INF r>< 



to denote a line or quantity to which no 

 rerviin limits can be prescribed- 



:-iyiTEs'iMAL, an infinitely small quan- 

 tity, or one which is so small as to be in- 

 comparable with any Unite quantity 

 whatever. 



INFLAM'MABLE. I. air is an old name for 

 hydrogen gas; and heavy inflammable air, 

 fcr earburettcd hydrogen gas. 



INFLAMMATION, from inflamma. 1. The 



act of inflaming. 2. A state of a part of 



an animal body in which the blood is ob- 

 structed, so as to accumulate in greater 

 quantity into that particular part, causing 

 there a higher degree of colour and heat 

 than usual. A vast number of diseases 

 resolve themselves into cases of local in- 

 flammation, either external or internal, 

 and which often arise in the human body 

 from causes wholly unknown. The most 

 common excitants are cold, morbid poison, 

 mechanical and chemical irritants, acri- 

 mony of the blood and humours, contagion 

 und metastasis. 



INTLA'TED, Lat. inflatus, distended with 

 air. In botany, applied to parts of plants 

 which are distended like a blown bladder. 



INTLZC'TED, Lat. inflexus. bent inwards. 

 In botany, applied to leaves, petals, &c. 



INFLECTION, from inflecto, a bending 

 Inwards. In grammar, the variation or 

 change which a word undergoes in its 

 termination to express case, number, 

 Render, tense, &c. In optics, inflection 

 has the same meaning as diffraction, deflec- 

 tion, \iz.,& property of light by which, 

 when it comes within a certain distance 

 ef any body, it is either bent from or to- 

 wards it. It is, therefore, a kind of im- 

 perfect reflection or refraction. In the 

 higher geometry, that point where a curve 

 begins to bend a contrary way, is called 

 the point of inflection. 

 Thus a curve line ADC 

 is partly concave and 

 partly convex towards 

 aright line AB, or to- 

 wards a fixed point 1), 

 which divides the con- 

 cave from the convex 

 part, and is conse- 

 quently at the begin- 

 m jig of the one and the 

 erxd of the other; this 

 point D is then the 

 point of inflection, as 

 img as the curve con- 

 tinued towards I) 

 keeps its course, but at 

 the point C, the curve 

 begins to reflect back 

 aain towards the line 

 or Its origin: this point 

 L therefore called the point of retrogression. 



IXFLORSS'CENCB, Lat. inflorentia, from 

 -*>re'X>, to flower. A botanical term 

 Introduced by Linnaeus to denote the 



INH 



manner in which flowers are situated upon 

 a plant : denominated by preceding writers 

 modus florendi, or manner of flowering. It 

 is pedunculate when furnished with a stalk , 

 sessile when adhering to the plant without 

 a flower-stalk, cauline when oo the stem, 

 leal when on a branch, terminal when 

 on the apex of a stem or branch, axillary 

 in the axilla, foliar on the surface of a 

 leaf, radical on the root, and latitani when 

 concealed in a fleshy receptacle. It has 

 also many names, as whorl, raceme, spike, 

 corymb, fascicle, tuft, umbel, cyme, pan- 

 icle, bunch, &c. 



INFLUEN'ZA, an Italian word for influ- 

 ence. Used to denote epidemic catarrh, 

 which in old times was supposed to be pro- 

 duced by a peculiar influence of the stars. 



IN FO'RO CONSCIEN'TI^E (Lat.), in the 

 court of the conscience. 



IN FOR'MA PAU'PERIS. In law (see FOR- 

 MA PAUPERIS). 



INFOR'MES STEL'LJE (Lat.), unformed 

 stars. Those stars which have not yet 

 been reduced into constellations: other- 

 wise called sporades. 



INFRALAPSA'RIANS, a general name for 

 those predestinarians who think the de- 

 crees of God, in regard to the salvation 

 and damnation of mankind, were formed 

 in consequence of Adam's fall. 



INFRASCAP'L'LAR, subscapular; situated 

 beneath the scapula. 



INFRASPI'NATE, situated beneath the 

 spine. Applied to a muscle of the humerus- 

 situated below the spine of the scapula. 



INFU'SION, from in/undo, the name given, 

 in pharmacy to any preparation made by 

 pouring water of any temperature on such, 

 substances as have a loose texture, as thru 

 bark, wood in shavings or small pieces, 

 leaves, flowers, &c., and suffering it to 

 stand for a certain time. The term itifu- 

 tion is applied both to the liquor and pro- 

 cess of preparing it. 



INFUSO'RIA. Infusory animals, a class of 

 the animal kingdom, comprehending those 

 animalcules which are found in infusions 

 of organic substances. They are divided 

 into two orders, the Kotifura and Homo- 

 genea. 



IX'GOT, Fr. lingot. A mass of uncoined 

 gold or silver cast in a mould. 



ISOBAFT'INO. In gardening (see GRAFT- 

 ING). 



IN'ORESS. In astronomy, a term applied 

 to the entrance of the moon into the 

 earth's shadow in eclipses, and to the 

 sun's entrance into a sign, especially Aries. 



INGRES'SU. In law, a writ of entry : 

 termed also prcecipe quod reddat. 



INGRES'SUS. In law, a duty paid by the 

 heir to the lord of the fee on entering 

 upon lands. 



INHERITANCE, from heeres, an heir. A 

 perpetual right in lands invested in a per- 

 son and his heirs. 



