Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 10.djvu/755

* INSIDIOUS FLOWER-BXTG. 66T INSPECTION. family Anthocoridae, closely related to the bed- bug family (Cimicidie), is black with yellow- tipped wings, and is ofleu found in Uowcrs. It is predatory in its habits, feeding upon other in- sects, is a voracious foe of plant-lice, lace-bugs, and other minute creatures, and an important enemy of the graje-vine phyllo.era. INSIGNIA. JIiLiTARY. See jMilitart In- signia. INSOLATION. See Heatstroke. INSOLVENCY (from insolvent, from ih-, not + solvent, from Lat. solvere, to solve, relax, from se-, apart + luere, Gk. Xiav, lyein, to loose). As a legal term, the lesral status of ( 1 ) any one who cannot pay his debts as they mature; (2) one who has been brought within the juris- diction of the insolvency laws. The earliest in- solvency statute in England is ch. 20 of 22 and 23 Charles II., passed in 1G70. Its preamble recites : "Forasmuch as very many persons now detained in prison, are miserably impoverished, either by reason of the late unhappy time, the sad and dreadful fire, their owni misfortunes, or otherwise, so as the}' are totally disabled to give any satisfaction to their creditors, and so be- come, without advantage to any. a charge and burden to the kingdom, and by noisomeness (in- separably incident to extreme poverty) may be- come the occasion of pestilence and contagious diseases, to the great prejudice of the kingdom." It is apparent from this preamble that the cruel fiction that a person was guilty of a breach of tlie peace who failed to pay a judgment debt, and the inhuman practice, attendant thereon, of arresting and imprisoning the debtor, had worked badly and threatened to produce a pestilence. Hence Parliamentary interferenc-e, making pro- vision for debtors' securing release from 'durance vile,' upon surrendering any remnant of property they might have, and making an oath to their poverty and their honesty. This was the begin- ning of remedial legislation, which, within the last century, has resulted in abolishing im- prisonment for honestly contracted debts. From 1070 to 1801 insolvency statutes, insol- vency proceedings, and insolvency courts were entirely distinct from hankruptcy (q.v. ) statutes, proceedings, and courts. The leading features of English bankruptcy laws were: (1) They ap- plied to traders only: (2) proceedings vmder them were instituted by creditors for the com- pulsory distribution of the debtor's assets: (.3) such proceedings resulted in the discharge of the honest bankinipt from his debts. On the other hand, insolvency statutes ( 1 ) applied to all debtors ; ( 2 ) proceedings under them were volun- tary, that is, were instituted by the debtor; (3) they might result in discharging the insolvent's body from jail, but they left his future acqui- sitions liable for old debts. In 1801 tlie bankruptcy statutes were extended to include non-traders, and insolvency proceed- ings were abolished. Since that date, insolvency, as distinguislied from bankruptcy, means that a man has ceased, or is unable, to pay his debts as they come due. In this country the sharp distinction between the two terms which existed in England until 1801 has never been sanctioned by either legislative or judicial usage. Speaking in general terms, we may say that bankruptcy has been applied to statutes on the subject passed by Congress, and to proceedings thereunder; Vol. X.— 43. while insolvency has been applied to State statutes dealing with insolvent debtors. Even prior to the Revolution, the Colonies were accus- tomed to legislate for the relief of debtors, but their statutes, although providing at times for the discharge of the insolvent from all his debts, after the manner of bankruptcy statutes in the mother country, were called insolvency statutes. After the adoption of the Federal Constitution, with its grant of power to Congress to estab- lish uniform laws on the subject of bankruptcies, it was natural that the colonial nomenclature should be continued by the States, even when adopting comprehensive bankruptcy statutes, such as have existed for many years in a number of the States. These laws, as has been stated in the article on BankrVptcy. were not abolished by the Federal .statute of 18!)8, but their oper- ation, so far as it conflicts with that of the Federal law, is suspended. State statutes relating to insolvency have been very divergent, and from some points of view vei-j' unsatisfactory. They may be divided rough- ly into five classes, although in some States statutes falling within two or more of these classes will be found : ( 1 ) Simple insolvency laws; (2) statutes regulating general assign- ments for the benefit of creditors ; ( 3 ) those providing for the distribution of the estates of insolvents for their discharge from debts, in vol- untary proceedings only; (4) those providing for discharge from debts under general assign- ments; (">) true bankruptcy statutes, applying to all debtors and providing for voluntary and involuntary proceedings. As the States are pro- hibited from passing any law impairing the obligation of contracts, and as State legislation cannot operate to discharge a debtor from lia- bilities to creditors outside the State, without their consent, such legislation can never perform the functions of a Federal bankruptcy law. Con- sult: Bishop, Treatise on the Law Relating to Insolvent Debtors (New York, 1895) ; and "In- solvency Legislation," 35 Canadian Law Journal, 179. INSOMNIA (Lat., sleeplessness), or Sleep- LESSXE.ss. A condition caused by cerebral excita- tion, mental or physical exhaustion, toxic con- ditions {as from alcohol or from disordered digestion), grief, etc. It frequently accompanies febrile conditions. It is best treated by attack- ing and removing the cause, if this can be ascer- tained. Hygienic measures, as hot baths, mas- sage, ingesting hot food, applying heat to the extremities, ventilating the sleeping apartment, etc., should be tried before resorting to drugs, to overcome the condition. See Hypnotics; Sleep. INSPECTION (Lat. inspectio, from inspiccre, to look in. from in, in + specere, to look; con- nected with Gk. OKe-TtoBat. skeptesthai, Skt. spai, pas. to look. OHG. spchon, Ger. spiihcn. to spy). Jlilitary inspections are carried out by specially appointed officers of the inspector- general's department. (See Inspector-Gen- eral.) One of the duties of the inspecting officer is to inspect and report upon the appearance, discipline, and efficiency of the troops; to do which the troops are drawn tip for inspection, which is one of the most formal of military cere- monies. The staff officers of the colonel form a line equal to the front of the column, the non-