ADZE 



29 



churchyard of the Innocents, at Paris, was cleaned out, and the bones transported to 

 the Catacombs, it was discovered that not a few of the cadavres were converted into a 

 saponaceous white substance, more especially many of those which had been interred 

 for fifteen years in one pit, to the amount of 1,500, in coffins closely packed together. 

 These bodies were flattened in consequence of their mutual pressure ; and though 

 they generally retained their shape, there was deposited round the bones of several 

 of them a greyish white, somewhat soft, flexible substance. Fourcroy presented to the 

 Academy of Sciences, in 1789, a memoir which appeared to prove that the fatty body 

 was an ammoniacal soap containing phosphate of lime ; that the fat was similar to 

 spermaceti, as it assumed, on slow cooling, a foliated crystalline structure ; as also to 

 wax, as, when rapidly cooled, it became granular ; -hence he called it adipocire. Its 

 melting point was 52'5 C. (126 '5 F.) 



This substance was again examined by Chevreul, in 1812, and was found by him 

 to contain margaric acid, oleic acid, combined with a yellow colouring odorous matter, 

 besides ammonia, a little lime, potash, oxide of iron, salts of lactic acid, an azotised 

 substance ; and was therefore considered as a combination of margaric and oleic 

 acids, in variable proportions. These fat acids are obviously generated by the 

 reaction of the ammonia upon the margarine and ole'ine, though they eventually lose 

 the greater part of that volatile alkali. It is sometimes confounded with chlorestino. 

 Bog butter is said to be a similar substance. See FAT and FATTY BODIES. 



ADIPOSE SUBSTANCE or ADIPOSE TISSUE. (Tissu graisseux, Fr.) 

 An animal oil, resembling in its essential properties the vegetable oils. During life, 

 it appears to exist in a fluid or semi-fluid state ; but, in the dead animal, it is 

 frequently found in a solid form, constituting suet, which, when divested of the mem- 

 brane in which it is contained, is called tallow. See TALLOW, OILS, &c. 



ADIT or ADIT IiEVEIi. The horizontal entrance to a mine; a passage or 

 level driven into the hill-side. The accompanying section gives, for the purpose of 

 distinctness, an exaggerated sec- 

 tion of a portion of the subter- 

 ranean workings of a metalliferous 

 mine. It should be understood 

 that d represents a mineral-lode, 

 upon which the shaft, a, has been 

 sunk. At a certain depth from 

 the surface of the hill the miners 

 would be inconvenienced by water, 

 consequently a level is driven in 

 from the side of the hill, b, through 

 which the water flows off, and 

 through which also the miner can 

 bring out the broken rock, or any 

 ores which he may obtain. Proceeding still deeper, supposing the workings to have 

 commenced, as is commonly the case, at a certain elevation above the sea-level, similar 

 conditions to those described again arising, another level is driven so as to intersect 

 the shaft or shafts, as shown at c. In this case, b would bo called the shallow, and 

 c the deep adit. The economy of such works as these is great, saving the cost of 

 expensive pumping machinery, and also of considerable labour in the removal of ores 

 or other matter from the mine. 



The great Gwennap Adit, in Cornwall, with its branches, was cut through the solid 

 rock for nearly 30 miles ; through it, numerous .mines are drained to a certain depth, 

 and the water pumped from greater depths discharged. The Nentforce Level, or 

 Adit, in Alston Moor, has been wrought under the course of the Eiver Nent, and it 

 extends about 3^ miles into that important mining district, serving to drain a 

 considerable number of the Nenthead mines. Many of the mines in Cumberland 

 and in Derbyshire are worked by the Adit called a Day-level only; the adit, as at c, 

 being carried into the hill until it reaches the lode. The ore is obtained by working 

 up into the hill. It falls into the level, and is carried out in tram-wagons. See 

 MINING. 



ADUXiARXA. A variety of orthoclase. See FELSPAR. 



ADULTERATION. The practice of debasing any product of manufacture by 

 the introduction of cheap and often injurious materials. The extent to which the 

 adulteration of almost every useful article is carried, is at once a disgrace to the 

 trading community, and a standing reflection on an ago and country which boasts of 

 its high moral character and its devotion to Christianity. 



ADZE. A cutting instrument ; differing from the axe by the edge being placed 

 at nearly right angles to the handle, and being slightly curved up or inflected towards it. 

 The instrument is held in both hands, whilst the operator stands upon his work in a 



