ARROWSMITH ARSON 



287 



forms of bowel complaints. Owing to the great de- 

 mand for it, it has been much adulterated, and care 

 is required in the selection of it. The purest is the 

 Jamaica or Bermuda arrowroot. A very cheap and 

 tolerable substitute for this article may be found in 

 the starch obtained from the potato (see Potato), 

 which cannot be too highly recommended. 



ARROWSMITH, Aaron ; hydrographer to the king of 

 Great Britain, and distinguished as a constructor of 

 maps and charts. His works are frequently adverted 

 to as standards for comparison and reference. Besides 

 a great number of maps and charts, he published a 

 New General Atlas, 4to, 1817, to accompany the 

 Edinburgh Gazetteer. He. was also author of a pam- 

 phlet, entitled ' 'A Companion to a Map of the World " 

 Mr A. died in London, where he had long lived much 

 respected, in 1823, aged 73. 



ABSAMAS ; a circle of the Russian government of 

 Nishegorod, between long. 43" 21' and 44 KXE. and 

 lat. 54 37' and 55 28' N. It is watered by the 

 rivers Tescha and Scholka, which flow to the Volga. 

 It is an undulating country ; much of it is covered with 

 wood, and some part of it with swamps ; but it pro- 

 duces flax in abundance, and com sufficient for the 

 use of the inhabitants, who amount to 120,000, of 

 whom 4351 are slaves belonging to the crown, and 

 23,643 belonging to other individual nobles. The 

 chief employment is wood cutting, potash burning, 

 and spinning linen yarn. 



ARSCHIN (of TurkisJi origin) ; a Russian measure of 

 length. Three arschins make seven English feet ; 

 1500 archins, one werst. Every arschin is divided into 

 four parts, called quarters or spans, and every quarter 

 into four werschecks, = 315-j^ Paris lines. It is also 

 a Chinese measure. One Chinese arschin = 302 Paris 

 lines. 



ARSENAL, a royal or public magazine, or place ap- 

 pointed for the making and keeping of arms neces- 

 sary either for defence or assault. Some derive this 

 word from arx, a fortress ; others from ars, denoting 

 a machine ; others again from arx and senatus, be- 

 cause this was the defence of the senate ; but the more 

 probable opinion derives it from the Arabic darsenaa, 

 which signifies arsenal. The arsenal of Venice if the 

 place where the galleys are built and laid up. The 

 arsenal of Paris is that where the cannon or great guns 

 are cast. 



ARSENIC is a metal of very common occurrence, 

 being found in combination with nearly all of the 

 metals in their native ores. It is of a bluish-white 

 colour, readily becoming tarnished on exposure to 

 air, first changing to yellow, and finally to black. In 

 hardness, it equals copper, is extremely brittle, and 

 is the most volatile of all metals, beginning to sub- 

 lime before it melts. Its specific gravity is 5-76. It 

 burns with a blue flame and a white smoke, emitting 

 a strong smell of garlic. It commonly bears the 

 name of black arsenic, and is prepared from the white 

 arsenic of commerce, by heating this substance with 

 carbonaceous matter, and allowing the volatile ar- 

 senic to condense in an adjoining vessel. Arsenical 

 pyrites, a very abundant natural substance, is also 

 advantageously used in the preparation of arsenic, in 

 which case iron filings and lime are added, to engage 

 the sulphur, and prevent its sublimation along with 

 the arsenic. Native arsenic has been found in the 

 veins of primitive rocks in several countries, but in 

 small quantities, and generally alloyed by the pres- 

 ence of iron, silver, or gold. This metal is used in 

 metallic combinations when a white colour is desired. 

 With oxygen, arsenic forms two compounds, both of 

 which, from their property of combining with alka- 

 line, and earthy bases, are called acids. Thearsenous 

 acid, the most important of the two, is the white ar- 

 tenic of the shops. It is usually seen in white, glassy, 



translucent masses, to which form it is reduced by 

 fusion from a powdery state. It is one of the most 

 virulent poisons known, not only when taken into 

 the stomach, but when applied to a wound, or even 

 when its vapour is inspired. It is found native in 

 small quantities, but is obtained for use from the 

 roasting of several ores, particularly from that of 

 cobalt and arsenical pyrites. The arsenous acid is 

 condensed in long, horizontal chimneys, leading from 

 the "furnaces where these operations are conducted, 

 and usually requires a second sublimation, with the 

 addition of a little potash, to deprive it of any sulphur 

 it may contain. Its manufacture has been chiefly 

 confined to Bohemia and Hungary. Persons brought 

 up from their youth in the works live not longer than 

 to the age of 30 or 35 years. Knowing the deleteri- 

 ous nature of their occupation, they are so careless, 

 that we have seen them cleaning their plates, &c., in 

 wells, over which a skull was painted, to warn every 

 body that the water contained arsenic. Besides its 

 use in medicine, and as a ratsbane, it is much em- 

 ployed as a cheap and powerful flux for glass ; but, 

 when too much is added, it is apt to render the glass 

 opaque, and unsafe for domestic use. Arsenite of 

 potash, mingled with sulphate of copper, affords an 

 apple green precipitate, called Scheele's green, which, 

 when dried and levigated, forms a beautiful pigment. 

 With sulphur, arsenic forms likewise two definite 

 compounds the realgar and orpiment. The former 

 of these contains the smallest proportion of sulphur, 

 and is red ; the latter is yellow. They are both found 

 native in many countries, but their supply in commerce 

 depends upon their artificial manufacture. This is 

 done by distilling a mixture of arsenical pyrites and 

 iron pyrites, or of white arsenic and rough brimstone. 

 Realgar or orpiment is obtained as the proportion of 

 sulphur employed is greater or less. These com- 

 pounds afford valuable pigments to the painter. 



ARSHIN. See Arschin. 



ARSINOE ; the name of several females of antiquity. 

 1. The sister and wife of Ptolemy Philadelphus, 

 worshipped, after her death, under the name of Venus 

 Zephyritis. 2. A daughter of Ptolemy Lagus, who 

 married Lysimachus, king of Macedonia. After her 

 husband's death, Ceraunus, her own brother, married 

 her, and ascended the throne of Macedonia. He pre- 

 viously murdered Lysimachus and Philip, the sons ot 

 A. by Lysimachus, in their mother's arms. A. was, 

 some time after, banished into Samothrace. 3. A 

 younger daughter of Ptolemy Aidetes, sister to Cleo- 

 patra. Antony despatched her to gain the good 

 graces of her sister. 4. The wife of a king of Cyrene, 

 who committed adultery with her son-in-law. 5. A 

 daughter of Lysimachus. 



ARSINOE; the ancient name of several places in 

 Egypt and other countries. 1. A town of Egypt not 

 far from the modern Suez. 2. A town of Egypt, W. 

 of the Nile, above Memphis, and N. of Ptolemais. It 

 was called the city of the crocodiles, because the animal 

 was worshipped there, and reared by the inhabitants 

 of the neighbouring lakes. It is now called Faioum. 

 3. A port of the Red sea, near its entrance, some- 

 times called Berenice. 4. On the Red sea, farther 

 N. 5. In Africa, in the Cyrenaica, between Leptis 

 and Ptolemais. C. In Coelosyria. 7. In Syria. 8. 

 In Cilicia. 9. ^Etolia, near Canopa. 10. A name of 

 the city of Ephesus. 11. In Cyprus, between old and 

 new Paphos. 1 2. On the northern coast of Cyprus, 

 near the promontory of Acamas. 13. On the eastern 

 coast of the same island, near Salamis. 14. An in- 

 land town, also, of Cyprus. 



ARSIS. See Rhythm. 



ARSON, in law ; the act of wilfully setting fire to a 

 house, or other property, belonging to others. Tins 

 crime, by the law of England, is punishable with 



