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POL 





POLITICS ; xohrtxri, from ToTjf , a city. 

 The science of government; a branch of 

 ethics, which consists in the management 

 of the affairs of a nation or state for its 

 preservation, peace, and prosperity. Po- 

 litics has hitherto been a science of trial 

 and error. 



POLINGS. Small hoards supporting the 

 earth during the formation of a tun- 

 nel, &c. 



POLL. In politics, the register of those 

 who give their vote ; also the place 

 where the votes are registered. The term 

 belongs to the Sclavonic, and signifies 

 head : hence a register of heads. 



POLL'EN. Fine flower or dust. The 

 farina of flowers: the powder which ad- 

 heres to the anthers of the flowers of 

 plants, and which is contained in the an- 

 ther, and is thrown out chiefly in warm 

 dry weather when the coat of the latter 

 contracts and bursts. 



POL'LCX. 1. In astronomy, .the name of 

 a star of the second magnitude in the 

 constellation Gemini. 2. See CASTOR. 



POLOJJAI'SE. A robe or dress worn by 

 ladies, and adopted from the fashion of 

 the Poles. 



POLONO'ISE. In music, a movement of 

 three crotchets in a bar, with the ryth- 

 mical cesura on the last. 



POLT, for o-oXt/s, many. A prefix often 

 found in the composition of words de- 

 rived from the Greek. 2. In botany, a 



popular name of some species of Ger- 

 mander. 



PO'LYACOC'STIC, from poly and acoustic. 

 1. That multiplies sound. 2. An in- 

 strument to multiply sounds. 



POLYADELFHIA, from (rohvs , many, and 

 5eX?o? , brother. The name of the 18th 

 elass of plants in the sexual system of 

 Lrnne, embracing all plants with herma- 

 -phrodite flowers, in which the stamens 

 are united by their filaments into thin 

 or more distinct bundles. Example, St. 

 John's wort, Hypericum calycinum. 



POLYAN'DRIA, from tro^u;, many, and 

 a male. The name of the 13th 



class of plants in the sexual system of 

 Linn*, consisting of plants with herma- 



phrodite flowers, furnished with many 

 stamens inserted into the common recep- 

 tacle of the flower, by which circumstance 

 the class is distinguished from Icosandria, 

 where the stamens are situated on the 

 calyx. 



POLYAN'THUS. 1. A species of primrose 

 (primula), so named from its many-clus- 

 tered flowers: trcKus, many, and ,v6;, 



a flower. 2. The name has also been 



given to other flowering plants which pro- 

 duce clusters of flowers on the same 

 flower-stalks. 



POL'YARCHY, sroAtis, and ag%<y, to go- 

 ern. The government of many, whether 

 aristocratic or democratic. 



POL'YCHREST, from -ro*.vf, many, and 

 ^<rTaj, use. A medicine supposed to be 

 of use in many diseases. 



POLYCH'ROITE, from tfeXuf, many, and 

 %%oct, colour. The colouring matter of 

 saffron, so called because it is susceptible 

 of many changes of colour. The alcoho- 

 lic solution is yellow, sulphuric acid turns 

 it blue and then lilac ; nitric acid makes 

 it green. 



POLYDIP'SIA, from Tt>\ut, many, and 

 5/4<'/j, thirst. Excessive thirst. 



POLYO'ALA. Milk-wort. An extensive ge- 

 nus of plants. Diadelphia--0ctandria. Name 

 from iroAns much, and yetKa., milk, in al- 

 lusion to the abundance of its milky 

 juice. The common milk- wort is indige- 

 nous. The root of the P. senega, called 

 rattlesnake- root, is employed in medicine. 



PO'LYOALIC ACID. An acid constituting 

 the peculiar principle of the rattlesnake- 

 root (root of the Poly gala senega), disco- 

 vered by Gehlen, and described by him 

 under the name of senegin. Polygalic 

 acid is a white powder, dissolves in water, 

 and abundantly in boiling alcohol, but is 

 insoluble in ether and the fixed oils. 



POLYOA'MIA, from jroAtij, many, and 

 , marriage. Polygamy. The name 



of the 23rd class of plants in the sexual 

 system of Linne', consisting of polyga- 

 mous plants or plants having hermaphro- 

 dite flowers, and likewise male or female 

 flowers, or both. The orders of the class 

 are Moneecia, Dioecia, and Tricecia. 



POLYOA'MIA .SQUA'LIS. An order of the 

 class Syngenesia, of the sexual system of 

 plants. Plants with perfect florets. ?<.* 



2 p 



