ADJECTIVE. 



ADJUSTMENT. 



90 



the latter of whom has given a most interesting account of the circum- 

 stances attending the opening of the ground ; and the former an 

 analysis of the new and singular object that presented itself for 

 investigation. The most remarkable change was found in the bodies 

 that had been heaped together in the trenches. The first of these 

 trenches opened in the presence of Fourcroy had been closed for 

 fifteen years. The coffins were in good preservation ; the covers being 

 removed, the bodies were observed at the bottom, leaving a consider- 

 ble distance between their surface and the cover, and flattened, as if 

 they had suffered a strong compression ; the linen which had covered 

 them was slightly adherent to the bodies ; beneath the linen was found 

 nothing but irregular masses of a soft ductile matter of a grey-white 

 colour, resembling common .white cheese, the resemblance being more 

 striking from the prints which the threads of the linen had made upon 

 its surface. The bones, which were surrounded by this matter, had no 

 solidity, but were readily broken by sudden pressure. The head was 

 environed with this peculiar matter; the face was no longer dis- 

 tinguishable ; the mouth was disorganised ; no trace remained of the 

 viscera of the thorax and abdomen, which were all confused together 

 and converted into this fatty matter ; and this was also invariably the 

 ith the brain. None of this matter was found in bodies isolated 

 from each other, but only in those accumulated in the common graves. 

 From various observations it was found that this fatty matter was 

 capable of enduring in these burying-places for thirty or forty years, 

 but that ultimately it became corrupted and was dissipated. 



This substance thus presented for examination under such remark- 

 able circumstances, is considered by M. Fourcroy as an ammoniacal 

 soap, formed of a peculiar oil combined with ammonia. Its properties 

 are, that it melts at about 130 Fahr. ; by a strong heat it is decom- 

 posed with the evolution of ammonia ; alcohol acts only slightly upon it 

 at common temperatures, but when boiling dissolves about one-fourth 

 of its weight, the greater part of which separates on cooling in small 

 acicular crystals ; lime, potash, and soda decompose it with the 

 evolution of ammonia ; it is decomposed by nitric acid with the pro- 

 duction of nitric oxide, and by sulphuric acid with the development of 

 carbon. M. Chevreul ('Recherches sur les Corps Gras') finds that 

 adipocire consistu of a large quantity of margaric acid, and a small 

 quantity of oleic acid, combined with a little ammonia, potash, and 

 lime. 



A'DJECTIVE, in Grammar, the name of one of the parts of speech, 

 or one of those great classes into which, for the sake of convenience, 

 grammarians have distributed the words of a language. The term 

 iii/j'i-tlre, which is of Latin formation, signifies something that adds to 

 precision in describing the nature of any object of which we are 

 speaking. An adjective, in our language, is most commonly prefixed to 

 the name of some thing, in order to mark some quality by which it is 

 dintinguished from other things belonging to the same class ; thus, a 

 bad man, snjood man, a fat man, a trwtSlewme man, &c., a black horse, 

 a irkite horse, &c. Here the terms man and hone are the most general 

 or abstract (ABSTRACTION) terms by which we can express the idea of 

 man or horse : but, by prefixing to them such adjectives a* bad, yootl, 

 &c., we limit, in some degree, the class of which we are speaking. 

 Thus, when we speak of a white man, we exclude the consideration of 

 black men, or men of any other colour. In like manner, when we say 

 an /:' ni//inli man, we limit the signification still further; and in this way 

 we may descend to a Cheshire man, a Chester man, until we come to 

 individuals indicated by a common name, such as Thomson, Smith, &c. 

 By the aid of other words prefixed, such as John, William, &c., we at 

 last come to some certain individual. It appears, then, that in the 

 expressions John Page, William Smith, &c., John and William may 

 have the names of adjectives as well as the words black, white, &c. 

 And this leads us to observe that frequently nouns or names of things 

 can be used like adjectives ; thus we can say, a silver riny, a gold stick, 

 ',-, M ,,'iii-r. Many words in English are, in fact, used both as 

 nouns and adjectives. In the expression ' John's book,' John's may be 

 ci msidered as an adjective for the reasons just given. Some grammarians 

 have wished to introduce the term adnoun instead of adjective, but 

 though the word adjective is not a very good name, adnoun is no better. 



There are two ways in which an adjective can stand in a proposition : 

 we can say ' the horse is bad,' or ' a bad horse.' In the first example, 

 hone \x called the ' subject,' it the ' copula," or connecting link, and 

 ' bad ' i the ' predicate ' or qualifying term. According to the true 

 I'll', in of our language, an adjective can stand at the end of any simple 

 ition, as, he walks */*>, he rides quick, he speaks f'n'.ff. It is true 

 th.it Iisage is now beginning to be opposed to this mode of expression, 

 and the adverb in -ly is gaining ground ; yet there are cases where it is 

 not possible to use the termination in -ly without making the spoken 

 language at least very stiff and formal. Some words are used both as 

 adjectives and adverbs. 



M.iny adjectives are simple roott, such as good, bad, hut, &c., while 

 others are formed by adding an affix or suffix to a noun. 



The following list of adjectives formed by affixes, or by adding a 

 complete word, belong to the Saxon part of our language : 



glad-some 

 play-ful 

 wcight-y 

 wood-en 



care-less 

 child-uih 

 holl-ow 

 fork-ed 



for-ward 

 god-like 

 man-ly 

 outer 



The following terminations are of Latin and Greek origin 



act-iye coher-ent period-ical 



passion-ate attend-ant station-ary 



adamant-ine habit-able transit-ory 



sulphur-ic , aud-ible Belgi-an 



angul-ar luc-id humor-ous 



due-tile autumu-al verb-ose 



There are other terminations of less importance, such as ether-cal, 

 advent-ilious, &c., which agree with the examples already given, as to 

 the last syllable, but differ iu having an additional syllable or syllables 

 between the first part of the word and the termination. 



ADJUDICATION, in the law of Scotland, is a process by which real 

 property and its accessories is transferred by law from the debtor to 

 the creditor, from the heir to the devisee, or from the vendor who 

 refuses or has failed to convey, to the vendee. The origin of this 

 process is to be found in an ancient practice called Apprising, by which 

 the debtor who refused to satisfy his creditor, either with money or 

 land, might be compelled to part with so much of the laud as was 

 commensurate with the debt. It was the object of legislation so early 

 as 1469, when feudal superiors or lords were compelled to give the 

 proper investiture to those who acquired lands by such procedure, 

 which was again amended by the Act 1672, c. 19. The debtor is now 

 to make over to the creditor land to the value of his debt and one-fifth 

 more, redeemable within five years ; or the property in general against 

 which the process is directed adjudged to the creditor, liable to be 

 redeemed within ten years, on payment of the debt, interest, &c. The 

 latter alternative is universally adopted. The lands do not pass into 

 the absolute property of the adjudger at the end of the ten years, 

 without judicial intervention, in what is called " an action of declarator 

 of expiry of the legal," whereby the creditor has the right of redemption 

 ill the debtor declared to have expired and ceased altogether. 



There are arrangements for preserving equality among adjudgere, 

 and preventing active creditors from carrying off all the estate. (Acts 

 1661, c. 62 ; 1672, c. 19 ; 54 Geo. III. c. 137, ss. 911.) When there are 

 many adjudications against an estate, and when the debtor does not 

 come within the class of persons liable to mercantile bankruptcy, it is 

 usual to sweep all the operations into one process, called a ' Judicial 

 Ranking and Sale.' A factor is appointed, by whom, under judicial 

 inspection, the property is realised and distributed. (Acts 1681, c 17 

 1695, c. 24 ; 54 Geo. III. c. 137, ss. 6, 7 ; Act. Sed., 22nd Nov., 1711 ; 

 17th Jan., 1756; llth July, 1794.) Where sequestration has been 

 awarded against a person liable to bankruptcy, the sequestration 

 involves an adjudication of all the bankrupt's property from him, and 

 vests it in the trustee (official assignee). (19 & 20 Viet. c. 79 

 20 & 21 Viet. c. 19.) 



This form of action has long been in use for the completion of 

 defective titles to landed property, and when so employed, it is called 

 ' adjudication in implement ;' as for instance when the heir declines to 

 convey an estate left to a devisee in a will. 



ADJUSTMENT, in marine insurance, is the ascertaining the exact 

 amount of indemnity which the insured is entitled to under the policy, 

 after all proper allowances and deductions have been made. The 

 contract of insurance is an agreement to indemnify the insured against 

 such losses as he may sustain by the occurrence of any of the events 

 expressly stated or by implication of law contained in the policy. 

 When a ship is lost, or any of those contingencies arise against which 

 the insurance provides, the owner of the ship or of the goods insured, 

 as the case may be, or his authorised agent, reports the circumstance 

 to the insurers or underwriters. In London, this notice is given by 

 an insertion iu a book kept at Lloyd's Coffee-House in the subscription- 

 rooms, where the greater part of marine insurances are effected. 



Before any adjustment is made, the underwriters require to be 

 informed of all particulars, that they may be satisfied the loss has 

 occurred through circumstances against which the insurance was 

 effected. In ordinary cases the task of ascertaining these facts, and of 

 examining the correctness of the demand made by the assured, rests 

 with the underwriter who first subscribed the policy. In complicated 

 cases of partial or average losses, the papers are usually referred to 

 some disinterested party (generally a professional referee), to calculate 

 and adjust the per centage rate of loss. Where the ship is wholly lost, 

 of course little difficulty occurs in this part of the inquiry ; but in cases 

 of partial losses, where the insured has not exercised his right of 

 abandonment [ABANDONMENT], very minute and careful examination is 

 often necessary. The quantum of damage being ascertained, the 

 amount which each underwriter has made himself liable to by sub- 

 scribing the policy is settled ; and this being done, it is usual for one 

 of the underwriters, or their agent, to indorse on the policy, " adjusted 

 a partial loss on this policy of so much per cent." To this indorsement 

 the signature of each underwriter is affixed, and this process is called 

 the ' adjustment ' of the loss. 



After an adjustment has been made, it is not usual in mercantile 

 practice for the underwriter to require further proof, but at once to 

 pay the loss. The reason for which adjustments have been introduced 

 into the business of maritime insurance is, that upon the underwriter 

 signing an adjustment, time is given him by the assured to pay the 

 money. In law, however, it seems to be as yet undecided how far the 

 adjustment is conclusive and binding upon the underwriters. The 



