CAR 



CAR 



CAPROIC ACID. One of the 

 rancid acids of butter, having the 

 smell of goats. Capric acid is very 

 similar. 



CAPSICUM. The generic name 

 of the Red pepper, which see. 



CAPSULE. In botany, a dry, 

 membranous seed-vessel, generally 

 splitting spontaneously into several 

 parts, or valves. In chemistry, a thin 

 porcelain, Wedgewood ware or me- 

 tallic basin for evaporating fluids. 



CAPUT MORTUUM. An old term 

 designating the dregs left in any 

 chemical process. 



CARAWAYS. The seeds of Ca- 

 rum carui. They should be free from 

 dust, and strongly aromatic. Are 

 used in confections and medicine. 

 They are grateful to the stomach, 

 and slightly stimulant. The seeds 

 are sown in drills six inches apart, 

 in April. The land must be good, 

 rich loam. The plants must be weed- 

 ed and hoed when young. They 

 flower in June, and the seeds ripen 

 in autumn. The roots are perennial, 

 and yield well for three years. As 

 much as twenty hundred weight of 

 seed is taken from an acre in good 

 tilth. They are an exhausting crop. 

 Near London, coriander, caraways, 

 and teazles are sometimes sown to- 

 gether, twelve pounds of each being 

 used. The coriander is cut in July, 

 the caraway in July next year, and 

 the teazles in August. 



CARBON. An elementary body, 

 found pure in anthracite and the dia- 

 mond, and nearly pure in lamp-black 

 and charcoal. It combines readily 

 with oxygen, and burns, forming car- 

 bonic acid when air is abundant. Its 

 ctiuivalent is 6. It forms al)Out half 

 of the dry substance of all animal and 

 vegetable bodies, and hence the char- 

 —al they yield when heated in closed 



•ssels. 



CARBONATES. Minerals or salts 



:ntaining carbonic acid. These are 

 all readily known by the effervescence 

 they produce when thrown into strong 

 acids. The principal native carbon- 

 ates are marble, limestone, and chalk, 

 which are carbonates of lime. 



CARBONIC ACID. The gas form- 



ed by burning charcoal in the open air. 

 It is also given out from fermenting 

 beer, &c., and putrefying bodies. It 

 is colourless, heavy, incapable of sus- 

 taining combustion, suflbcating, and 

 soluidc in water. It is formed of 1 

 atom of carbon (6) and 2 of oxygen 

 (16), and unites with oxides in the 

 proportion of 22. The air contains 

 4 to 6 parts in 10,000. Fertile soils 

 containing vegetable matter give it 

 ofTdurmg its decay. It is one of the 

 principle articles of vegetable food : 

 from the carbonic acid they obtain the 

 carbon of their wood, sugar, and oth- 

 er principles. Light decomposes it 

 in plants, and a part of its oxygen is 

 thrown out by the leaves. 



The dissolved carbonic acid in rain 

 and spring water is invaluable in 

 the sod, serving to disintegrate hard 

 rocks, and dissolve minerals neces- 

 sary for plants. It is this gas that 

 gives sprightliness to beer, soda wa- 

 ter, and Champagne. 



CARBONIC OXIDE. An inflam- 

 mable gas consisting of 1 atom car- 

 bon and 1 oxygen. 



CARBOxMFEROUS. Relating to 

 coal. Coal bearing. 



CARBURETS. Compounds in 

 which carbon is united with a metal 

 or other body. Plumbago, cast iron, 

 are carburets of iron. 



CARBURETTED HYDROGEN. 

 Marsh gas, and the gas used for light- 

 ing cities. 



CARCINOMA. A cancerous tu- 

 mour. 



CARDAMOMS. The seeds of the 

 Alpinia cardainormim of the East In- 

 dies. They are aromatic. 



CARDIAC (from Kapdia, the heart). 

 Relating to the heart. 



CARDOON. The Cynara cardun- 

 culvs. The stalks of the blanched 

 inner leaves are used as salad, in 

 soups, &c. The seed is sown in 

 April, in rich earth ; it requires near- 

 ly a month to start ; the plants 

 mu.st be tliinned to five inches apart. 

 Transplant in Jtme, and allow four 

 feet each way ; dress each plant like 

 celery. As they grow, tie up the 

 ileaves, and earth up several times ; 

 they may thus be obtained two feet 



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