ALO 



54 



ALP 



lands, as do the parochial clergy, and 

 many ecclesiastical and eleemosynary 

 establishments at the present day. 



Ai.Mr< AVTAR, the Arabic name of each 

 of a series of circles of the celestial sphere, 

 which are conceived to pass through the 

 j.-entre of the sun or of a star parallel to 

 the horizon. The almucantars are the 

 same, with respect to the azimuths and 

 horizon, vi hich the parallels oflatitude are 

 with respect to the meridians and equator. 



box or pear-tree, having an arch of 15 

 degrees : formerly used at sea for observing 

 the sun's amplitude at rising or setting, 

 and the variations of the compass. 



AL'MTDE, a wine measure in Portugal, 

 of which 26 make a pipe; written also 

 almond, (q. T.). 



AI/MUG, the Scriptural name of a tree 

 or wood, which the Vulgate translates 

 lignia thynia; the Septuagint, wrottght- 

 u-ood, and which some consider to be 

 ebony. The Rabbins render the word 

 coral, but the more common opinion is 

 that it means gummy or resinous wood in 

 general, and perhaps especially the shit- 

 tim. SfelKingsx.il. 

 ALNCDE. SeeALMUDE. 

 AL'NCS, the generic name of the alder- 

 tree, of which there are 15 species besides 

 many varieties. Class moncecia, order 

 telrandria. The common alder (A. glutin- 

 osa), is frequent in Britain; inhabits wet 

 meadows and moist grounds. The bark 

 and leaves are employed in dyeing and 

 tanning leather ; wood valuable for piles 

 of bridges, &c. Name Latinized of Celtic 

 al, near, and Ian, the river bank " where 

 the alder dank delights to dwell." 



ALOE, the name of a genus of plants 

 comprehending upwards of 100 species, 

 some of which are arborescent, others 

 snrubaceous, and some perennials ; all 

 natives of warm climates, and most of 

 them of the south of Africa. Class hex- 

 andria, order monogynia. Name aloe, Gr. 

 'Aoq, of uncertain origin, but perhaps 

 from the Arabic name alloch. 



A series of trials has been made with- 

 in these few years, at Paris, to ascer- 

 tain the comparative strength of cables 

 made of hemp and of the aloe from Al- 

 giers. Of those of equal size, that made 

 of aloe raised a weight of 2000 kilo- 

 grammes (about two tons) ; that made 

 of hemp a weight only of 400 kilo- 

 grammes. 



A'LOES, the inspissated juice obtained 

 from the leaves of some species of the 

 aloe. It is bitter, gummy, and resinous, 

 and extensively used in medicine. There 

 are four sorts. 1. The Socotrine aloes, im- 

 ported from the island of Socotra, in the 

 Indian ocean: it is obtained from Aloe 



sptcata. 2. The Hepatic aloes takes its 



asune from its liver colour : it is obtained 



from the Alot! t-tdgaris, or true alo, ac- 

 cording to Sibthorp, but others believe 

 that it is the produce of the Alofperfoliata. 



3. The Cabaline (Horse) aloes is merely 



the coarsest species of the Barbadoes or 

 hepatic aloes. It is extensively used in 



veterinary medicine. 4. The Cape aloe* 



is obtained from the same species of the 

 plant as the Socotrine, but it is of a coarser 

 quality. The use of aloes in medicine is 

 to stimulate the large intestines. 



.LOE'TIC, pertaining to the alo2,or to 

 aloes : containing aloes, e.g. an aloetic me- 

 dicine. Braconnot has given the name of 

 aloic or alottic acid to a substance obtained 

 by treating aloes with sulphuric acid ; but 

 Chevreuil regards it as an artificial tannin. 



ALOFT, in nautical language, in the top, 

 at the mast-head, or on the higher yards 

 or rigging. 



ALO'GIAXS, a sect of ancient heretics, 

 who denied Jesus Christ to be the \oyo; t 

 or AVord, and, consequently, rejected the 

 gospel of St. John. 



ALOGOTRO'PHY, Lat. alogotrophia, from 

 tt>.e'/t>;, disproportionate, and -r^s^r, 

 nutrition. An unequal nutrition of dif- 

 ferent parts of the body, especially of the 

 bones, in the disease called rachitis. 



ALOOF, in nautical language, the com- 

 mand to the man at the helm to keep the 

 ship near the wind when sailing upon a 

 quarter-wind. 



ALOPE'CES, from e&mrrfe, a fox. The 

 psoas muscles are sometimes so called, 

 probably because they are peculiarly 

 strong in the fox. 



ALO'PECY, Lat. alopecia, of O.XWTY, & 

 fox, the urine of which is said to occasion 

 baldness. Fox-evil: a disease which is 

 also called scurf: it consists in a falling- 

 off of the hair, from any or every part of 

 the body. The term is now nearly syno- 

 nymous with baldness. 



ALOPECU'RCS, the generic name of the 

 fox-tail grass. Class triandria, order <fi- 

 gynia. There are 12 species, 6 of which 

 are British, mostly perennial. Xame, 

 from ct).ovr%, a fox, and evea,, a tail ; the 

 flowers being arranged in tail-like stalks. 



ALO'SA, a fish called the shad (A. vulga- 

 rw). It is a sub-genus of the clupeae or 

 herring family, but is much larger and 

 thicker than the clupea or herring. 



ALPAG'NA, the Damahis paco of Lin. and 

 the Pacos of Pennant : it is used as a beast 

 of burden in Peru. 



ALPH \, the name of the first letter of the 

 Greek alphabet, and omega, the name of 

 the last ; whence the metaphorical ex- 

 pression, alpha and omega, meaning the 

 first and the last. 



ALPHABET, a-'/.^at. and ^Y,T, that is, A, 

 and B. The ordinary series of letters or 

 syllables 'in syllabic alphabets) of a lan- 

 giiage. The number of letters differ in 



