\ A 11 



500 



NAT 



province of Kyang nan, in China, the ca- 

 pital of which is Kyang-ning, corrupted 

 'oy Europeans into yanking. 



NAJT.'THA, me.fd. An inflammable 

 liquid mineral substance, of the bitumi- 

 nous kind, perfectly colourless when pure, 

 exhaling an agreeable bituminous smell, 

 and which occurs in considerable springs 

 in different parts of Persia, in Sicily, and 

 in Italy. It is used instead of oil, and 

 differs from petroleum, obtained by dis- 

 tilling coal, only by its greater purity and 

 lightness. It is composed of 8 carbon and 

 12 hydrogen by volume; sp. gr. "755. 



NAPHTHAL'IC ACID. A crystalline pro- 

 duct, resembling benzoic acid, obtained 

 from naphthaline. 



NAPH'XHALINE. A greyish-white sub- 

 stance, found during the rectification of 

 the petroleum of the coal-gas works, in- 

 crusting the pipes ; and may be obtained 

 in thin white scales by re-sublimation in 

 glass vessels. It has a strong smell of 

 naphtha, is insoluble in water, but very 

 soluble in ether, and moderately so in al- 

 cohol and oils. It is a solid bicarburet of 

 hydrogen. Sp. gr. 1'048. 



NA'PIER'S RODS, ) A set of rods, made 



NA'PIER'S BONES. J of bone, ivory, horn, 

 or the like, contrived by Lord Napier for 

 facilitating the arithmetical operations of 

 multiplication and division. They form 

 essentially a moveable multiplication 

 table, and are valuable in cases of length- 

 ened and continuous processes of mul- 

 tiplication and division. 



NA'PLES YEL'LOW. A fine yellow pig- 

 ment, called giattolino in Italy, where it 

 has long been prepared by a secret pro- 

 cess. It is employed in oil-painting, and 

 also for porcelain and enamel, but is now, 

 in a great measure, superseded by chro- 

 mateof lead. 



NARCE'IA, from vnxr,, torpor. A vegeto- 

 alkaline base contained in opium. 



NARCISSUS. Daffodil. An extensive 

 genus of perennial plants. Hexandria 

 Monogynia. Name borrowed from the 

 Greek Nagxio-trts. The species are all 

 hardy ; five are British, of which the 

 common daffodil (N. pseudo-narcissus), is 

 the most known. 



NARCOT'IC, from va^xetu, to stupify. 

 A term applied, both substantively and 

 adjectively, to medicines which have the 

 power of diminishing the activity of the 

 nervous system. To the class of narcotics 

 beiong opium, hemlock, henbane, bella- 

 donna, aconite, digitalis, tobacco, &c. 



NAR'COTINE. The active principle of 

 any narcotic, but chiefly applied to the 

 active principle of opium, obtained by 

 digesting that substance in ether. The 

 ethereal tincture, being filtered and eva- 

 porated to the necessary extent, deposits 

 cryttais of r*arcotine, called also, from its 



discoverer, Salt of Derosne. It is distinct 

 from morphia. 



NAKD. Spikenard. The Larenthila spica, 

 an odoriferous shrub, called also Indian 

 nard (Spica Indica}. It is used by the Ori- 

 entals as spice. Celtic nard, the Vnleriana 

 Celtica, a plant which is a native of the 

 Alps. 



NAH'ors. 1. Mat-grass. A senus. Tri- 

 andriaMonogynia. S'ame borrowed from 

 the Greek vafiof , said to be of Oriental 

 origin. One species, N. stricta, a British 

 perennial. 2. The nardus of the an- 

 cients is believed to have been the Laven- 

 ditla spica. See NARD. 



NAR'WAL, ) Germ, narhwal. The Sea- 



NAR'WHAL, j unicorn (Monodon mono- 

 ceros, Lin.). See MOSODON. 



NA'SAI., Lat. nasus, nose. A nasal pro- 

 nunciation is given to particular letters in 

 some languages, as in French to m and n, 

 in certain positions. 



NAS'CEXT, Lat. nascens. Beginning to 

 exist, from nascor, to be born. 



NAS'CENT STATE. The state of gaseous 

 todies at tiie moment of their evolution. 



NASIL'CM (Lat.). Freight. Anciently 

 the money put into the mouths of de- 

 ceased persons, to pay their fare across 

 the Styx. 



NASTC-K'TIUM. A genus of herbaceous 

 plants. Tetradyjiainip Siliquosa. Named, 

 qubd nasum torqueat, because the seed 

 when bruised irritates the nose. The 

 species are hardy ; four are natives of 

 Britain, of which tho water-cress and 

 water-radish are examples. 



NA'SCA. The generic name given by 

 Storr to the Coati, a plantigrade nocturnal 

 animal of the warm parts of America. The 

 red coati (Viverra tmsna. Lin.) is the type 

 of the genus. It has the dragging gait of 

 the racoon, and a singularly long and 

 flexible snout, from whicb it takes its 

 name; nasus, a nose. 



NASTJ'TA, Lat. nastw. In zoology, the 

 prolongation of the muzzle into the form 

 of a nose. 



NA'TIONAL DEBT. Money borrowed by 

 the government on the security of the 

 taxes, which stand pledged to the lenders 

 for the payment of the interest. See 



FfNDS. 



NATIV'ITT. The day of a person's birth , 

 from natus, born. The term is used in 

 speaking of the saints ; as the nativity of 

 St. John: but The yativity is under- 

 stood to mean that of Jesus Christ, or 

 Christmas-day. 



NAT'ROLITE, A variety of prismatic 

 zoolite, found in small reniform, rounded, 

 or irregular masses, composed of minute 

 fibres ; so named from the large propor- 

 tion of soda or natron (24'5 per cent.) 

 which it contains. Its colour is commonly 

 yellowish brown, owing to about 1'75 oi 

 oxide of iron which it contains. 



