J A U 



406 



JET 



J.VN'SENISTS, a sect of Christians who 

 followed the opinions of Jansenius, bishop 

 of Yprcs, in Flanders, in regard to free 

 will and grace. 



JAN'DARY, Lat. Jamtarius. The first 

 month of the year according to the pre- 

 sent computation. The name is supposed 

 to be taken from Janus, whom the Ro- 

 mans believed to preside over the begin- 

 ning of all business. 



JAPAN-ALLSPICE, a shrubby plant; the 

 Chitnonanthus fragrant of Japan, the fruit 

 of which resembles that of the allspice 

 tree. 



JAPAN-EARTH, Terra Japonica. Catechu 

 (q. v.). 



JAPAN'NING, a kind of varnishing or 

 lacquering learned of the Japanese, and 

 practised chiefly on white iron and papier 

 miche", but all articles, the substance of 

 which is firm, may be japanned. Japanned 

 articles are often richly ornamented with 

 figures in gold and various colours. 



JAPAN-VARNISH, varnish used in japan- 

 ning. The base is seed-lac dissolved in 

 spirit of wine. To this is added the co- 

 lour required. 



JAR'GOS, a mineral, the mock-diamond, 

 a variety of Zircon. 



JARL, a Scandinavian term signifying 

 noble. 



JAS'MINUM, the Jasmine or Jessamine: 

 an extensive genus of permanent plants. 

 DiandriaMonogynia. The species are 

 valued chiefly for their beautiful flowers. 

 Temperate and warm climates. The name 

 is Arabic, gasmen. 



JAS'PER, a subspecies of rhombohedral 

 quartz, usually occurring massive, but 

 sometimes crystallised. Prof. Jameson 

 enumerates five varieties. Jaspers owe 

 their colours to oxides of iron. They all 

 admit of a good polish, and are used for 

 various ornamental purposes. 



JAS'PONTX, the purest horn-coloured 

 onyx: it has beautiful green zones. It 

 is simply striped, or ribbon jasper. 



JAT'ROPHA, the physic-nut: a genus of 

 permanent plants. MoncetiaMonadelphia. 

 Kame from IKO/AXI, to heal, and rfifui, 

 to nourish. The species inhabit South 

 America and the West Indies. The seeds 

 of the J. curcas afford an oil resembling 

 castor-oil, and used for the same purpose ; 

 those of the /. multifida are the physic or 

 purging nuts; the juice of the J. elastica 

 is an elastic gum; the /. manihot, "VVilld., 

 is the Manihot Cannabina, Bonn. See 

 MANIHOT. 



JAUN'DICE, "Fr.jaunisst, tromjaune, yel- 

 low. A disease characterised by yellow- 

 ness of the skin and eyes, the proximate 

 cause of which is bile in the blood. When 

 the colour is very intense, and the dis- 

 ease long protracted, it becomes green 

 ix, when still more concentrated, 



black jaundice. Chlorosis has also been, 

 named white jaundice. Physicians dis- 

 tinguish many species of the disease. 



JAV'ELIN (Fr.). A species of missile, 

 anciently used by the soldiery. It was a 

 rod five feet long, with a barbed head ot 

 iron. 



J. D. An abbreviation of Junim Doctor, 

 doctor of laws. 



JEEL. An E. Indian term for a shallow 

 lake or morass. 



JEEES. A sea word. Strong tackle for 

 swaying p the lower yards. 



JEJU'NUX, Lat. from jejunus, empty. 

 The second portion of the small intestines, 

 generally found empty in the dead body. 



JEL'LY. Vegetable jelly of unripe cur- 

 rants and other berries is a compound of 

 mucilage and acid, which loses its gelati- 

 nising power by long boiling. For Ani- 

 mal jelly, see GELATINE, GLUE, and ISIN- 

 GLASS. 



JEM'IDAR. A black officer in the E. I. 

 Company's Service, having the same rank 

 as a lieutenant. 



JER'KIN-HEAD. A term used to express 

 a peculiar feature in roofs, when the 

 gable is carried higher than the side walls. 



JES'SES. In falconry, straps with which 

 bells are attached to the legs of hawks, 

 represented in heraldry usually of a dif- 

 ferent tincture. 



JES'UATES, of Saint Jerome. A religious 

 order, founded in 1363, of very ascetic 

 habits. 



JES'CITS. A religious order of Romish 

 clergy, forming the Society of Jesus, found- 

 ed by Ignatius Loyola, a Spanish soldier, 

 about 1534. Unlike other communities 

 of monks, the duties of this were to be 

 performed in active life, the object being 

 universal empire. 



JES'CITS' BARK. A name of Peruvian 

 bark, introduced into Europe by Cardinal 

 de Lugo, a Jesuit. 



JES'CITS' DROPS. A nostrum composed 

 of guaiac, Peruvian balsam, and sarsa- 

 parilla. 



JET. 1. In mineraloyy, black amber ; a 

 species of pitch coal, or glance-coal, of a 

 beautiful compact texture, and susceptible 

 of a fine polish, in consequence of which 

 it was formerly manufactured into a vast 

 variety of ornamental articles, as buttons, 

 rosaries, crosses, necklaces, eardrops, 

 bracelets, &c. It is still sometimes ma- 

 nufactured into snuff-boxes, and the 

 like ; but the greater portion of the arti- 

 cles which used to be manufactured of 

 it are now made of black glass, which is 

 harder, and therefore not so apt to lose its 



polish. The name is, Fr. jafet. 2. In 



hydraulics, a spout. See JET D'EAU. 



JET D'EAU. A French name for a foun- 

 tain, which throws up water to some 

 height in the air ; (Jeter to throw, u& 

 can water). See FOUNTAIN. 



