ELEMENT. 



KI.KI'HANTIASIS. 



Catullu* i the fint Latin elegiac writer of any note ; ba wu 

 followed l>y Tibullua, Propertius, and Ovid, with many <>tli< i 

 Augustan age, whose poems are either totally loet, or nave only come 

 down to UK in fragment*. With them |>olitical and moral subjects find 

 no place; the elegiac venM of Catullus (a .null part uf hi* poiuus) are, 

 for the moat part, either mournful <u- satirical ; thorn of tl. 

 poeU above named ore chiefly devoted to lore, fortunate aud unfortu- 

 nate. Ovid, however, hu taken a wider scope of personal feelings in 

 hi* Epistles from Pontut, and uf lustorical and mythological learning 

 in hi* Fasti. 



K I. KM I : NT. In chemistry this term is applied to such substances 

 a* cannot be resolved into two or more simpler kiu<ls of matter. Thug 

 by no analytical processes can anything different from themselves be 

 separated from gold, silver, sulphur, or iron, <uid therefore these sub- 

 stances are termed element.*, whilst potash, common salt, and lime 

 are compounds, because they can be resolved respectively into potas- 

 sium ami oxygen, sodium and chlorine, and calcium and oxygen. 

 Every substance which does not thus admit of analysis must be 

 regarded as an element ; in early periods in the history of clu 

 many substances were classed as elements which have since been 

 proved to be compounds, and it is not impossible that the progress of 

 knowledge may enable us thus to resolve some of the elements of the 

 present day, nevertheless the probability of such an occurrence is at 

 present exceedingly remote. About sixty-two elementary forms of 

 matter are now known ; for a list of them, see ATOMIC TIIKOKV. 



ELEMI, a resin, of which there are two or more sort*, brought 

 1'rom different parts of the world, and apparently produced by dif- 

 ferent kinds of trees. The West Indian or American eleuii is com- 

 monly referred to the Amyrit clemifera (Linn.), but the very existence 

 of such a species is doubtful, unless it be synonymous with the 

 Amyrii Plumirri (Dec.), of the Antilles, and the Idea Jriniriba of 

 Brazil. The East Indian eleini is obtained from the Amyri* zeylanica, 

 altamodaulron leylanicum of Kunth., Terebinth (Itetz.), while a third 

 sort, called African, or eleini verum, is referred to the l.i 

 korteiuii. A substance resembling elemi, and capable of being applied 

 to ifMilay purposes, may be procured from several plants. Weel 

 Indian elemi occurs in irregular-shaped small pieces, which run into 

 mnnnrn, of a yellowish colour, of an agreeable odour, which is most 

 perfectly developed by the application uf heat. The consistence is at 

 first soft, but it hardens with age, and even becomes brittle. 

 some of its odour. Specific gravity 1'083. It seems to contain a 

 principle termed elemiue. Eleuii is recommended as an ointment, 

 but it is chiefly used to form pastilles, or to burn as incense. 



A sealing-wax, into the composition of which eleuii largely enters, if 

 applied to cover the tops of the corks of wine bottles, is eaid to be an 

 efficient preventive of the attacks of the small beetles (thought to be 

 introduced into wine-cellars along with the sawdust sometimes used in 

 packing the bottles), which, eating through the corks, cause the entire 

 low of the wine. Some believe the destruction of the corks to be 

 caused by the action of the wine. 



ELEMI-KK.SIX. A product obtained from the Amyrit elemifera of 

 the West Indies, and from the Vcylanica of the East Indies. Hess 

 gives the formula C,,,H 10 O, whilst Rose assigns to it C (0 H M 0. Elemi 

 is, however, most probably a mixture. It is known to contain two 

 resinx, one soluble in cold alcohol and cry stall liable, the other amor- 

 phous and containing a less proportion of carbon. 



The specific gravity of elemi is 1'08. When distilled with water it 

 yields a limpid, colourless, inflammable oil, which rotates the plane 

 of polarisation to the left, boils between 330 and 345" Fahr., has a 

 specific gravity of 840, and possesses the same composition as oil of 

 tin |ieiitine. With hydrochloric acid it forms an artificial camphor of 

 tli.: formula ( ',,,11 JIH. 



KI.KNCHU8, the Latin form of the Greek eUnchoi (faeyxas'i. and 

 commonly translated by the words anjumtulum, i'/uiaitiu, cvnfutatlu, 

 and dcounutrativ, is a term of frequent use in the Aristotelian system 

 of logic, and signifies argument, replication, refutation, or the point, 

 subject, or nature, of dispute or demonstration. (Si e i he authorities 

 cited in Valpy's edition of Stephens's Greek Thesauri i- under 'KAryx*-) 

 Aristotle defines cleurhm as "a syllogism of contradiction," that is, an 

 argument alleged in opposition to another; and Mr. Thomas Taylor, in 

 bis translation of the ' Organon,' considers the Greek term to be 

 precisely equivalent to retlargutio in Latin. By some of the early 

 Kngluii authors the noun clench is used in a similar sense, and also 

 the verb tiatrAitc, meaning to argue with captious or sophistical oppo- 

 sition. (Johnson's ' Diet.') In the two last books of the ' Organon,' 

 entitled Hipl tuf Zofurrut&r 'EAr^x"". Aristotle minutely classifies and 

 discusses the various kinds .of sophistical olenchi, or modes of argu- 

 ment, used by contentious sophist*. The sophism which, in scholastic 

 phraseology, is designated ignoratio tfatcki, that is, a real ignorance of, a 

 mistaking, or sinister deviation from, the argument, or question under 

 dircucnon, consist* in proving something irrelevant, and which, as it may 

 be true without affecting the truth of the real proposition, with which it 

 has no necessary connection, does not determine, though it may seem to 

 determine, the question. Aristotle includes under this designation the 

 introduction of anything extraneous to the point in dispute (ffw rot 

 rpdyparoi) ; the disproving of what is not asserted, a* well as the 

 proving of what is not denied. Examples of this species of sophism 

 are of very frequent occurrence in discourses which display the 



i appealing to passions and prejudices, and resort 

 to iujuriouM imputations, or ludicrous and satirical illustration; espe- 

 cially in religious, political, and forensic disputut ; affect 

 individual iiit-rests ami feelings, and in which the predominant desire 

 is not the exhibition of truth, but merely the obtaining of victory; 

 for a disingenuous disputant wlui: i ..f the 

 i-ity of his adversary's argument, strive.- Auction by 

 the stratagem of iltjjiiyitu/, aud seeks to gain a sinister advantage and 

 triumph, by proving or disproving, not the real ] 

 but one or more which in some way are apparently involved or im- 

 plied, so as to create the assumption of identity. The foil 

 instance is given by Dr. Kirwan (' Essay on Logic,' vol. ii. j. 

 " Paschal arguing against atheism insists that it is ;/i- < than 

 theism, whereas the point in debate is the truth, and not t! 

 of either system. Some Christian sects use similar arguments." 

 Mistake or misrepresentation of the question to be determined, and 

 the consequent proving of what is not to the purpose, are also coi 

 in didactic and conversational discussions, and the soph; 



and nun oiioa pro causa are frequently combined w; 

 ignoratio tlendti. In all cases of irrelevant conclusion, when 

 thing is proved which does not in reality contradict i sary's 



proposition, the latent fallacy is best exposed 1 that both 



propositions may be equally true (Archbishop '\Vh;itely's 'Logic'); 

 anil the best means of preventing sophistical deception of tin- 

 is to keep the attention constantly fixed upon the precise point of 

 dispute, neither wandering 01 r suffering our oppoi, 



wander or make any substitution. (Dr. Watts's ' Logic.') In dramatical 

 writing the ignoratio clenrhi, or as it is otherwise called, the tjn 

 quo, is fr<'<|iiently adopted as a very effc! for the pro- 



i of laughter. Numerous and long continued instances of con- 

 sistent dialogue, displaying the most ingenious and amusing eyuicoquc 

 or cross-purposes, are to be found in the coi 

 source of amusement being in each party's " ignorance of the quc - 

 about which the other is concerned. 



KI.Kl'HAN iTASIS (iAffxuand i\t<lMu>rtiuri: 

 diteajse,BO called |rtly on account of some si 

 the diseased skin to that of the elephant, but principally from ti 

 midable nature of the malady. It is disgusi sight, says 



s, and in all respects terrible, like the beast of similar n u 



The term is now commonly applied to two ditl'cr. : first, 



to a peculiar disease of the skin, one of the most formidable of the 

 dreadful cutaneous affections which occur in hot climates, anil more 

 particularly where agriculture and the arts of civilisation are inijierfectly 

 advanced; and secondly, to a peculiar disease of the leg, wlr 

 coming enormously tumid, is conceived to bear some resemblance to 

 the leg of an elephant. 



The first distemper, elephantiasis properly so called, is a tuln 

 disease of the skin. The tube; >ii a shinim.' : they 



are of different sizes, and are of a dusky red or livid colour on the face, 

 ears, and extremities. The tub 1 with a thi 



aud rugous state of the skin, a diminution or total loss of its sensibility, 

 and a falling off of all the hair excepting that of the 



The disease is wholly unknown in this country. It is described as 

 -'.ov. in its progress, sometimes continuing sevei .-. ithout 



lly deranging the functions, but gradually producing an 

 ordinary degree of deformity. The following is the 

 monly given of this formidable malady ; but there is reason to believe 

 that the picture is much exaggerated. 



The alee of the nose become .,,1 scabrous; tin- nostrils are 



dilated; the lips are tumid; the external ear.-, particulai : 

 are enlarged and thickened, and beset with tubercles; the skin ol tin- 

 forehead and cheeks grons thick and tumid, and forms large and pro. 

 uiineut ruga), especially over the eyes; the hair of the eye-brows, the 

 beard, the pubes, axillae, &e., falls off; the voice becomes hoarse and 

 obscure ; and the sensibility of the parts affected is obtuse or totally 

 abolished, so that pinching or puncturing them gives no uneasiness. 

 This disfiguration of the countenance suggested the idea of the features 

 of a satyr or a wild beait; uh.n.-c ih, ,, U y some called 



/'., and partly also on account of the excessive liliidinoi: 

 sition said to be connected with it ; and by others /. m the 



laxity and wrinkles of the skin of the forehead, which re 

 prominent and flexible front of the lion. 



As the malady proceeds, the tubercles begin to crock, and at length 

 to ulcerate ; ulcerations also appear in the throat and in the nose, 

 which sometimes destroy the palate and the cartilaginous septum ; the 

 nose falls ; and the breath is . offensive; the thickened and 



tuberculated skin of the extremities becomes divided by tissur. 

 ulcerates, or is corroded under dry sordid scabs, so that the fingers and 

 toes gangrene and separate joint after joint. 



The large misshapen leg, which is also often termed elephantiasis, 

 arises from a repeated effusion aud collection of n lymphatic and 

 gelatinous matter in the cellular i. under the skin, in conse- 



quence of inflammation of the lymphatic ..--! -I.-. Tl. 



itself is much thickened in the protracted stages of the disease, and its 

 vessels become greatly its surface grows dark, rough, and 



sometimes scaly. As the effusion first takes place after a febrile 

 paroxysm, in which the inguinal glands of the side about to be affected 

 are inflamed, and the limb is subsequently augmented in bulk by a 



