ANTIQUITIES. 



ANTISCORBUTICS. 



Malta that shall determine whether a work of art belongs to the aariyix 

 or not. No work of a date later than the overthrow of the western 

 empire would, however, be called an antique, and the term is perhaps 

 not applied with any strictness; to works produced during the decline 

 of the empire. 



. lyl'lTlKS. ThU terra is sometime* used a* synonymous with 

 antiques, but generally it has a wider signification. Books that treat 

 of Greek and Roman antiquities, to which the term is sometime* con- 

 fined, treat not only of works of art, but of i-.litical constitutions, 

 judicial and legislative forms, religion, architecture, domestic manners, 

 naval and military affairs, weight* and measure*, mode of reckoning 

 tine, Ac. Some of these branches of inquiry are capable of illustration, 

 both from ancient writing* that remain and from existing works of 

 ancient art ; sane can only be known to us from the study of ancient 

 writings. This extensive signification of the word tmtii/uitirt, though 

 certainly not very precise, still keeps up a distinction between anti.|ui 

 ties, a* thus understood, and the political history of the Greek* and 

 H-rnim*. and the stu.ly of the Greek and Roman lanyoaytt. 



The study of a*<iyiury is in like manner undentood to mean the 

 study of all that belongs to the Greeks and Romans ; of all the know- 

 ledge concerning them that has been transmitted to our times: the word 

 |ihilology is used in this sense in Germany. Under the general term 

 antiamitf, then, we may dam all the several subjects which it compre- 

 hends ; such a* ancient forms of polity, ancient systems of philosophy, 

 of astronomy, with political history, ancient architecture, sculpture, 

 poetry. Ac. 



But it in manifestly too confined a use of either term to restrict it to 

 Greece and Rome. With the increase of our knowledge of the durable 

 memorials which man has left behind him in various parts of the earth, 

 we hare come very properly to apply the term anti'/uitifn to the monu- 

 mental remains and to the works of art of most nation*. We now 

 speak of Egyptian, Assyrian, Persian, Hindoo, Peruvian. Mexican, 

 Danish, and British antiquities, when referring to the works of art 

 existing in these countries or collected in museums. The term antiqui- 

 ties, in thin extended application, when not specially used with reference 

 to works of art, is also understood to comprehend history, mythology, &c. 



ANTPQUITY. [ANCIENTS; ANTIQIT: 



ANTIS. A portico u said to be in unlit when column* stand in a 

 line, in front, with the ante or projecting ends of the side walls of the 

 temple or other building, [Axr.t:.] There is a good example of the 

 portico ia uartt in North-Audley-street, London, forming the entrance 

 to an episcopal chapel there. [TKMPLE.] 



ANTI'SCII, an old astronomical term derived from the Greek, 

 signifying those whose shadows are in opposite directions. It is appli- 

 cable, during part of the year, to any two persons, one or both of whom 

 i aside within the tropics; and during the whole year, to any two 

 persons, neither of whom lives within the tropics, and both in ditlcrent. 



f : . . - ! : . - 



ANTISCORBUTIC'S (from 4>rl, 'against,' and srorin/w, a barbarous 

 word, intended as the Latin for jrxrry), the remedies, real or reputed, 

 against scurry. The term scurvy is |>opularly, but incorrectly, given 

 to two distinct disnaens, which arise under different circumstance*, 

 spring from different causes, present few symptom* in common, and 

 are cured by means not only unlike, but diametrically opposite. The 

 confusion has crept in owing to the skin in true scurvy occasionally, 

 but by no means invariably, peeling off in scales or scurf ; while in the 



other rlissasri or disrasss, improperly termed scurvy, desquamati ..r 



other affection of the akin, i* an essential and invariable symptom, the 

 portion* or scales of which being commonly called scurf, the adjective 

 scurfy ha* insensibly come to be used a* a substantive, and t U- 

 applied Indiscriminately to the two diseases. The one occurs mostly 

 at sea, hence called sea-scurry, and U, owing to temporary cause*, 



capable of affecting Persona of any constitution; the other occur* 

 mostly on land, I* owing to more permanent cause*, and ia alway* con- 

 nected with a peculiar constitution. The necessity of making this 

 distinction is manifest, since the remedies for the one disease are few 

 and certainly efficacious ; the medicines for the other are multifarious 

 and generally very inefficacious. Thu circumstance point* out an 

 sessntial difference between the two disorders. 



For a long period the men employed a* seamen, l-.th in the royal 

 and aumsuemkU nary, were dreadful sufferers from this disease. In 

 15*8, Admiral Hawkins state* it a. within his personal knowledge that 

 10,000 men had perished of scurry ; and at a much later period, Com- 

 modore Anton, in hie voyage round the world, lost four-fifth* i In- 

 mail from iU ravages. On an attack, the patient began to lose hi* 



nf the fa 



natural and healthy colour : the akin, first 



face, and afterward* 



of the net of the body, became pale, and assumed a bloated appearance ; 

 the lips, instead of a rich vermilion, acquired a greenish tinge: indeed, 

 the countenance in this lUsaasi is alway* very much depressud, indicating 

 a eofiespuodlng state of mind. The patient U conscious of wearinees, 

 aad i* averse to exertion ; and when that of a bodily kind U attempted, 

 Ui tmntaess (or it is seen by the weakness of the knees (whirl 

 become stnT and contracted) and of the whole muscular system, greatly 

 cy of breathing following the least effort. The skin 



. 



U dry, sometimes rough, but man generally smooth and shining, with 

 spoto of a red, blue, or black appearance, according to the length of 

 tiOM that the blood has escaped from th. vessel*, which ia the cause of 

 The limbs become dropsical; the gums, spongy and 



swollen ; ulcers or any sores, cuts or scratches, bleed profusely and 

 cannot be healed ; even old ulcers break out anew, and broken limbs, 

 apparently firmly united, separate again, and cannot be reunited so long 

 as the disorder continues. The blood when drawn scarcely coagulates, 

 but remains loose and flabby ; yet during the whole of this state the 

 appetite generally continues good. Theae symptom* all denote groat 

 lU-iiihty, which is occasioned by a peculiar alteration of the blood, and 

 is produced by the causes we hare now to mention. 



One of the most extensive and powerful cause* of debility is constant 

 exposure to a cold and damp atmosphere. The construction of ships 

 was formerly such that the sailors were continually exposed to the 

 operation of this cause, which was further aided by the unwholesome 

 exhalation* from the bilge-water, the sand used for ballast, an<l ill. 

 remains of animal and vegetable matter which were strewed about the 

 -In]. n means of removing or lessening these cause* existed, from the 

 utter absence or imperfect nature of the means of ventilating the ship, 

 or washing it without increasing the dampness. The sailors were also 

 very inattentive to personal cleanliness, were unprovided with soap, 

 and were too insensible of the advantage of -Jinging their drees when 

 wet, and were also without the opportunity of changing or washing 

 and airing their bedding. The measures adopted by Captain ( '. - .k . mi 

 the occasion of his second voyage round the world, were very similar 

 to those since universally pursued. Out of 318 men, during a voyage 

 of three yean and eighteen day*, throughout all climates, from fifty- 

 two degree* north to aerenty-one degree* south, he lost onl 

 this, in the year 1776, he received from the Royal Society the ('..|.l.-y 

 medal (See Kippis's ' Life of Cook,' 1 788, p. 315.) 



By the change effected by Sir Robert Sepping* in tin- construction of 

 ships, and the substitution of iron instead of sand for ballast, and of 

 iron tank* instead of casks for water ; by the efficient mean* he has 

 devised for ventilating the ship, without exposing the personx f the 

 sailor* to cold ; and by the employment of jwrtable iron fire-place* in 

 different parts of the ship. ax well as by a change of bedding, and a 

 proper allowance of soap to each sailor these debilitating cause* no 

 longer exist, or are rendered powerless. 



Another cause of debility woo either excessive fatigue or defuiciny 

 of proper and regular exercise ; the former cannot always be avoided, 

 a* in the case of much bad weather, when the labour of all han<N i- 

 increased, or great [sickness among the crew, which requires more 

 exertion on the part of the healthy. But deficient exercise can alway* 

 be aroided by the officers finding employment, or inventing amusing 

 occupation for the sailors, and above all for the marines, \vh. having 

 less active duty in the ship, were the most frequently attacked by 

 scurvy. Intemperance also greatly contributed to prepare the system 

 for a scorbutic attack, but thi* vice is now much repressed. 



None of these cause* singly, nor indeed all of them combined, are 

 adequate to produce scurvy, unassisted by some specific cause, which 

 cause I* to Da found in the diet. The diet of seamen during long 

 voyages was formerly merely salted meat and biscuit ; fresh animal food 

 or recent vegetables formed no part of it. It was also often deficient in 

 quantity. 



Salt, if taken in modi-ration, facilitates digestion, but if in excess, 

 hinder* the digestion of the food, even of fresh meat and vegetables ; 

 when employed as a means of preserving meat, it hardens it, and imp.iir.- 

 iU nutritive power, as well aa renders it more difficult to digest. Such 

 meat is less nourishing, but more stimulating, than fresh meat, and its 

 long-continued use produces what may be termed the disjunctive 

 inflammation, owing t.. which old wounds and ulcers break open, ami 

 fractured bones separate after re-union. The salt seem* to IH- per- 

 nicious in a two-fold way : first, l>y lessening the nutritious powti <>( 

 the meat; and secondly, by its stimulating properties. The former of 

 theae, unaided by the latter, i* sufficient to produce scurvy, if the pic 

 disposing cause* of cold, moisture, and iiujR-rfect or excessive exercise 

 be in operation. The diminution of the quantity of food, and not its 

 quality, was the principal exciting cause of scurvy in the Millbauk 

 1'ciiiU-ntiary in 1819. [ABSTINKNCK.] 



In what way the absence or inadequate supply of fresh vegetables 

 operates has not been ascertained. That the deficiency of this art: 

 nutriment ha* a large share in producing scurvy i* established by the 

 facts, that before the extensive introduction of esculent vegetables into 

 Britain, scurvy was almost as common on land as at sea ; and also by 

 the rapid disappearance of scurvy from among the crews of ships, so 

 soon as they procure a supply of vegetable article* of diet of any kind, 

 but more particularly those belonging to certain tribe* of vegetables, 

 as the Hesperiden or Aurentiooete (the orange tribe), the Qnwsulariacetr, 

 or gooseberry tribe, which are all acid vegetables ; and the Crucifene, 

 or mustard tribe, containing cabbages (from which sour-kraut is pre- 

 pared) and the well-known scurvy-grass, which are alkalescent vege- 

 tables ; the Conifer*;, some of which yield spruce, Ac. 



These vegetables, or the articles prepared from them, constitute the 

 jsMtMrfotML or means of preventing and curing sea-scurvy ; but they 

 arc not all of equal value, some far surpassing the others in efficacy. 

 Those are the least valuable in which no vegetable acid greatl > 

 dominates, so as to impart to them an acid or acidulous taste. Hence 

 the Crucifem are not so useful in their natural state, a* the name of 

 scurvy -grass, bestowed on one of them, would seem to indicate ; but 

 when by their fermentation, a* that of cabbage* to form sour kraut, a 

 vegetable acid (acetic acid ' or vinegar) is produced, they rue in th 



