Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 05.djvu/656

* CREON. 564 CRESCENTIIS. tenced her to be buried alive. Creon's son Hoe- niou, the belrotlied of .Vntigone, killed himself on lier body. This is substantially the story as it appears in the plays of Soj)hoeles. Other ver- sions told how Creon sacrificed a son on the walls of Thebes in order to avert the fall of the city, and how later he gave his daughter Jlegara to Heracles, who succeeded him on the throne of Thebes. CRE'OSOTE, or CRE'ASOTE (Gk. Kpiai;, kreus, llesh + aurr/p, aOh'r, preserver, from mJCt'i', sn::eiii, to save). An oily liquid obtained by the destructive distillation of wood, particularly that of the beeeh (Fagus sylvatica Linne, natural ■order Cupuliferie ) . It is almost colorless when freshly obtained, but gradually assumes a darker color if expo.sed to the action of light. It has a penetrating, smoky odor and a burning taste, and is slightly heavier than water, in which it is soluble only to a very limited extent. It mixes readily with alcohol, ether, chloroform, and gla- cial acetic acid. It is composed mainly of yiiai- acol and eresol and has a high refractive power. Creosote acts as an antiseptic and has been used in the preservation of meat — whence its name. .-t present it is largely used in the treat- ment of tuberculosis with mixed infection. For tills purpose it may be administered in the form of an emulsion with cod-liver oil and other sub- stances; or else a mixture of creosote with alcohol and cholorofoi-m may be inhaled by the patient, moderate doses of pure creosote being perfectly harmless, and causing no disagreeable symptoms whatever. Creosote was first prepared by Rei- ehenbach in 1832, and Bouchard and Pimbert were the first to apply it to the treatment of tuberculosis. It is also used in bronchitis w-ith profuse expectoration containing the Streptococ- cus bacillus, and in fermentative dyspepsia, diarrho-a, and dysentery. The creosote-oil used for the preservation of timber is derived by the fractional distillation of coal-tar, constituting the fraction that distills over between 230° and 270° C. It is composed mainly of phenol (car- bolic acid), eresol, naphthalene, and anthracene. The 'creosote-plant' {Larrcra Mexicann) pro- duces a substance similar to Indian gum-lae and having a strong creosote-like odor; hence the name of the plant. CREOSOTE-BUSH. See Zygophyixace.s:. CREOSOTOL, kre'6-s6-tol' (from creosote + -ol), or Carbon -TE of Creosote. A pale-yellow sirupy liquid similar to creosote, but having less odor and taste. It is used in tuberculosis and is well borne by the stomach. C RE QUI, krk'ke', Chakles, Marquis de (1578-1038). A French soldier. He was a ])roniinent oflicer under Henry IV., in 1622^ was appointed a marshal of France by Louis XIII., and fought with great bravery against Span- iards and Huguenots. -His military ability has been highly spoken of by Saint-Simon and Vol- taire. Consult Chorier, Hisfoire dii Marcchal de Crcquii (]r Jilanchcfort (Cirenoble, 1683). CRE'RAR, John (1827-89). An American philanthropist, born in New York City. He was a merchant in Xew- York and from 1862 in Chi- cago, where he became head of the firm of Crerar, Aiiams & Co.. and an incorporator and one of the directors of the Pullman Palace Car Company. He contributed $2,500,000 as an endowment fund for a library now known by his name, .$100,000 for a statue of Abraham Lincoln, and bequeathed $1,000,000 to charitable and religious organiza- tions. CRESAP'S WAR. See Dunmobe's Wab. CRESCEN'DO (It., increasing, pres. part, of crcsicrv, from Lat. crescere, to grow). In music, a gradual increase of the volume of sound, or change from piano to forte and forlissimo. It is marked thus <c;. or with the abbreviation cresc. The even swell of an organ produces a most per- fect crescendo. CRESCENT ( from Lat. crescens, pres. part, of crescere, to grow ) . ( I ) A representation of the half-moon with the horns turned upward, called a crescent, is often used as an emblem of progress and success. It is generally spoken of as 'the arms' of the Turki.sh Empire ; but is more jirop- erly the emblem of the empire and people. It was, however, a Bj'zantine emblem before the Turks assumed it on the capture of Constanti- nople in 1453 ; and at the present day is fre- quently to be seen on churches in JIoscow and elsewhere in Russia, generally surmounted with the cross, marking the Byzantine origin of the Russian Church. (2) A Turkish musical instnmient introduced into the German military bands at the time of the Turkish wars, and now in general use in military music. It consists of a staff sur- mounted by a cap, and supporting several cres- cent-shaped brass plates, upon each of which little bells are hung. The instrument is played by being jingled in time with the music. (3) In heraldry, the crescent is iised both as a Iiearing or charge, and as a difference, or mark of cadency. In the latter case, it desig- nates the second son, and those that descend from him. See Cadency. CRESCENT, Order of the. A Turkish order of knighthood. It was founded by Selim II. in 1799 "after the battle of Abukir, to be conferred on Christians for service to the Turkish State. Nelson was the first man to receive the honor. The order became extinct after half a century. An Order of the Crescent was founded by Saint Louis of France in 1209, and twice reestablished by the House of Anjou, reigning in Sicily and Naples. This is also extinct. The crescent and the star in white upon a red back- ground constitute the Turkish flag. It is sup- posed that the appearance of the crescent in the horoscope of the great Othman led to the ac- ceptance of it as the national symbol. CRESCENT CITT. A name applied to New Orleans, because of its situation on a bend of the Mississippi River. The modem growth of the city has made the designation less applicable. CRESCENTIIS, kres-sen'shi-Is. Petrus de. or CRESCENZI, kra-shan'zp, Pietro (e.I230-c. 1310). An Italian agricultural writer, the foimder of modern agronomics in Europe. He was born in Bologna, but later sojourned in various cities of Italy, where he frequently acted in the capacity of judge lateral to the podestas. I'pon his return to Bologna after an absence of tliirty years, during which he made valuable observations on agriculture, he published his famous work, entitled Riiralium Commodorum Libri XII. (1471). This work has been fre- quently reprinted and has been translated into Italian, German, and French. The genus Ores-