NECROPOLIS 



5069 



NEEDLES 



that the shade of the departed seer 

 was not brought back to earth. 

 \\ hrii Cortes invaded Mexico it is 



irrulcli-il t h:il I lie -pllll i>f Munlr 



Necrosis. In pathology, UK; 

 death of a limited portion of 

 tissue. Most commonly the de- 

 inn of periosteum, or cover- 

 ing of the bone 

 through which the 

 blood-vessels enter, 

 causes necrosis of 

 the bone. Generally 

 necrosis is caused 

 by failure of nutri- 

 tion of any tissues. 

 See Gangrene. 



Nectar. In 

 Greek mythology, 

 the drink of the 

 gods, their food 

 being ambrosia. It 

 was supposed to 

 confer immortality 

 on those who 

 drank it, and on 

 that account was 

 forbidden to 



Nectarine. Branch wito loliace 

 and ripe fruit 



stitching wounds are curved, up- 

 holstering needles are double- 

 pointed, sack needles have a square 

 section, etc. See Bone Implements. 

 Needle- Gun. Fir.it successful 

 breech-loading rifle for military 

 use. The weapon was invented 



Needle : Ancient and modern examples. 1. Prehistoric bone needles, from cave near Bruniquel, France. 2. Roman, 

 a. Roman netting needle. 4. Modern carpet needle. 5. Darning needle. 6. Plain sewing needles. 7. Crewel embroidery 



needle. 8. Packing needle 



zuma's sister Papantzin was evok- 

 ed, and foretold the downfall of 

 the Aztec empire. 



Necromancy still prevails widely 

 in primitive culture. The Zulu 

 witch-doctor causes the voice of 

 his amatongo to be heard by means 

 of ventriloquism ; in W. Africa the 

 Ewe medicine-man in cases of 

 sickness elicits the future course of 

 the disease by consulting his tro ; 

 the Melanesian tindalo, or ghost, is 

 evoked for advice such as whether 

 a proposed canoe voyage may be 

 safely undertaken. In most in- 

 stances offerings are made to the 

 spirits to secure their goodwill, 

 and their aid in attaining the 

 desired result 



In medieval Europe the word 

 was corrupted to nigromancy, as 

 if from Lat. niger, black, and in 

 that form came to denote the black 

 art, or witchcraft in general. See 

 Divination ; Magic ; consult also 

 Lives of Necromancers, W. Godwin, 

 1834. 



Necropolis (Gr. nekros, corpse ; 

 polls, city). Word meaning a city 

 of the dead. It was anciently 

 applied to an outlying part of 

 Alexandria which was set apart for 

 burial purposes, and is used in con- 

 nexion with modern cemeteries, 

 such as those at Woking in Surrey, 

 England, and at Glasgow, Scotland. 

 The company owning the burial 

 ground at Woking (q.v.) is called 

 the Necropolis Company. 



Necropsy. In medicine, name 

 given to the examination of the 

 body after death. See Autopsy ; 

 Post Mortem. 



2 and 3. British Muicum 



Nectarine. Edible fruit, a 

 smooth-skinned variety of the peach 

 (q.v. ). The method of cultivation 

 and habit of both nectarine and 

 peach are generally identical, but the 

 fruit of the nectarine is more tender 

 of skin than the peach, and there- 

 fore must not be touched by hand 

 during development, or the ripened 

 fruit will be bruised and spoiled. 



Nedenes. Former name of the 

 Norwegian county now known as 

 Aust-Agder (q.v. ). 



Nederland Line. Dutch steam- 

 ship company. Running the prin- 

 cipal transport services between 

 Holland and the Dutch East Indian 

 colonies, there are fortnightly sail- 

 ings from Amsterdam and South- 

 ampton to Singapore, Java, and 

 other East Indian ports. 



Needle. Instrument used for 

 carrying a thread in sewing or 

 similar operations, consisting of a 

 thin, pointed rod of steel, bone, or 

 other material. Sewing-machine 

 needles have an eye at the point ; 

 other sewing needles have an eye 

 at the opposite end. Sewing 

 needles are defined according to 

 their construction, use, or function, 

 as drill-eyed, golden-eyed, sharp, 

 blunt, carpet needle, etc. The word 

 is also used for a thin, straigut rod 

 of bone, wood, or metal used in 

 knitting; for a light, hooked rod 

 used in crochet ; and for a thin, 

 flat piece of metal, or a light metal 

 rod pivoted at a point along its 

 length, as in a magnetic compass, 

 telegraphic instruments, and ap- 

 paratus for measuring electric 

 currents. Surgeons' needles for 



by a Thuringian mechanic, Johann 

 Nikolaus Dreyse, in 1839, and 

 quantities were being manufac- 

 tured by 1841, as the rifle was 

 adopted by the Prussian army. 



The needle-gun was a great 

 advance on any rifle in use at the 

 time, and the increased rate of 

 fire which its breech-loading made 

 possible was of much value to the 

 Prussians in several wars. It was 

 of 16 bore and had a simple bolt 

 action provided with locking lugs, 

 and inside the bolt the spring 

 loaded needle from which the gun 

 took its name. It was superseded 

 by the Mauser in 1872. See Rifle. 

 Needlemakers' Company, 

 THE. London city livery company. 

 Existing in the time of Henry VIII, 

 its first charter 

 was granted Nov. 

 10, 1656, this 

 being superseded 

 by one dated Feb. 

 9, 1 6 6 4. The 

 office is at 3, 

 Crooked Lane, 

 E.C. See An 

 Needlemakers' Account of the 

 Company arms t , . Needle- 

 makers, J. E. Price, 1876. 



Needles, THE. Group of three 

 insulated chalk rocks off the W. 

 end of the Isle of Wight The 

 westernmost rock is surmounted by 

 the Needles Lighthouse, 109 ft high, 

 with occulting light Before 1820 

 the rocks were joined together and 

 connected with the island. The 

 Needles take their name from a 

 slender pillar of chalk which foil 

 in 17G4. 



