ALC 



ALC 



<#' mantle, in botany, a genus of the Te- 

 trandria Monogynia class of plants, the 

 calyx of which is a single-leafed perian- 

 thium; there is no corolla, nor anVpericar- 

 piuni ; the cup finally becomes a capsule, 

 Containing a single elliptical and com- 

 pressed seed. There are four species, A. 

 vulgaris, Common ladies' mantle, or bean- 

 foot, is frequent in meadows and pastures 

 in England. It is perennial, and flowers 

 in June and July. Horses, sheep, and 

 goats, eat it. The great richness of the 

 milk in the celebrated dairies of the Alps 

 is attributed to the plenty of this plant, 

 and that of the rib-wort plantain. The 

 plant is astringent, and in Gothland and 

 other places a tincture of its leaves is 

 given in spasmodic and convulsive cases. 

 A.alpina,cinquefoil, or alpine ladies' man- 

 tle, grows naturally in the North of Eng- 

 land, North Wales, and in the Highlands 

 of Scotland. It is a native of the northern 

 parts of Europe, and is admitted into the 

 gardens on account of its elegance. The 

 A. pentaphyllea grows naturally on the 

 Alps, and is found in the botanical gardens 

 in this country : it may be propagated by 

 parting the roots in autumn. They should 

 have a moist soil, and a shady situation. 



ALCHOHNEA, in botany, a genus of 

 the Monadelphia Octandria class an'd or- 

 der, of which there is but a single species. 

 Male, calyx three, five-leaved; corolla 

 none : female, calyx five-toothed ; corolla 

 none ; styles two-parted. 



ALCOHOL, a term applied by chemists 

 to the purely spirituous part of liquors 

 that have undergone the vinous fermen- 

 ^ation. It is in all cases the product of the 

 saccharine principle, and is formed by the 

 successive processes of vinous fermenta- 

 tion and distillation. Various kinds of 

 ardent spirits are known in commerce, as 

 brandy, rum, &c. ; but they differ in co- 

 lour, taste, smell, &c. The spirituous 

 part, however, is the same in each, and 

 may be procured in its purest state by a 

 second distillation, which is termed recti- 

 fication. See DISTILLATION, FERMF.XTA- 

 Tioy, and RECTIFICATION. Alcohol is 

 procured most largely in this country 

 from a fermented grain-liquor; but in 

 France and otherwine countries, the spi- 

 rit is obtained from the distillation of wine, 

 hence the term spirit of wine. See BRAN- 

 DT. Alcohol is a colourless, transparent 

 liquor, appearing to the eye like pure wa- 

 ter. It possesses a peculiar penetrating 

 smell, distinct from the proper odour of 

 the distilled spirit from which it is pro- 

 cured. To the taste it is excessively hot 

 and burning 4 but without any peculiar 



flavour. From its lightness, the bubbles, 

 which are formed by shaking subside al- 

 most instantaneously, which is one me- 

 thod of judging of its purity. Alcohol 

 may be volatilized by the heat of the hand, 

 It is converted into vapour at the tempe- 

 rature of 55 of Fahrenheit, and it boils 

 at 165. It has never been frozen by any 

 degree of cold, natural or artificial, and 

 on this account it has been much used in 

 the construction of thermometers. Alco- 

 hol mixes with water in all proportions, 

 and during the mixture heat is extricated, 

 which is sensible to the hand. At the 

 same time there is a mutual penetration 

 of the parts, so that the bulk of the two 

 liquors when mixed is less than when se- 

 parate ; consequently the specific gravity 

 of the mixture is greater than the mean 

 specific gravity of the two liquors taken 

 apart. Alcohol is supposed to consist of 



Carbon 28.53 



Hydrogen ... 7.87 

 Water . . 63.6 



100.00 



Its uses are many and important: it is 

 employed as a solvent for those resinous 

 gums which form the basis of numerous 

 varnishes : it is employed also as the basis 

 of artificial cordials and liquors, to which 

 a flavour and additional taste are given 

 by particular admixtures : it serves as a 

 solvent for the more active parts of vege- 

 tables, under the form of tinctures. Tht 

 antiseptic power of alcohol renders it par- 

 ticularly valuable in preserving particular 

 parts of the body as anatomical prepara- 

 tions. The steady and uniform heat which 

 it gives during the combustion makes it 

 a valuable material for burning in lamps. 



ALCORAN, or AIJEORAX, the name of 

 a book held equally sacred among the 

 Mahometans as the bible is among Chris- 

 tians. 



The word alcoran properly signifies 

 reading; a title given it by way of emi- 

 nence, just as we call the Old and New 

 Testament Scriptures. 



That Mahomet was the author of the 

 Alcoran is allowed both by Christians and 

 the Mahometans themselves ; only the 

 latter are fully persuaded, that it was re- 

 vealed to him by the ministry of the an- 

 gel Gabriel ; whereas the former, with 

 more reason, think it all his own invention, 

 assisted by one Sergius, a Christian monk. 

 The Alcoran is held not only of divine- 

 original, but eternal and uncreated, re- 

 maining, as some express it, in the very 

 essence of God. The first transcript has 

 been from everlasting by God's throne. 



