Page:Willich, A. F. M. - The Domestic Encyclopædia (Vol. 4, 1802).djvu/427

393&#93; ANT scraped off with a knife, and ex- posed on a clean leaf in the shade, where it is gtadually dried. Anotta pays, on importation, a duty of l^d. per lb. — It is chiefly used for imparting to wool or silk a deep, though not permanent, orange hue. Considerable quantities of this dyeing drug are likewise em- ployed in the colouringof Cheese ; and also as an ingredient in var- nishes, for communicating an orange shade to the simple yel- lows. From the wax or pulp, in which the seeds of the arnotto-tree are in- closed, the Indians and Spaniards prepare a cool, agreeably rich cor- dial, which they mix with their chocolate, for improving its fla- vour, and heightening its colour. The roots possess nearly similar properties, but operate more pow- erfully by the urinary passages: — ■ they are employed by the natives in broths, and answer all the pur- poses of the pulp, though in a weaker degree. ANT. — A new method of exter- minating these insefts, is recom- mended by Mr. Forsyth ; with a view to prevent them from tra- versing walls, and injuring fruit. He direfts a hole to be drilled in the ground, with a sharp-pointed wooden stake, or with an iron crow, close to the side of the wall, and at such depth as the soil will permit. In consequence of the earth being stirred, the inserts will be induced to move about : the sides of the hole are then to be made smooth, so that the ants, on approaching the edge of the orifice, may fall in, and be unable to climb upwards. When a consi- derable number is colle6ted at the bottom of the cavity, Mr, Fon- SVTH diredts water to be poured ANT r393 on them ; and thus thousands may be drowned. Similar holes must be prepared for their reception, ac- cording to the length of the wall ; and the royal gardener remarks, that great numbers may likewise be killed, by strewing a mixture of quicklime and soot, along such places as are much frequented by ants : they may fartlier be banished from trees, by scattering a little pulverized Staves-acre on the ground, around their stems j but, where it is practicable, to open the nests df these inse6ts, he dire6ts a piece of quick-lime to be thrown in, and over it, a sufiicient quan- tity of water for slacking it 3 wheu the heat, together with the suffo- cative air thus evolved, will cer- tainly destroy them. The burning etFeft of the lime will be still greater, by substituting a mixture of soap- suds and urine for water. ANTIMONY.— An improve- ment in the preparation of the anti- monial powder, which is substi- tuted in regular pharmacy, for Dr. James's Fever - powders, has lately been proposed to the Rojai Society, by Mr. Chenevix. He direfts equal parts of phosphat of lime, and pulverized algaroth, to be dissolved in the smallest possi- ble quantity of muriatic acid : some caustic ammonia must then be mixed with distilled water, and tte muriatic solution dropped gradu- ally into the mixture : the result of such combination will be a copious white precipitate} which, by wash- ing and drying it, is rendei^d fit for use. — ^I'his medicine, Mr. C. remarks, has already been admi- nistered by some eminent practi- tioners -, and, according to his ac- count, it possesses the valuable pro- perties of the antimonial powder, though in a less concentrated form j so