Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 19.djvu/893

* UKSULA. 765 XJEUBITINGA. called Ursula from Ursa, 'bear' — signifying that she was intended to kill the bear, i.e. the devil. Her hand was asked in marriage by a "certain most ferocious tyrant," for his son. The tyrant threatened to sack the country if his suit were not granted. Ursula, in consequence of a vision, in which she was shown her future martyrdom, asked for a respite of three years, during which time slie with ten chosen maidens, each with 1000 attendants, should visit shrines and holy places to honor their virginity. Another condition was that her betrothed, -Etherius, should become a Christian. This large company of virgins set sail, and with a favoring breeze were carried to Thiel in Gueldei-land, on the Waal. Thence they sailed on the Ehine by way of Cologne to Basel, where they left their ships and proceeded overland on foot to Rome. Returning to Basel, they em- barked on their ships, only to be attacked by Huns at Cologne and slaughtered. They were buried by the inhabitants of Cologne with great honors, and a church was built over their re- mains. A late addition to the story says that Attila wished to reserve Ursula for himself. Upon her indignant refusal, he became enraged and shot her through the breast with his arrows. The controversy over this legend has con- tinued for many hundred years. The con- servative element in the Roman Catholic Church considers it probable that there was at one time a massacre of virgins at Cologne by the Huns, but that the details of the story as given at the present time are mediieval fabrica- tions. The rationalists outside of theChurch follow Schade's theory that the story of Ursula is only a Christianizing of an old German myth, and that Ursula is really Freya, called in Swabia 'Hfirsel,' with the same attributes as the moon divinities in other lands. Still another solution is that one of Ursula's companions was named Undecimilla, which might easily be read unde- cim milia (eleven thousand). Bibliography. Consult: Crombaeh, Vita et Martyrium Sanctce Ursidw et Sociartnn (Cologne, 1547) ; Schade, Die fiage von der heiligen Ursula und den elftausend Jungfruuen (Hanover, 1854). For controversial replies to Schade: De Buck, Acta Sanctorum (Brussels. 1858) ; Kessel, Ursula und Hire Oesellschaft (Cologne, 1863). XJESULINES. A religious Order for women in the Roman Catholic Church, particularly de- voted to the education of girls. They take their origin from Saint Angela Merici (q.v. ). A rule, in twenty-five chapters, was projected by Angela, and finally approved (1536) by the Bishop of Brescia. Cardinal Francis Cornaro. Angela was herself chosen as the first superior, in the year 1537, the community even at that time numbering as many as seventy-six sisters. In the year 1565 a house was opened at Cremona : and with the approval of Popes Gregory XIII. and Clement VIII., it was spread over many dioceses of Italy. It was warmly encouraged by Saint Charles Bor- romeo, and at his death there were no fewer than eighteen convents of the Order in his diocese, comprising above GOO nuns. Soon afterwards it was established in France (1584). They were introduced into Savoy by Saint Francis de Sales in 1635; and in 1639 a convent was opened in Quebec. About the same time they were intro- duced into Germany— at Vienna, in 1660, and at Freiburg, Kitzingen, and Prague soon afterwards — where they have continued to teach with great success. They now number 300 convents and 7,000 nuns and are found in all parts of the world. The Ursuline Sisters have several educa- tional establisliments in Ireland, in England, Scotland, Canada, and twenty-four in the L'niled States with thousands of pupils. Consult : Pos- tel, Distoirr dc Sainte Angilr Merici ct dr tout I'ordre des Ursulines (Paris. 1878) ; Sainte-Foi, Annates de I'urdre de Sainte Ursule (Clermont- Ferrand, 1858) ; Les Ursulines de Quebec (Que- bec, 1868). XIRTICACE.aE! (Xeo-Lat. nom. pi., from Lat. urtica, nettle, from urere, Skt. MS, to burn). A natural order of about 40 genera and 450 species of dicotyledonous under-shrubs and herbs, natives of almost all parts of the world. Some species furnish valuable fibres. The chief genera in the order as restricted are: Urtica, Urena, Laportea, Pilca, Boehmeria. ilaoutia, and Parie- taria. See BtEHMERiA; Nettle. URTICARIA (Neo-Lat., from Lat. urtica, nettle), IIi-ES, or Nettle Rash. An eruption of the skin, coming out quite suddenly, and con- sisting of firm, round, convex, or lenticular ele- vations of the skin, from a quarter of an inch to an inch in diameter, at first pink, and soon be- coming white in the centre. These are called pomphi or wheals. They are scattered or closely crowded over the part afi'ected, and are not sym- metrical. In the acute form of the disorder tlie wheals arise rapidly and subside in a few hours or a day at longest. In the chronic form they last longer and recur frequently. Urticaria is accompanied with intense itcliing. The causes may be both local and general. Among the local causes are direct irritants such as the poi-son of the stinging nettle (whence the name), the stings of bees and wasps, contact with jellyfish and certain caterpillars. A popu- lar form of urticaria is due to the bites of fieas and bugs. General or systemic causes may be the eating of shellfish, pork, sausages, mush- rooms and some fruits, such as strawberries ; cer- tain drugs, as copaiba, cubebs. quinine; general disorders, such as gout, indigestion, astlima, and in women pregnancy, menstruation, and lactation. Sometimes no cause can be found except general nervous irritability. Treatment must depend on the cause, which should be sought for and re- moved. Acute cases, due to articles of diet, may be relieved by an emetic, if vomiting and diar- rhoea do not occur spontaneously. In the chronic form, which is often very stubborn, if the ur- ticaria can be traced to any article of food, this should be eliminated. The digestion must be- regulatcd. and general disorders, .such as gout, treated with appropriate remedies. For the se- vere itching a burning alkaline bath or lotions, or mild solutions of carbolic acid or other anti- septics, may be used locally. Seratchin<; nuist be avoided, since it only aggravates the affection. Where the hives are the result of nervous irrita- bility the general health must be built up. U'RTJBITIN'GA (from Braz. uruhu. vulture -- Tupi lingii. white, beautiful). A large hawk of the genus Urubitinga, several species of which exist in tropical .merica. .All have bluish black plumage, marked with white on the rump and tail. One species, the Mexican black hawk ( Uru-