116 On the UTILITY of defining 
adjective /iccus, which implies no tendency towards decay. ‘ Ne 
** fint fragilia et arida potius quam /icca folia *.” / 
Tue abftract noun /iccitas is occafionally taken to denote the 
firmnefs of the flefh, and of courfe the ftrength of an animal. 
It implies a quality oppofite to what is meant by flaccid, or be- 
ing without due tenfion, and fuppofes this quality to arife from 
the natural juices neither being in a fuperabundant nor a de- 
ficient ftate. ‘Thus, Cicero, talking of the wonderful ftrength 
of MAsINiIssA when at the age of ninety years, fays of him, 
*€ Nullo imbre, nullo frigore adduci, ut capite sie fit: fum- 
“* mam in eo effe corporis /iccitatem +.” 
Some very fubtle obfervations of ArIsTOTLE feem to juftify 
what has been faid of humidus, aridus and /ficcus, and will 
throw light on what is afterwards to be faid of madidus. 
Keaveov yee, ro redews Engov, wee nou rexnyevas Ov errempi dyeornros. 
——AYTI“ZEIT OL yue TH Enpow xOb TO vyeov “zak TO Osegov—zeus dsegov bev ess 
TO EYOV HAAOTeICY vyeornra ETIDOANS BeCoeypevov de ro cig Cxelos* Engov 
0, TO ESEONLEVOY raurag—vyeoy ev yue eb, TO envoy OlmEL OY vyeornTa ey - 
ro €abe.—* Aridum enim eft quod omnino ficcum eft, adeo 
“ ut humiditate deficiente corpus etiam concreverit. Adverfa- 
“ tur ficco humidum et madidum. Madidum enim eft quod 
“« habet humiditatem non a fe ortam, fuperficie tenus. Humi- 
“* dum vero quod introrfus habet ; Siccum autem quod hac va- 
“ cat. Humidum enim eft quod in penitiore parte propriam 
* continet humiditatem {.” 
THE term avidus is applied to the earth as well as Aumidus, 
but the quality fuggefted by it is different. Thus, COLUMELLA 
fays, “ Nifi prepingui et wvida terra§.” By uvida, he does 
not mean the poor foil that is {wampy, and generates water which 
it emits at its furface, but fuch as, though moitt, is rich and loamy. 
Uvipus is transferred from thofe vegetable fubftances to which 
it is originally applicable, to others which ftrongly refemble 
them, by imbibing and retaining a quantity of moifture. 
— me 
* Plin. 12. 12. 26. f Agicror. wigs yevertws nos Pbogas. xiP. Ce 
+ Cic. de Sen. 10. 83. 6. § Lib. 7. cap. 3. 
