Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 15.djvu/375

PARACELSUS. thrown from a ^viiulinv l)y the servants of a phy.sician, and had lii.s neck hroken by the fall. He was then ahout forty years old.

In spite of his turbulent life and charlatan methods. Paracelsus exerted a profound inllueiice upon the medical beliefs of his time and of suc- ceedini; centuries. He struck at the weak points of the [)revailing system of medicine; he de- stroyed the 'humoral patholowy' (which was founded on the belief that diseases depended upon an excess or deficiency of bile, phlegm, or blood), and taught that diseases were actual en- tities, and were to be combated with specific remedies. He improved pharmacy and thera- peutics, made some new chemical compounds, and strove to reduce the overdosing then prac- ticed. A large nuinl)cr of medical works are attributc<l to liim. many of which were written by his followers, and some, it is declared, by his enemies, in order to injure his reputation. Marx admits only ten as genuine, and Hiiser twenty- four. The earliest printed work was Practi'ca D. Theophrusji Paracelsus (Augsburg, 1529). Collected editions of his writings appeared in German at Basel in 1580-01. in 1603-05. and in 1618. Latin editions in l(!03-05 and 1658 (Ge- neva ) . For his life consult : il. B. Lessing (Berlin. 1S30) : Jlook (Wiirzl)urg. 1876) ; Hart- mann (London, 1886) : Kahlbaum ( Basel. 1804) ; and Xetzliammer (Einsiedein, 1001). Consult also Hartmann, Onindriss der Lchren den Tliro- phrasitis Paracelsus von Hohenheim (Leipzig, 1808), and The Bermefics and Alchemical ^^'rit■ inrjs of Parucchus (London, 1804).

PARACHUTE, par'a-shoot' (Fr. parachute, from ilL. purine, to guard against, prevent, Lat. parare, to pre])are -f Fr. e^nite. fall. OF. cheute, cheoite, It. caduta, fall, from Lat. ci/rfcrc. to fall) . A device for the purpose of diminishing the veloc- ity of a falling body and used by aeronauts as a means of descending from balloons. The parachute generally takes the form of a large umbrella. Its invention is accredited to Seliastian Lenormand. and the device was used by him in 17S4 in mak- ing a descent from an upper window nf a house in Lyons. The first descent from a balloon was made by Garnerin in Paris in 1707, in which a parachute 23 feet in diameter, composed of a number of gores of canvas, was employed. In this parachute a wicker basket was suspended from a hoop 8 feet in diameter somewhat below the top of the umbrella-shaped surface. In its •usual form, the paraeluite is made of canvas, being attached to the balloon so as to bans loose during the ascent, and to spread out and offer a resisting surface as soon as it is separated from the balloon and begins to fall. For a weight of 220 pounds, which includes that of the passenger as well as of the apparatus, it is necessary'^to have a surface about 40 feet in diameter in order to reduce the velocity to a rate of about 3^4 feet per second, fnder the pressure of the air .such a surface would liecome concave and would meas- ure about 35 feet across. The car or basket is supported by cords attached to the edire of the canvas, and sometimes there is a heavier cord or girth which passes over the top of the parachute and carries the larger part of the weight. There is generally a small opening at the top to allow some of the air to pass out. and this serves to keep the parachute steady in its proper position and prevent swinging. The concave surface has also been divided into compartments with trans- verse [)artitions for this .same purpose, and each compartment has a small opening to permit of the escajjc of the air.

PARADE (Fr. parade, show, halt on horse- back, from 8p., Port, parada, halt, parade, from parar, to halt, prei)ure, from Lat. parare, to prepare; connected with firopof, cporoii, I pre- pared). In its original sense, a prepared ground, but applied also to the courtyard of a castle or fortification, and afterwards to any inclosed and level stretch of ground. In every barracks, fort, or army post there is a parade ground upon which the regiment assembles and is formed for inspection or ceremony. Regimental parade is conducted as follows: The regiment may be formed in line, in line of platoon columns at close interval, or in line of masses. On the sounding of the assembly, companies are formed and inspected. At adjutant's call, battalions are formed in line; battalion adjutants, taking Jiost in front of the centre of their respective battalions, receive the reports of the first sergeants, and present the battalions to the hat- ' talion commanders. When this is accomplished. adjutiint's call is again sounded; the regi- ment is formed in line, with open ranks, each battalion at the parade rest. The adjutant then connnands Sound off, and takes post six paces to the right of the colonel. The baml, playing in quick time, passes in front of the adjutant and field ofiicers, to the left of the regiment, and back to its post on the right, when it ceases. The adjutant then rides out in front of the regiment, and, bringing the regiment to oZ/fw^oM, gives the commands: (1) Carry arms; (2) Present arms; after which he turns about, and reports to the colonel: ".Sir, the parade is formed"; the colonel acknowledges the salute, and directs him back to his post; the staff olHcers and the colonel draw swords: and the latter proceeds to give such orders in the manual exer- cises as he may desire. After the command order arms, the adjutant is ordered to receive the reports, swords are returned, battalion ad- jutants are marched out six paces in front of company officers; commencing on the right, each adjutant salutes and reports the strength of his battalion; they are then ordered to return to their post, and the regimental ailjutant reports to the colonel. After the report is acknowledged, the colonel gives the command Publish the or- ders, sir, on which the adjutant faces the regi- ment, and reads the orders of the day. The officers then form before the colonel, who gives whatever directions are necessary, and the cere- mony is concluded. The band plays, and the various component parts are marched off to their quarters for dismissal.

Parade is also used as a term in fencing, par- ticularly by those of the French school. It is a guard position, designed to meet or parry thrusts, the English equivalent for which is ]iarrif,

PARADISE (OP., Fr. paradis. from Lat. paradlxus, from Gk. wapdoeKTos. paradeisos. park, Paradise, from Av. pairida<'~n. inclosire). A word fomid in the Old Testament and in Greek writers from Xenophon on. as a term for the great hunting and pleasure parks of the Per- sian kings. It is the word translated 'forest' in yehemiah ii. 8. and that rendered by 'orchard' in the Song of Songs iv. 13 and Ecclcsiastes ii. 5;