Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 06.djvu/727

* ECTHYMA. 633 ECUADOR. chexia. etc., and therefore is generally found in vagrants, and in inmates of jails and alms- house:?. It also oecui-s in eases of syphilis, variola, glanders, diabetes, and nephritis. The Staphylotfoocus pyogenes aureus, albus, or citreus is the causative bacillus. The lesions are inoeu- lable. and may appear when the patient lias scratched the bites of tleas, lice, etc. Treatment iiuist be directeil to renovating the .system with proper food, habits of <'lcanliiiess, and general hygiene, bitter tonics, srfline and alkaline laxa- tives, and diuretics. The crusts should be re- moved with antiseptic washes, and the areas treated with iodoform, carbolic acid, or bichlo- ride of mercury, resorcin, boric acid, or salicylic acid. ECTODERM (from Gk. ^ktSs, ektos, outside -f S4piM, </<;;)io, skin), or Ei'iHL.vsT. The outer celhilar layer of the embryo. See KitBRYOLOGY. ECTOPLASM. See Ckll. ECTOR, ur HECTOR. ( 1 ) The father of Sir Kay and foster-father to King Arthur, in the Arthurian legends. (2) The brother of Sir Launcelot. in the Arthurian legend, who, after that knight's death, made an expedition to tlie Holy Land, where, on Good Friday, he met his •death. EC TOTROPHIC. See Mycorhiza. EC TOZO'A I Xeo-Lat. nom. pi., from Gk. ^kt6s, ektos, outside + fc^ni/, :uon, animal). A term in contradistinction to Entozoa, designating those parasitic animals which live upon the external parts of other animals, as lice, ticks, etc. Such also are many of the entomostracous crustaceans, parasitic upon fishes, these last being called more particularly Epizoa. See En- tozoa. ECTRO'PIOir (Neo-Lat.. from Gk. iKT^biriov, rktrnpioii, everted eyelid, from ix, el;, out -1- rpi- •jreti', trepeiit, to turn ). A term applied to eversion of either eyelid exposing a portion of the conjunc- tiva, the mucous membrane that lines the inner surface of the lids. The lower lid is the more frequently afl'ected. The exposed conjunctiva be- comes red and thickened: there is an overflow of tears, causing an irritation and eczematous con- dition of the skin of the lower lid. Inflamma- tion of the conjunctiva covering the eyeball and sometimes of the cornea may result from in- ability to close the lids. Ectropion may be caused by cicatricial contraction after burns and wounds ( 'cicatricial ectropion') ; by paralysis of the facial nerc. causing drooping of the lower lid alone Cparalytic ectropion') ; by the relaxa- tion of skin and nniseles occurring in old persons, and affecting only the lower lid ('senile ectro- pion') ; by spasmodic contraction of the orbicu- laris muscle ("spasmodic ectropion'): and bj- lons-continueil intlanimation of the eyelid or con- junctiva. Proper bandaging and the application of silver nitrate may cure in some cases; in other cases, operative treatment is necessary. ECTYPE (Lat. ectifpus, Gk. fKTinros, ektypos, from A-, rh, out + tiJitoi, tt/pos, figure). A east in relief of an ornamental design, produced from a meld or a figured copy of an inscription. ECTTADOR, ek'wft-dor. Sprm. pron. a'kwa-Dor' (Sp.. Kipiator. so called because the country 5s crossed by the equator). A re|)ublic of South America, situated on the western coast of the Vol. VI.— II. continent and bounded on the north and east by Colombia, on the south by Peru, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean (see accompanying map). The area of Ecuador is about US, .500 square miles; it cannot be stated with accuracy, owing to the pending boundary disputes with Peru and Colombia. The Galiipagos Islands in the Pacific belong to Ecuador. Toi>o<iKAi'iiv. Ecuador may be divided into three physiograpliie regions, the coast, the An- dean highland, and the eastern jjlains. The coastal region includes a strip of varying width, but averaging about eighty miles between the base of the Andes and the Pacific shores. It is crossed by several small rivers and by mountain spurs of the Andes. The highland region is de- fined by two parallel ranges or cordilleras con- nected by a number of mountain knots (the most important of which is the Loja knot, near the Perivian frontier), and traversing the country in a direction from north to south. The Western Cordillera contains the highest peak in Ecuador, Chimborazo, 20,408 feet, but its summits are generall}- lower than the eastern range, which is crowned by Cotopaxi, 19,613 feet; Antisana, 19,- 335: Cayambe, 19,186; and by several others (Altar, Sangay, Tunguragua ) exceeding 16,000 and 17.000 feet. The Pacific range is crossed by the lofty Tambo Pass at an altitude of 10,400 feet. Most of the higher elevations are vol- canoes, Cotopaxi being the highest active cone in the world. In the western range, near Quito, is the volcano Pichincha, 15,918 feet. Between the parallel ranges and their aonnecting ridges lie elevated basins, the centres of agricul- ture and population, which have an average height of about 8000 feet. East of the Andes the surface falls rapidly to the vast ilontaiia or forests of the Amazonian plains. Ecuador is watered by many streams, which flow either into the Pacific or the Amazon. Those of the latter system are the more important and include the Napo (with its affluents, the Aguarico and Cura- ray ), the longest river of Ecuador ; the Putu- mayo, Pastaza, Morona, and Santiago. Most of them, being interrupted by rapids, are navigable but for short distances. The western rivers are of little consequence. The chief among them are the ilira and Esmeraldas. In the south, the Guayas reaches the Gulf of Guayaquil through a long estuary on which is located the city of Guayaquil ( q.v. ). Lakes are numerous, but mostly small. Cli.mate. Ecuador has naturally a tropical climate, wdiioh, however, is considerably modi- fied by the great elevation of the surface. In the low coast regions and the plains of the eastern portion, as well as in the deep river valleys, the climate is hot and rainy, the annual average temperature seldom falling below 80 degrees. The mo.st salubrious portions of the country are the elevated valleys of the Andes, lying at an altitude varying between 7500 rtnd 9000 feet, where the temperature is moderate and fever almost unknown, and perpetual spring may be said to reign. Owing to their tropical situ- ation, the snow-line of the Ecuador mountains is very high, and human habitations are met with at 13,360 feet. Genemlly speaking, there are two seasons, the rainy season or winter, lasting from Decendier to May. and the dry season, from .lune to November. Only in the elevated valleys, how-