ARROWROOT 



ARSON 



AR'ROWROOT, a delicate starch which is 

 so easily digested that it forms one of the 

 favorite foods for invalids and children. The 

 chief difficulty in the way of its use is that 

 it is very often adulterated with potato starch. 



ARROWROOT 



rice starch, or the starch of common white 

 flour. Arrowroot is prepared from the root- 

 stalks of several species of plants which are 

 natives of tropical America but have been 

 introduced into other warm countries. Most 

 commonly the name is said to suggest the prac- 

 tice of the South American Indians, who use 

 the freshly-cut roots to heal arrow wounds. 



ARROWROCK DAM. See IDAHO, subhead 

 Irrigation. 



AR'SENAL, a plant owned by the govern- 

 ment, where arms and munitions of war are 

 manufactured, repaired and stored. Naval 

 arsenals have to do with ships and their arma- 

 ment; those in the United States and England 

 are called navy yards. Arsenals are usually 

 located far from populous districts. They are 

 gradually becoming simply storehouses for 

 munitions made elsewhere, as private firms are 

 increasing their contracts to supply various 

 governments with arms. 



The first arsenal in the United States was 

 established at Springfield, Mass., in 1777, and 

 the manufacture of rifles and other small arms 

 is still carried on there. In 1917 the United 

 States government maintained arsenals at 

 Pittsburgh, Pa.; Augusta, Ga.; Benicia, Cal.; 

 Culumhm, Tenn.; Fort Monroe, Va.; Phil i- 

 <i* Iphia, Pa.; Indianapolis, Ind.; Augusta, Me.; 

 New York City (Governor's Island); Rock 



Island, 111.; Jefferson Barracks, Mo.; Sandy 

 Hook, N. J.; San Antonio, Texas; Dover, 

 N. J.; Watertown, Mass.; Watervliet, N. Y., 

 and Harper's Ferry, W. Va. Only at Spring- 

 field, Rock Island and Watervliet are manu- 

 facturing plants, the remaining arsenals being 

 storehouses only. 



On the outbreak of the War of the Nations 

 arsenals and factories for the manufacture of 

 munitions of war were established in all im- 

 portant commercial centers in Canada to meet 

 the demands of the troops sent by the Do- 

 minion to the aid of Great Britain. Previous 

 to this event there had been no permanent 

 establishments of the kind in Canada. 



ARSENIC, ar'senik, as most commonly 

 understood, is a white crystalline powder which 

 is one of the deadliest poisons known. It is 

 estimated that more deaths are due to it than 

 to any other poison. In reality, however, this 

 should be called white arsenic, or arsenious 

 acid, for it is a combination of oxygen with the 

 true arsenic. This latter substance is a metallic 

 element which is seldom found in a free state, 

 but enters into combination with many other 

 substances. It is of a dark-gray color, and 

 readily tarnishes on exposure to the air, becom- 

 ing first yellow and then black. It is as hard 

 as copper, extremely bitter, and when burned 

 gives off a smell of garlic. 



This element itself is seldom used, but its 

 compounds are valuable. The white arsenic 

 mentioned above is a remedy for certain skin 

 diseases and anaemia, but it should not be 

 used without the advice of a physician because 

 of its poisonous quality, even in small doses. 

 In combination with copper it produces a 

 vivid green color which is much employed in 

 the arts, especially in the making of calico and 

 wall-paper; but there are strong objections to 

 such use, for it gives off tiny particles which 

 are poisonous. Its use in coloring candies has 

 been entirely prohibited. The specific known 

 as "606," a standard remedy for syphilis, is an 

 arsenic compound. See ANTIDOTE. W.A.E. 



ARSON, ar' sun, in law, is the wilful burning 

 of a dwelling-house or other building belonging 

 to another person. By the common law arson 

 is a crime ; it is a capital offense, if any person 

 is in the building at the time of firing, and if 

 the act results in loss of life it is mtirdcr 

 constitute arson in common law, the building 

 burned must belong to another. However, 

 burning one's own buildings for the purpose of 

 obtaining insurance is nearly everywhere a 

 penitentiary offense. But if there is no insur- 



