ABS 



ABU 



winter on turnips, the danger is tri- 

 fling compared with the starving sys- 

 tem.— (3/;7/fr.) 



ABORTIVE. Deficient. A com- 

 mon term in botany, and signifying 

 the absence of stamens or pistils, 

 whereby fruit cannot be produced ; 

 but also used to designate the partial 

 or complete obliteration of any other 

 organ, as the leaf, petals, carpels, &c. 



ABRAXAS. A genus of butterfly 

 (Lepidopterous) insects of the family 

 of geometers ; one of which, the A. 

 ^rosiK/arifi/a, is the well-known goose- 

 berry moth, the caterpillar of which 

 destroys the leaves of currant and 

 gooseberry bushes. 



ABS C E S S. A gathering or tu- 

 mour containing pus ; it is the result 

 of accidents or impaired health ; and 

 is only of moment when it affects 

 internal organs or is produced near 

 joints. Abscesses in joints, especial- 

 ly the hock joint of the liorse, oft- 

 en produce incurable lameness, and 

 those of internal organs destroy life 

 by enfeebling the system. Superfi- 

 cial abscesses are to be opened freely 

 at their lowest point when the pus is 

 well formed ; and poultices are to be 

 applied to encourage the discharge : 

 the wound must be kept clean, and 

 dressed daily. It is advisable to hind- 

 er the formation of the abscess by low 

 diet, and scarifying the part with a 

 lancet ; but this is only serviceable in 

 the first stages. 



ABSORBENTS. In vetcr'niary 

 medicine, drugs that are given inter- 

 nally for the purpose of neutralizing 

 any acid which forms in the stomach 

 and bowels, in consequence of impair- 

 ed digestion. Prepared chalk is gen- 

 erally used for this purpose ; or car- 

 bonate of soda. Those medicines are 

 likewise termed absorbents which 

 are applied externally for absorbing 

 moisture. Starch, calamine, flour, 

 and the like, are employed in this way. 

 They are sometimes dusted between 

 folds of the skin when galled, and raw 

 from friction, blisters, or grease. 

 They are likewise useful in canker 

 of the horse's foot, foul in the foot of 

 cattle, foot-rot in sheep, and sores 

 between the toes of dogs ; and they 



are beneficial in some forms of 

 mange, in staying bleeding, and as- 

 sisting the cure of a wounded joint. 



Absorbents. In physiology, a 

 class of vessels whose office is to 

 convey the product of digestion and 

 the residue of nutrition into the cir- 

 culation, to be mixed with and repair 

 the waste of the blood. They are 

 divided into lacteals and lymphatics. 

 The former are all situated in the cav- 

 ity of the abdomen ; and by extreme- 

 ly minute mouths, opening on the in- 

 ner surface of the stomach and intes- 

 tines, they receive the nutritious por- 

 tion of the food, and carry it to a ves- 

 sel which runs along the left side of 

 the spine, and which, in its turn, 

 empties itself into the left jugular 

 vein. 



The lymphatics are distributed over 

 every portion of the frame. The uses 

 of the lymphatics are to remove the 

 residue of nutrition ; and, when the 

 ' supply of food is deficient, to remove 

 such portions of the body as can be 

 j spared and converted into blood. The 

 ! lymphatics ultimately empty their 

 contents into the same vessel as the 

 lacteals, and they follow, in their dis- 

 tribution through the body, the same 

 course as the veins. In the horse 

 they are liable to a disease termed 

 farcy ; and in all animals they are 

 frequently inflamed in the neighbour- 

 hood of a sore. 



ABSORBENT SOILS. Soils in 

 such a state of improvement, or of so 

 good a quality as to absorb moisture 

 from the air. 



ABSORPTION. The imbibition 

 of fluids. In plants this takes place 

 chiefly by the swelling terminations 

 of the rootlets (the spongioles). In 

 very damp weather, leaves and the 

 green stems also absorb moisture 

 from the air. Fluids and gases only 

 can be absorbed, no insoluble matters 

 entering plants. Absorption in ani- 

 mals is carried on by the lacteals and 

 lymphatics. 



ABSTERGENTS. Medicines used 

 for resolving tumours. They are usu- 

 ally stimulating. 



ABUTMENT. The solid part of a 

 pier from which an arch springs. 



