Volume 1

The new complete dictionary of arts and sciences; or, an universal system of useful knowledge. The theological, philosophical, critical, and poetical branches / by the Rev. Erasmus Middleton ... the medicinal, chemical, and anatomical, by William Turnbull ... the gardening and botanical, by Thomas Ellis ... the mathematical, etc. by John Davison.

Date:
1778
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The new complete dictionary of arts and sciences; or, an universal system of useful knowledge. The theological, philosophical, critical, and poetical branches / by the Rev. Erasmus Middleton ... the medicinal, chemical, and anatomical, by William Turnbull ... the gardening and botanical, by Thomas Ellis ... the mathematical, etc. by John Davison. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    eftabliffied in 17x4, by the Duke d’Efcalona, with the approbation of the King of Spain. It confifts of twenty- four academifts, including the di reft or and fecretary. In Portugal, John V. founded an hiftorical academy at Lifbon, intlieyear 1720, for collefting and afcer- taining the hiftory of his own dominions. It confifts of fifty members, a direftor, four cenfors, and a fe¬ cretary. In Germany, they have the Academy of Natures Cu- rioft, otherwife called the Leopoldine Academy, founded in 1652, byjo. Laur. Baufch, a phyfician, and, in 1670, taken under the proteftion of the Emperor Leopold. The defign of this fociety was to promote medical knowledge. They began in 1684 to publilh their ob- fervations, under the title of Ephenterides ; which pub¬ lication has been continued annually, withfome inter¬ ruptions, and under different titles. This academy confifts of a prefident, two adjunfts or fecretaries, and collegues or members without limitation. Berlin Academy, was founded by Frederick I. the late King of Pruffia, in the year 1700. It has for its objefts the improvement of natural knowledge, and the belles lettres. The charter of this fociety was amended in 1710, and by it the prefident is to be nominated by the king. The members are divided into four claffes; 1. for phylic, medicine, and chemiftry ; 2. for mathe¬ matics, aftronomy, and mechanics; 3. for the Ger¬ man language, and the hiftory of the country ; 4. for oriental learning, particularly what relates to the pro¬ pagation of the gofpel among infidels. The great promoter of this foundation was the celebrated Mr. Leibnitz. Academy was founded by Czar Peter the Great, at Peterfburg, upon the plan of the Academy of Sciences at Paris ; befides which, they take in the Ruffian language. Academy is alfo a terift for fchools and other fe- minaries of learning among the Jews, where their rab¬ bins and doftors inftrufted their youth in the Hebrew language, and explained to them the Talmud, and the fecrets of the Cabbala : Thofe of Tiberias and Baby¬ lon have been the moft noted. Academy is often ufed with us to denote a kind of collegiate fchool, where youth are inftrufted in arts and fciences. There is one at Portfmouth for teaching na¬ vigation, drawing, (Sc. another at Woolwich for for¬ tification, gunnery, (Sc, Academy is likewife a name given to a riding- fchool, where young gentlemen are taught to ride the great horfe, (Sc. and the ground allotted for it is ufually called the Menage. Academy figure, a drawing of a naked man or woman, taken from the life, which is ufually done on paper with red or black chalk, and fometimes with paf- tils or crayons. ACAJOU, the Cashew-nut-tree, in botany, the name of a tree, comprehended by Linnaeus among the anacardiums. Its flower confifts of one funnel- fafhioned leaf, divided into many fegments at the edges : the piftil, which is furrounded with a number of ftamina, finally becomes a foft turbinated fruit, -with a kidney-ffiaped capfule affixed to it, in which is contained a feed of the fame ffiape. The Acajou is a native of Brafil, of the fruit of which the Indians make a kind of vinous intoxicating liquor. The kernel of the Cafhew-nut may be eaten, when roafted, but its hulk is extremely acrimonious. The dyers make ufe of the oil drawn from it, in dying black. ACALYPHA, in botany, is ranked by Sir Hans Sloane with the nettles under the name of urtica minor iners fpicata. The calix of the male confifts of four leaves, and that of the female of two valves ; neither of them have any corrolla ; the male has a cup-ffiaped ncftarium, and the female bears one finooth feed. ACAMATGS, a word uled to exprefs the belt ffiape of the human body. ACAMEEH, among fome of the old chymifts, the fcoria; of filver, as alfo a luperfluity of the humjdum radicale. Vol. I. No. 2. ACANACEOUS plants, fuch as are armed with prickles. ACANGIS, i. e. ravagers or adventures in qupfl of fortune; a name given by the Turks to their huffars, who like ours, ate light troops, fitter for fldrmifhing and pillaging, than to engage with regular troops in an aftion ; they are generally fent out in detachments to get intelligence, harrafs the enemy, attack convoys, and ravage the country. ACANTHA, in botany, the prickle of any plant. Acantha, in zoology, a name for the fpine, or prickly fins of fifties. Acantha, in anatomy, fignifies the protuber¬ ances of the back-bone, commonly called /pines dorft. ACANTHABOLUS, in furgery, an inftrument for pulling thorns, or the like, out of the lkin. ACANTHACEOUS, a term ufed by botanifts to fignify all plants of the prickly kind. The word is formed from the Greek anavdot, a thorn. ACANTHINE, any thing refembling or belong¬ ing to the herb acanthus. Acanthine garments, among the ancients, are laid to be made of the down of thif- tles; others think they were garments embroidered in imitation of the acanthus. ACANTHOIDES, in botany, a fynonime of the carlina, or carline-thiftle. ACANTHOPTERYGIOUS fijbes, a term ufed by Linnaeus and others, for thofe fifties whofe back- fins are hard, offeous, and prickly. ACANTHUS, in botany, the name of a genus of polyandrious plants, called in Engliffi bear’s-breech. The flower of the Acanthus confifts of one leaf, the interior part of which is divided into three feg- ments, and the hinder part forms a kind of ring. The piftil, which rifes from the cup, finally becomes an acorn-ftiaped fruit, containing a number of gibbofe feeds. See (plate III. fig. 2.) The Acanthus may be known when not in flower, by its beautiful leaves, which are fo elegant as to be imitated on carvings. Acanthus is alfo the name by which Theophraf- tus calls the acacia-tree. See Acacia. Acanthus, in architefture, the elegant enrich¬ ments both of the Corinthian and compolite capitals. The Greek fculptors imitated the leaves of the foft Acanthus, as the Goths did thofe of the prickly kind. ACANUS, in botany, a fynonime of the carduus cafabonae of Linnaeus. See Carduus. ACAPATLI, the American name of the piper lon- gum, or long pepper. ACAPNON, in botany, an obfolete name of the origanum or marjoram. See OrIganum. ACARNA, a term ufed by Vaillant, for cynara- cephalous or artichoak-headed plants : and a name for the common thiftle, by others. ACARI. the name of infefts that breed Under the lkin. Ariftotle calls the fmall infefts that breed in wax by the fame name. ACATALECTIC, cocara^mriK©-, in ancient pro- fody, an appellation given to fuch verles as have all their feet, in contradiftinftion to thofe which want a fyllable to make up the laft foot. ACATALEPSIA, acatalepfa a fynonimous term with incomprehenfibility. The Pyrrhonifts or fceptics aflerted an abfolute acatalepfa. ACATASTATOS, with phyficians, fignifies the irregular paroxyfms of a difeafe. ACATERY, a kind of check betwixt the clerks of the kitchen, and the purveyors of the king’s houffiold. The officers of the Acatery confift of a ferjeant, two joint-clerks, and a yeoman of the fait ftores. ACATHISTUS, in church hiftory, a hymn anci¬ ently fung in the Greek church in honour of the Vir¬ gin ; and was fo called by reafon the people flood all the time it was celebrating. ACATIUM, a kind of boat, very ffiarp at the head, ufed by the ancients in military affairs. ACAULIS, in botany, fignifies plants that have no caulis or ftem. ACCALIA, in antiquity, folemn feafts held in ho- D noti