle of the archbishops of Treves, destroyed by the French in 1689 and re- stored since 1868. crowns a hill to the south of the town. Population, in 1900. 3586.