POLYTHEISM 



6239 



POMERANIAN DOG 



large cities of the United Kingdom, 

 in Germany, Austria, Switzerland 

 (that at Zurich, 1861-64, being 

 the seat of Zurich University), and 

 the U.S.A., where the parent foun- 

 dations, the Rensselaer Polytechnic 

 Institute, Troy, and Franklin In- 

 stitute, Philadelphia, date from 

 1824. See Technical Education ; 

 consult also Histoire de L'Ecole 

 Polytechnique, G. Pinet, 1886. 



Polytheism (Gr. polys, many ; 

 theos, god). Belief in, and worship 

 of, many gods. Opinion is divided 

 on the question whether polytheism 

 preceded, or was a degradation of, 

 monotheism. It figured in the 

 ancient history of the Hebrews, 

 characterised the religions of 

 Assyria, Babylonia, Egypt, Greece, 

 and Rome, and affected the pan- 

 theism of India. See Anthropo- 

 morphism ; Deism ; Monotheism ; 

 inism ; Pantheism ; Religion. 



Polyuria. Increase in the 

 amount of urine passed. It may 

 be due to natural physiological 

 processes, e.g. increase in the 

 amount of food and liquid taken ; 

 to exposure to cold, which reduces 

 transpiration by the skin ; or to 

 disease, most frequently diabetes 

 and Bright's disease. 



Polyxena. In Greek legend, the 

 daughter of Priam, king of Troy, 

 and beloved of Achilles. After the 

 taking of Troy, Polyxena was 

 taken captive by Neoptolemus, 

 the son of Achilles, and when on 

 the return journey, on the Thracian 

 coast, the shade of Achilles ap- 

 peared, and demanded that Poly- 

 xena should be sacrificed to him, 

 Neoptolemus immolated the unfor- 

 tunate maiden. The incident is 

 treated in the Hecuba of Euripides. 

 Pron. Pollicks-in-a. 



Polyzoa (Gr. polys, many ; 

 zoon, animal). Name applied to 

 a zoological phylum of minute 

 animals, mostly marine, which live 

 in colonies. The sea-mats, common 

 on sandy shores and often mis- 

 taken for sea-weeds, are familiar 

 examples. The colonies assume 

 many forms, some being tree-like, 

 others leaf-like, while others form 

 incrustations on rocks and sea- 

 weeds. The animal is of simple 

 structure, consisting mainly of a 

 U-shaped alimentary canal, ter- 

 minating in a mouth and an anus 

 placed near together. The mouth 

 is surrounded by a ring or horse- 

 shoe of tentacles, covered with 

 minute cilia, the waving of which 

 causes currents in the water and 

 so sweeps particles of food into 

 the mouth. In these colonies the 

 individuals are specialised to per- 

 form various functions for the 

 common benefit, some being feed- 

 ing agents, some reproductive, and 

 others being armed. 



Pomade (Lat. pomum, apple) 

 OR POMATUM. Name given to any 

 pcented grease or ointment used for 

 the hair and skin. It was formerly 

 made from the juice of apples. 



Pomander (Fr. pomme d'ambre, 

 amber apple). Scented ball or box 

 hung at the end of the girdle, 

 round the neck, or carried in the 

 pocket. Pomanders became obso- 

 lete at the end of the 17th century. 

 Pombal, SEBASTIAO Jos 6 DE 

 CARVALHO E MELLO, MAKQUESS OF 

 (1699-1782). Portuguese states- 

 man. Born at 

 Lisbon, May 13, 

 1699, of good 

 family, he be- 

 came P o r t u- 



Marquess of Pombal, 

 Portuguese 

 statesman 



dor in London, 

 1739-45, and 

 Vienna, 1745- 

 49. Recalled to 

 Lisbon, he be- 

 came principal 

 minister of 

 Joseph I, Aug.. 1750, carrying out 

 many internal reforms, and 

 strengthening the position of Port- 

 ugal abroad. He crushed a revo- 

 lutionary plot among the nobles 

 and Jesuits in 1759, and in the 

 same year expelled the Jesuits 

 from Portugal and her colonies. On 

 the accession, in 1777, of Queen 

 Maria, he resigned his offices. Much 

 of his action was reversed, and he 

 himself was severely censured and 

 banished from the court. He djed 

 at Pombal, May 8, 1782. 



Pome (Lat. pomum, apple). In 

 botany, a succulent fruit with a 

 fleshy body, such as that of the 

 apple, pear, etc., the seeds of 



Pomegranate. Flower, leaves, fruit, 

 and fruit shown in section 



which are enclosed in carpels 

 forming the core. See Fruit. 



Pomegranate (Punica grana- 

 tum). Tree of the natural order 

 Lythraceae, native of W. Asia. The 

 leaves are oblong or lance-shaped, 

 and the red flowers are in small 

 clusters at the ends of the branches. 

 The large fruits, golden tinged with 

 red, are remarkable in their struc- 

 ture, there being two series of car 



pels, one above the other. The 

 seeds are coated with sweet, juicy 

 pulp. The rind is used for tanning 

 morocco leather. 



Pomerania. Dist. of Prussia, 

 Germany, once a separate duchy. 

 The present province, which is not 

 coterminous with the old duchy, 

 has an area of 11,630 sq. m. and a 

 pop. of 1,700,000. It extends 

 along the shores of the Baltic 

 between Mecklenburg and Poland, 

 and is divided into three parts, 

 the districts of Stralsund, Stettin, 

 and Koslin. The islands of Rugen, 

 Wollin, and Usedom lie off the 

 coast. Remarkable for the num- 

 ber of its lakes, Pomerania's chief 

 rivers are the Oder and its tribu- 

 taries. Barley, rye, and other 

 cereals are grown, and sheep reared. 



Pomerania was inhabited about 

 the 8th century by people of Sla- 

 vonic race, and about 1200 their 

 rulers called themselves dukes. It 

 became part of the German king- 

 dom, and at one time included 

 Pomerellen, the modern province 

 of West Prussia. This, however, 

 was separated from Pomerania 

 proper about 1300. The dukes of 

 Pomerania divided and subdivided 

 their lands to provide for various 

 branches of the ducal family. In 

 1625, however, it was united under 

 a single duke, and in 1637, on his 

 death without sons, it was claimed 

 by Brandenburg, in accordance 

 with a treaty made some years 

 before. The Swedes, however, were 

 in possession, for the Thirty Years' 

 War was raging, so hi 1648 it was 

 divided ; Brandenburg secured 

 eastern, and Sweden western, Pome- 

 rania. The rulers of Brandenburg 

 lost no chance of claimingthe whole, 

 and in 1720 most of Western Pome- 

 rania was handed over by Sweden. 

 In 1815 the rest also became part 

 of Prussia. See Prussia. 



Pomeranian Dog. Breed of pet 

 dog. It is bred largely in Germany, 

 where it is known as the Spitz and 

 is claimed as one of the national 

 breeds. In general appearance the 

 Pomeranian recalls a diminutive 



Pomeranian Dog. Champion speci- 

 men of the breed 



