ill 



DIGESTION. 



DILIGKMT.. 



231 



j***m the copper tube, and pierced with central 

 to receive the screw plug K, which, with the 



uro D, tupped 



collar "of lead, JfectuaUy ohW th aperture. The <ap c o is secured 







lBMrt*l Son abofe tad icrew into tl,,- lower fl.uv.-h. 1'erfect imper- 

 meability to gae U Noarad. u 

 in the ton digester, by a ^ 

 aiiimlim and a ring of Inad. When 

 it U deainble to collect the gam* 

 I iluring any operation in 

 this digester, the plug E u replaced 

 by a carefully made stopcock, to 

 the nozxle of which a gas-d. 



. . . 



cryttallwed. and to which the name of Digitaline has been given. This 

 principle i* soluble in water, in alcohol, and iparingly in ether. It is 

 very poisonous. One grain .lisaolred in a little water killed a rabl.it in 

 a very abort time. Digital!* u given in powder, undo int . > 

 an aloohulic tincture. Diversity of opinion exists respecting 



11 the itystem, aome writer* conaidering it M primarily .1 

 Unt, and the aedative effect a consequence of the previous excite) 

 other* regarding it u a direct aedative. It i* mart likely that it act* 

 in both way* according to the done, and frequency of administration. 

 If a small don be given, and repeated at short intervals, a stimulant 

 :i.-ti..n will be most obvious, followed at a considerable interval by a 

 sedative effect. If on the other hand a Urn dose be given at first, 



tube can be attached, when the 

 reaction in competed. This diges- 

 ter is heated by means of a cylin- 

 drical copper oil-bath placed in a 

 gait-stove, as shown in jig. 3. The 

 gaa stove consists of a strong 

 wrought iron framework, A A, 

 around which is fixed the sheet- 

 iron cylinder u B closed at the 

 bottom, but furnished with a 

 draught regulator c, and contracted 

 at top by a ring of sheet iron so as 

 jut to admit the cylindrical oil- 

 bath D D, the flanch of which rests 

 upon the upper extremities of (In- 

 wrought-iron framework, which are 

 turned inwards for this purpose. 

 The sheet-iron cylinder is sur- 

 rounded by another of polished tin 

 plate to prevent the too rapid 

 radiation of heat; there is an in- 

 terval of half an inch between the 

 two coses, and both are pierced 

 with hole.-, at K for the exit of the 

 products of combustion. A $-inch 



copper pipe, r, pierced with eighteen or twenty small apertures, 

 forms the gas-burner. By this arrangeuiout, it is easy to maintain 

 an almost constant degree of heat for any length of time. The 

 temperature U ascertained by the thermometer /, immersed in the oil- 

 bath through an aperture bored in the cap and flauch of the digester 

 for this purpose. This gas-stove is also used for huatiug the iron 

 digester, but without the intervention of the oil-bath. 



DIGESTION, in Chemistry, and especially in 1'liunnaceutic Che- 

 mistry, is the exposure of any substance to partial or total solution in 

 a fluid, either at common temperatures or with a gentle heat : thus in 

 the preparation of tinctures, the substance whose active principle is to 

 be extracted is said to be Jiyaleii in alcohol or spirit of wine, generally 

 diluted with water. It is commonly performed in a glass flask or bolt- 

 head which should not be more than half filled, and covered with a piece 

 of wet bladder, so that the evaporation of the menstruum or spirit may 

 be prevented as much as possible ; if the heat be so great as to en- 

 danger the bunting of the vessel or the bladder, the latter should be 

 pierced with one or more small holes. 



The flask may be heated either by means of the sun's rays, of a 

 common fire, or of the Hand-bath, or a stove : when the heat is so great 

 that it would occasion the loss of a valuable menstruum, as spirit of 

 wine, without any provision for condensing it being employed, a dis- 

 tilling apparatus should be mode use of. Formerly a method of 

 digestion called circulation was resorted to ; this consisted in luting a 

 close head on the digesting vessel, in which the vapour was COD 

 and ran back into the digester without loss, it being condensed in the 

 head merely by exposure to the air. 



DIGIT, a finger, a term employed to signify any symbol of nunili T 

 from to 9. According to we original application of the term, the 

 first ten numbers should be called digits, but universal practice em- 

 ploys the won! to cignify the ten symbols used in reckoning number. 



ii (ID) in a number of two digits. 



l>i'.>, \I.I> \rin. A white crystalline acid possessing a peculiar 

 odour, and found in purple foxglove. It is very soluble hi water, less 

 o in alcohol, and till les Koluble in ether. It readily undergoes 

 fp"iit>m-"UJi di- i, mil han not been analysed. 



DliilTAI.IN i 1 iveii to the active 



principle "I tin- purple foxglove; little is known of iU properties, and 

 it has by some been suppose- 1 t<> Iwamixtm 

 ili'liinlinr,' . I-'iirlhi-r, (/.'./''' 



Inline are also the names of bodies derived f mui the some SOUTH 

 whole subject r- 



Iilc.lTA US IM'KI-. . love, a biennial plant, of which 



the leaves and needs are used. The leaves are sometimes acci- 

 confounded with those of different specie* of Verbownr 

 Conyza aqunrrosa. The most powerful leaves are thoae procured from 

 pUnU growing on the ninny aides of hills, those of the second year 

 only should be collected. They must be carefully dried, and protected 

 from damp, and kept in the dark. The active principle appear* to 

 reside in an extractive substance, which by careful evaporation may be 



the sedative action is immediately displayed. The effect varies also 



with the p..-ition of the person, being different according as he is 

 standing, sitting, or reclining. 



Digitalis is the most perfect example known of a cumulative ]>oison, 

 as it may be used for some time, if the doses be small, w. 

 ducing any manifest effect for several days, when suddenly faiutnws, 

 intermittent pulse, giddiness, and other alarming symptoms appear. 

 These are best combated by vital stimulants, such as warm brandy and 

 water. 



Digitalis has the power of reducing hi a remarkable degree the 

 heart's action, bringing down the pulse from 120 or more to 50 or 40 

 beats in a minute, and causing it to become at the same time inter- 

 mittent. On this power depends its medical value hi aome diseases. 

 It is remarkable, however, that while it thus lowers arterial act . 

 excites the absorbents and the kidneys to increased action, a 

 proves a valuable diuretic hi dropsy and some other diseases. It is 

 most useful in organic affections of the heart, and in the latter stages 

 of some inflammatory affections, such as pneumonia, in ; 

 monalis, chronic peritonitis, and irritative or nervous fever. In the 

 inflammatory or turgescent stage of hydrocephalus acutus, along with 

 calomel, Golis states it to be very valuable. 



As a diuretic, it is, like most medicines of that class, uncertain hi its 

 effects : it seldom answers if much inflammatory action exist w hen it 

 is exhibited. To render it more certain it is generally given along 

 with calomel, and squills, or some other diuretic. Digitaline ha 



Mended by Dr. Christison and others. 



JilClTOLEIC ACID. A crystalline fatty acid, found in the purple 

 foxglove. A number of salts have been prepared from it, but i. 

 these nor the acid itself have been analysed. 

 1 1 1 1 ; N i T I I-X [TITLES OK HONOUR.] 

 1 1 1 1 1 ) ut >(( 1 1 1 1 : I N i-:. [OPIUM, ALKAIXHDS or]. 

 DILAl'l 1 >AT10N"S. lu ita legal sense, thin term ia confined to the 

 pulling down or destro) ; y manner, any of the houses or 



buildings belonging to an ecclesiastical benefice, or 

 run into ruin or decay, or wasting or destroying the, woods of the 

 Church, or suffering any wilful waste in or upon the inheritance 

 chun-li. An incumbent is bound to keep the buildings it 



and rebuilding where necessary according to the original form, 

 without addition or modern improvement, but he is no' 

 supply or maintain anything in the nature of ornament, such as paint- 

 ing ( unless necessary to preserve exposed timbers fi white- 

 washing, and papering. For damages calculated on this p 

 successor may bring his action, either in the courts of common law or 

 in the spiritual court, against his predecessor, or, if he be dead, against 

 his executors. 



The right to damages for dilapidations, as between other persons, 

 is governed either by the Laws relating to waste and recurs, or by 



1 contract. 



DILATATION. [HEAT.] 



DILATATION OF T1IK II K ART. [HEART, DISEASES OP.] 

 DILIQENCK, in the law of Scotland, is an expression nearly equiva- 

 lent to " process" in the law of England. It includes the various means 

 by which the person may be seized and imprisoned, the. pn<|ierty 

 attached and disposed of, to the end of enforcing paymen 

 (lerformance of any civil obligation ; and witnesses compelled to give 

 , or to produce books, writings, &0. It would n it. give 

 a comprehensive view of the object of this procedure to say tlu 

 for the pur|xHte of carrying out the judgments of the courts of 1 <w, 

 because it is a characteristic of Scottish procedure that nut only \\ill 

 on agreement properly executed between parties to 

 proceed without a judgment (as in a warrant to allow jud^iucin 



up in England) U- :i sullicient warrant for diligen< 

 are certain pecuniary obligations, of which it is the chara. 

 summary or the more rapid kind of diligence can proceed on them if 

 thoy ore not in any w:i These documents are 



; exchange and promissory notes, ami the facility of reo 

 the delit.-, contained iii Mie.li documents, by a i 



i marked feature od. and one 



which is l-clieved to have beneficial effect*, lie can issue, 



such a document mu-t. ! protested and registered in the books of 

 some competent court, itnd thenee Uie diligence issues, as if it were 

 founded on the decision of the court. The registers being accessible 

 to the public on payment of certain fees, this facility for tracing the 

 initial steps of bankruptcy is mode use of by members of tin 

 cantile community of Scotland, who have a machinery by which they can 

 inform each other of the persons whose names appear on the register. 



