PRO 



597 



PSA 



Pko'ivjoL, low "Lat-protocolliim. A term 

 til law and diplomacy, for the original 

 copy of any writing: the first minute, 

 draught, or summary. The term is from 

 fl-iiJTC)s, first, and x&Xet, glue, probably 

 from the gluing together of the pieces of 

 >aper on which the draught was first made. 



PRO'TOGENE. A variety of granite, in 

 which talc takes the place of mica, as in 

 .hat of Monthlanc. 



PRO'TOPOPE, from proto and pope. The 

 imperial confessor, an officer of the holy 

 directing synod, the supreme spiritual 

 court of the Greek Church of Kussia. 



PRO'TO SALTS. Salts of which protoxides 

 are the bases, as a prutosulphatc, aproto- 

 nitrate. 



PROTOX'IDE. A first oxide. See OXIDE 

 and PROTO. 



PROTOZU'A, T^TO?, and Z,caov, animal. 

 The simplest class of animals, or those on 

 the first step of organisation. 



PROTRAC'TOR, Lat. from pro and traho, 

 to draw. A mathematical instrument, 

 used for laying down on paper the angles 

 of a survey or other figure. It is usually 

 a small semicircle of brass, having its 

 ends connected by a straight rule, the 

 outside of which constitutes the diameter, 

 and is itself divided into 180 parts, termed 

 degrees, with a small point in the diam- 

 eter, which marks the centre. Circular 

 protractors are, however, also used, hav- 

 ing divisions marked quite round from 

 to 360, the same as the theodolite, which, 

 indeed, the protractor represents. 



PRO'VENCE ROSE. A species of rose, 

 highly valued for its beauty and frag- 

 rance. There are three varieties, the 

 white, blush, and dwarf. 



PROV'INCE, Lat. provincia, from pro and 

 vinco , to conquer. 1 . Among the Romans a 

 province was a country of considerable 

 extent, which being reduced under their 

 dominion was new-modelled, subjected to 

 the command of an annual governor sent 

 from Rome, and to such taxes and con- 

 tributions as the Senate thought fit to 

 impose. The provinces had also the ap- 

 pellations of consular and oratorian, ac- 

 cording as they were governed by consuls 

 or prcetors. The term province is now 

 \ised for a country belonging to a king- 

 dom or state, situated at a distance from, 

 but more or less dependent upon it. Such 

 is Canada, in reference to Great Britain. 



2. In the ecclesiastical division of 



England there are two provinces, viz., 

 those of Canterbury and York, under the 

 jurisdiction of their respective arch- 

 bishops. 



PROVI'SO, Lat. abhr. of provisiis, it being 

 provided. An article or clause in any 

 statute, agreement, contract, grant, 

 .'*)? <sr writing, by which a condition 

 introduced ; a conditional stipulation 



whif\i affects an agreement, contract, 

 law, rfrant, &c. 



PROVI'SOR. A person nominated to a 

 benefice before the death of the incumbent; 

 and to the prejudice of the rightful patron! 



PRov'osT,Sax.pro/os<. 1. The chief ma- 

 gistrate of a town, having the same func- 

 tions as the mayor of other cities. 2. 



In a general sense, a person who is ap- 

 pointed to superintend or preside over 

 something; as the provost of a college, 

 answering to president ; provost ofthemint, 

 a particular judge, appointed to appre- 

 hend and prosecute false coiners. The pro- 

 vost marshal in the army and navy is the 

 chief executioner. The provost of the royal 

 tables is an officer of the household, and 

 holds the Queen's stirrup when she 

 mounts her horse. 



PROW, Lat. prora. The head or fore- 

 part of a ship, in opposition to the poop 

 or stern. 



PROX'IMATE, nearest ;proximus, next. A 

 proximate cause is that which immediately 

 precedes and produces the eSect, as dis- 

 tinguished from the remote, mediate, or 



edisposing cause. Proximate principle. 

 See PRINCIPLE. 



PROX'Y, contracted from procuracy. A 

 person deputed to act for another. Peers 

 may vote in parliament by proxy. 



PRUNEL'LO. 1. The Brignole plum: a 



variety of the common plum. 2. A sort 



of stuff formerly used for clergymen's 

 gowns. 



PRD'NTJS. A genus of pomaceous trees. 

 Icosandria Monogynia. Name primus, a 

 plum-tree, pruniim, a plum or prune. The 

 cherry trees, plum trees, apricot and sloe 

 are well known species. Don enumerates 

 36 species in all, mostly hard wooded trees. 



PRURI'GO, from prurio, to itch. A pa- 

 pulous eruption, of which six varieties 

 are described by "Willan. 



PRUS'SIAN BLUE. A compound of a rich 

 blue colour, well known as a pigment. 

 In chemical nomenclature, it is a ferro- 



cyanodide of iron, and is the precipitate 

 which falls when prussiate of potash is 

 poured into a solution of a persalt of iron. 



PRCS'SIC ACID. An acid so called be- 

 cause it was first obtained from Prussian- 

 blue. See HYDROCYANIC ACID. 



PSALTE'IUDM, Lat. psalter. The third 

 cavity of the stomachs of ruminating 

 animals, so called, as it resembles the 

 leaves of a book. 



PSAL'TERY. "VctXrr^M. An instru- 

 ment of music, used by the Jews, but the 

 form of which is not now known. That 

 which now bears the name is a flat tri- 

 angular instrument, truncated at the top, 

 strung with thirteen chords of wire, 

 mounted on two bridges at the eidet? 

 which nro (struck with a plectrum. Of 

 crooked stick. 



