63 



EPIGASTRIC EPIMENIDES. 



the green variety from Norway : silica, 37 ; alumine, 

 21 ; lime, 15; oxide of iron, 24; oxide of manganese, 

 1.50. Before the blow-pipe, this species melts, with 

 much intumescence, into a greenish transparent 

 glass. Epidote is found in the oldest rocks, in which 

 it occupies drusy cavities, or narrow veins, being 

 irregularly distributed through them, without ever 

 entering into their composition, as a regular ingre- 

 dient. Magnificent crystals of it, two or three inches 

 in length, and one or two in diameter, are found at 

 Arendal, in Norway, and are hence called Arendalite. 

 Similar varieties occur in Sweden, and at Franconia, 

 New Hampshire. Finely crystallized specimens come 

 from Piedmont ; and the zoisite variety is found in 

 the Tyrol, and in a great number of places in the 

 United States. The transparent crystals, of a fine 

 colour, are sometimes wrought by the lapidary ; 

 though they are esteemed of little value in jewel- 

 lery. 



EPIGASTRIC (epigastricus, from itri, upon, or 

 above, and ymrrvf, the stomach). That part of the 

 abdomen that lies over the stomach is called the epi- 

 gastric region. It reaches from the pit of the sto- 

 mach to an imaginary line above the navel, supposed 

 to be drawn from one extremity of the last of the 

 false ribs to the other. Its sides are called hypo- 

 chondria, and are covered by the false ribs, between 

 which lies the epigastrium. 



EPIGLOTTIS (from l, upon, and y\urr,!, the 

 tongue) ; the cartilage at the root of the tongue, that 

 falls upon the glottis, or superior opening of the 

 larynx ; upper part of the windpipe. Its figure is 

 nearly oval ; it is concave posteriorly, and convex 

 anteriorly. Its apex or superior extremity is loose, 

 and is always elevated upwards by its own elasticity. 

 While the back of the tongue is drawn backwards in 

 swallowing, the epiglottis is put over the aperture of 

 the larynx ; hence it shuts up the passage from the 

 mouth into the larynx. The base of the epiglottis is 

 fixed to the thyroid cartilage, the os hyoides, and the 

 base of the tongue, by a strong ligament. 



EPIGONI ; the collective name of the sons of the 

 seven Greek princes, who conducted the first war 

 against Thebes, without success. The name signi- 

 fies after-born, or successors, from 'i-xt and yiyvtff$a.i, 

 to be born. See Thebes. 



EPIGRAM (from i*i, upon, and y^iu, I write ; 

 originally an inscription, then a poetical inscription 

 in temples, on tombs, &c. The object requires bre- 

 vity, but admits of all kinds of sentiments and ideas ; 

 and it is a great mistake to suppose the epigram 

 always satirical. From its concise and expressive 

 character, it is, indeed, well fitted for satire, and 

 often employed for satirical purposes, as it was, like- 

 wise, with the Romans ; but an epigram may be 

 didactic, satiric, comic, lyric, or elegiac. Lessing, 

 in his Theory of the Epigram, says, that it is made 

 up of two parts of an interesting idea and a striking 

 conclusion ; but Herder has shown that this is not 

 the essential character of the epigram, though a fre- 

 quent and agreeable form. It was not, by any 

 means, generally the case with the Greek epigrams. 

 The epigram, with the Romans, flourished most, as 

 was natural, in corrupt times, when satire found 

 most occasion for reproach, and wit took the place of 

 noble ideas. Catullus and Martial were distinguished 

 epigrammatic poets among the Romans. Marot, in 

 the time of Francis I., Piron, J. B. Rousseau, Lebrun, 

 Boileau, and even Racine, are distinguished in this 

 department among the French. The most piquant 

 epigrams of the Romans and French are also the 

 most licentious ; and offend as much by their indeli- 

 cacy as they divert by their ingenuity. The tender 

 and pathetic epigram of the Greeks has been sup- 

 plied by the madrigal among the Italians, Spanish, 



Portuguese, and French. The French have distin. 

 guished themselves beyond most nations in epi- 

 gram. 



EPIGRAPH ; the inscription (q. v.), e. g., on a 

 temple, or prefixed to a book (motto). Epigraphy; 

 the study or knowledge of inscriptions, a science 

 auxiliary to history. The epigraphic side of a coin 

 is that on which the image and the inscription are 

 impressed ; monepigraphic is the name given to it, 

 if it has only an inscription ; anepigraphic, if it has 

 only an image. For the origin of the word see Epi- 

 gram. 



EPILEPSY (in Latin epilepsia, from the Greek 

 i<jri\u,fi.(?>u.'Hu, to seize upon); a nervous disease, de- 

 pending on various causes, often exceedingly com- 

 plicated, and incapable of being removed ; hence so 

 often an incurable periodical disease, appearing in 

 single paroxysms. It, for the most part, is preceded 

 by a cold vapour (aura epileptica), creeping up from 

 the foot or hand to the breast and head ; but some- 

 times there are no precursive symptoms. The pa- 

 tient suddenly falls, commonly with a cry, the thumbs 

 are convulsed, other parts are agitated more or less, 

 entire insensibility succeeds, the breath is short and 

 quick, broken, and accompanied with groans, the 

 mouth foams, the face is convulsed, the teeth gnash 

 together, the eyes are distorted, the urine and other 

 evacuations are discharged involuntarily, the eyes 

 are wide open and staring, and insensible to the 

 light. The paroxysm is usually over in ten or twenty 

 minutes. The patient awakes as from a deep sleep, 

 entirely unconscious of what has passed ; he feels 

 nothing unpleasant, except fatigue, and a little pain 

 in his limbs. Sometimes the paroxysms occur nine 

 or ten times in an hour, or oftener ; sometimes only 

 once a-month, at the change of the moon, or every 

 six months, or at still longer periods. During the 

 paroxysm, all that is to be attended to is to prevent 

 the patient from injuring himself. All other attempts, 

 such as forcing open the thumbs, and the like, are 

 of no avail, except to terminate the paroxysm sooner, 

 but, at the same time, occasion a quicker return of 

 it, and render the disease more difficult to cure. 



EPILOGUE (from the Greek !< and xiyts, word, 

 speech) ; the closing address to the audience at the 

 end of a play. The epilogue is the opposite of the 

 prologue, or opening address. Many of Shakspeare's 

 plays have an epilogue as well as prologue, in which 

 the poet sometimes craves the indulgence of the 

 spectators for the fdults of his piece and the perform- 

 ance, and sometimes intimates in what light his work 

 is to be considered. The epilogue is sometimes a 

 necessary appendage, to tell us something of a com- 

 position, which cannot be gathered from the compo- 

 sition itself. As it is very difficult to prevent pro- 

 logues and epilogues from sinking into mere com- 

 mon-places, and from injuring rather than aiding the 

 play, they afford an opportunity for real genius to 

 show its powers. 



EPIMENIDES ; a celebrated philosopher and 

 poet of antiquity, born in Crete, in the 6th century 

 before Christ. By some he is reckoned among the 

 seven wise men, instead of Periander. He is repre- 

 sented as favoured with divine communications, and 

 as an infallible prophet. When the Athenians were 

 visited with war and pestilence, and the oracle 

 declared that they had drawn on themselves the 

 divine anger by the profanation of the temple, in 

 which the followers of Cylon had been put to death, 

 and must expiate their offence, they sent for Epime- 

 nides, who was renowned for his wisdom and piety 

 from Crete, to reconcile them to the gods. He 

 gratified their wishes, and introduced various useful 

 institutions. On his departure, he refused to accept 

 any presents, and asked no other reward than a 



