DIGITALIS 



DILAPIDATION 



IHtfif a Us, a genus of Scrophulariacea', native* 



chieilv oi tin- -until iii Kimqie and temperate part* 



of Asia. One only, tin- < 'u in n l-o\-; 



i>urjntra), is a nativi- \ lliit.iin. < M in-r |tecies 

 have lx>en introduced, notably l>. lutm nn<l </////</< 

 Jiorn. with yrlluw Movers. The botanical tiailie 

 tali* (late l.fit. i/i'/it'i/' , tin- linger iif n gl< 

 -, like tin- popular Kirjlish name, to tin- i-.i in .if 

 the flowers. 



The leaves of the IHiiitnlis />ur/>uri<i, collected 

 before the expansion of tin- Mowers and dried, are 

 largely used HI medicine, either in the form of 

 powder, or as tincture or infusion. Digitalin gran 

 ules, containing minute | nan ti ties of a mixture ..i 

 the active principles, are also employed. The 

 leaves owe their activity to the presence of certain 

 bodies, which have heen named digitalin, digitalein, 

 ligitoxin. and digitonin. the three HIM DMtttkXMQ 

 having the characteristic digitalis action, while the 

 fourth is entirely different, and closely resembles 

 saponin in its effects. The leaves and their prepara- 

 t ions have a hitter taste. When given in large doses 

 by the mouth, they produce violent vomiting and 

 purging: this mav prevent their absorption into 

 t he lilood. but if absorbed, they mav cause death by 

 paralysing the heart's action. \Vhen the leaves 

 are administered in medicinal doses, a peculiar 

 action is exerted on the muscular substance of 

 the heart and blood-vessels, causing the fonner to 

 beat more slowly, regularly, and powerfully, and 

 contracting the latter. By this combined action the 

 blood-pressure is raised, and if dropsy l)e present, a 

 diuretic action is exerted. Digitalis is also used in 

 many organic forms of heart-disease, in nervous 

 and functional irregularity of the heart's action, 

 in cardiac weakness from long-continued disease, 

 in <edema of the lungs, internal hemorrhages, and 

 other conditions. When taken for a long time it 

 may cause nausea and other digestive disturb- 

 ances, and in a very few cases sudden and serious 

 symptoms of poisoning come on. This constitutes 

 the so called cumulative action of digitalis. In 

 therapeutic doses digitalis should slow the pulse; 

 if too large doses be given, the pulse becomes rapid 

 and irregular. 



Digit aria. See MILLET. 



Digitigrada. See CARNIVORA. 



Digne, a cathedral city in the French depart- 

 ment of Basses-Alpes, on the Bleonne, 70 miles NE. 

 of Marseilles. Pop. 5414. 



Dihong* See BRAHMAPUTRA. 



IHjon. chief town in the French department of 

 C6te-d'()t, formerly capital of the old duchy of 

 Burgundy, lie-, spread out on a fertile plain at the 

 foot of Mvmt Afnque ( 1916 feet),. at the junction of 

 the Ouche and Su/on, and on the Canal de Bour- 

 gogne, 196 miles SK. of Paris by rail. Its import- 

 ance as a railway centre has rendered it of conse- 

 quence in the inner line of French defences towards 

 the east, and strong forts now crown the neighliour- 

 ing hills. The environs are exceedingly beautiful, 

 and the town is well and regularly huilt ; the 

 streets are broad, the open squares numerous, and 

 the old walls have been turned into tasteful Itotile- 

 vards. Of the medieval defences, the < lot hie c.i-tle 

 built by Louis XI. still remains, employed as a 

 gendarmerie barrack ; formerly it was a state 

 prison, in which, among others. Miraheau. Tous- 

 saint L'Ouverture, and (Jeneral Mack were con- 

 fined. Among the public buildings, which are 

 numerous and imposing, the chief are the cathedral, 

 a massive Gothic structure, dating from the l.'tth 

 century, with a wooden spire ( 1742), 301 feet high ; 

 the churches of Notre Dame ( 1252-1334), St Michel 

 (1529), and others; a ha'ndsome theatre : the italais 

 de justice ; and the former palace of the Dukes of 

 Burgundy, which, commenced in 1366, is now used 



an the town-hall, and contain* a rich rot 

 besides a library of HO.OOO volume* and 900 



1 MJOII is al>Mi the seat of 

 with three faculties law, science, and 

 possesses, in addition a theological M-ruinary. a 

 botanic garden, and an academy of art. Tb0 

 manufacture* include br, brandy, woollen cloth. 

 blankets, mustard. candle*, and jH.th-ry. and there 

 is a noteworthy trade in (lower* and agricultural 



produce; but iMjiilir. chief coliili|i-r<-|:ii I ln|x>rUUM30 



is as the centre of the I pp-r Hurguiidv wine trade. 

 I'op. i^T-Ji 40, 1 1 ; (1WM) 78,794. the M/*a of 

 tin- Romans, hijon in the ."ith century painted from 

 the Burgundians to the 1 ranks, in the 9th was rulwd 

 by (-(Hints of it* own, und r the suzerainty of the 

 bisho]m of Langres, but in 1007 wan unite*! to the 

 duchy of Burgundy, of which it ln-carne the capital. 

 On the death of Charles the Bold it mine with 

 Burgundy into the possession of France in 1477. 

 In October 1870, after a sharp engagement before 

 the city, Dijon capitulated to a Herman force. 

 There was again severe fighting here in January 

 1871. Charles the Bold, Crebillon, Bossuet, and 

 Kameau were natives, and clone by i* the birth- 

 place of St Bernard, of whom there is a Htatue by 

 Jouffroy ( 1847). See the work by Chabeuf < 1895). 



Dike. See DYKE. 



Dilapidation, in English law, is where an 

 incumbent sutlers his parsonage-house or outhouses 

 to fall down, or be in decay, for want of necessary 

 reparation ; or pulls down or destroys any of the 

 outhouses or buildings belonging to his living: or 

 destroys woods, trees, &c. ; for it is said to extend 

 to committing or suffering anv wilful waste on the 

 inheritance of the church. Dilapidation is a species 

 of the legal injury known as Waste (q.v.). A 

 rector or vicar is bound to keep his residence and 

 the chancel of the church in repair, but not to 

 supply or maintain anything in the way of orna- 

 ment, as painting, white-washing, or papering. An 

 ecdesja-tiejil iM-rson suffering the church-property 

 to get out 01 repair is subject to an action for 

 dilapidation at the instance of his successor; and 

 the money so recovered must be applied to the 

 repairs. By 5 and 6 Viet. chap. 108, being an act 

 to empower ecclesiastical coronations to grant long 

 leases, it is provided that the incumbent shall not 

 ! liable for dilapidation occurring during such 

 leases. By 34 and 35 Viet. chap. 43. amended by 

 35 and 36 Viet. chap. 96, a surveyor of dilapidations 

 is appointed in each diocese. Such surveyor, when 

 so ordered by the bishop, may in|ect and report on 

 the buildings of a Ix-netice which is not vacant. 

 But the bishop can issue such orders only on receipt 

 of a complaint from the archdeacon, the rural dean, 

 or the patron of the benefice, that the buildings of 

 the benefice are dilapidated ; and tmi-t give a 

 montl.'s previous notice to the incumU-nt. * ho is 

 entitled to state written objection* to the report 

 within a month, whereii|Min the bishop may 

 call in another surveyor to rvjxirt on the issues of 

 t.i.-!-. or take counsel's opinion on the issues of law. 

 the incumbent paying the cost of such proceedings, 

 and lcing obliged to comply with tin* bishop V final 

 deci-ion. Tin- incumbent must execute the *.-rk- 

 siM-ciiied in the rc|>ort, as settled by the bUhop. in 

 the manner and within the time therein prwcniwd. 

 or such longer time an the bishop mav appoint in 

 writing. Or he max. with eon^-m f the bi 



and the patron, iind the surveyor's approval. ub 

 stitute other works for them. The art also applies 

 to cancM of dilapidations in vacant heaeflees. The 

 sum for repairs named in the bUhop's order in those 

 cases is a debt due from the late incumbent, his 

 executors and administrator*, to the new incum- 

 bent, and is recoverable at law or in equity. For the 

 corresponding Scottish law. see HERITOR, MAXSK. 



