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RE'SCRIPT, Lat. rescriplttm. The answer 

 of an emperor when consulted on some 

 difficult question : the rescript serves as 

 a decision of the question, and is there- 

 fore equivalent to an edict or decree. 



RES'CCE, Norm, rescous, relieved. In 

 law, the forcible retaking of a lawful 

 distress from the distrainor, or from the 

 custody of the law; also the forcible 

 liberation of a defendant from the cus- 

 tody of the officer, in which cases the 

 remedy is a writ of rescue. 



RESERVATION , from reservo. In law, a 

 clause or part of an instrument, by which 

 something is reserved, not conceded or 

 granted ; also a proviso. 



RESET'. In Scots law, the reeeivins of 

 stolen goods, harbouring an outlaw, &c. 



RESID'L-AL. In mathematics, from resi- 

 duus, remainder. 1. Residual analysis, 

 the same with what is otherwise called 

 the method of exhaustions. All problems 

 to which residual analysis has been ap- 

 plied are more conveniently solved by 



means of the doctrine of fluxions. 2. A. 



residual quantity is a binomial connected 

 by the residual sign, , as a x. A re- 

 mainder. 



RESID'UCM (Latin). 1. Residue. 



2. In late, what remains after payment of 

 debts, &c. 



RE'SIN, Fr. rlsine ; Lat., Ital., Sp., 

 resina, from pi*, to flow. The name 

 resin is given to a very important class 

 of vegetable substances, of which there 

 is a great variety of species, differing 

 from each other in consistence, colour, 

 smell, and in some degree, in chemical 

 composition ; but have a common vege- 

 table origin, many of them exuding spon- 

 taneously, and others extracted by in- 

 cisions made in the bark of certain 

 resinous trees, and procurable from 

 almost all plants by chemical processes. 

 The chemical properties, which are 

 usually understood to characterise a 

 resin, are these : it is first softened, and 

 then melted by heat, and, when kindled, 

 it burns readily, with a strong and gene- 

 rally fragrant smell, with copious flame 

 and smoke, and leaves scarcely any resi- 

 due behind ; it is insoluble in water, but 

 is readily dissolved by alcohol ; it is not 

 easily acted upon by acids, except the 

 nitric, by which it is converted into 

 artificial tar ; and it is readily saponified 

 by alkalies, when those are concentrated. 

 Most resins are translucent, and have 

 a brown (sometimes a red, or green,) 

 colour, and a vitreous fracture ; being 

 often so brittle as to be readily pulverised 

 in the cold. There are some, however, 

 which are soft : these are usually termed 

 talsams (q. v.), and contain a certain por- 

 tion of volatile oil, (some benzoic acid). 

 The chief solid resins are amber, elemi, 

 aniuii, Denzoin, copal, rosin, mastich, 



sandrich, dammora, lac, dragon's blood, 

 guaiacum, Highgate resin, resin of Jalap, 

 labdanum, tacamahac,storax. 



RESIN'CINE. A light-coloured oil, des- 

 titute of taste and smell, obtained by dis- 

 tilling resin perse. Formula Cao His Ol. 



RESIN'EON A product obtained from 

 resin by M. Fremy. It is less volatile than 

 resinone, and has a less burning taste. 

 Formula C23 Hl8 Ol. 



RES'INONE. A product obtained by 

 M Fremy from resin. It somewhat re- 

 sembles alcohol, and differs from oil of 

 turpentine in containing an additional 

 atom of water. Formula ClO H9 Ol. 



RE'SINOL-S ELECTRICITY. This is the 

 electricity eliminated by rubbing a cylin- 

 der of resin with a rubber of wool : 

 named also negative electricity. See ELEC- 

 TRICITY. 



RESISTANCE. In mechanics, that power 

 which acts in opposition to another, so as 

 to diminish or destroy its effect : re, 

 against, and sisto, to stand. 



RESOLU'TION, from resolve. 1. In che- 

 mistry, analysis: the process of separat- 

 ing the component parts of bodies. 2. 



In medicine, the disappearance of a local 

 inflammation with suppuration, mortifi- 

 cation, &c. 3. In music, the resolu- 

 tion of a dissonance is the carrying of it 

 according to rule into a consonance in the 

 subsequent chord. I. In algebra, the 

 resolution of an equation implies the so- 

 lution of it. 5. In mechanics, the reso- 

 lution of forces or motion is the act of 

 dividing any single force or motion into 

 two or more others, in different direc- 

 tions ; or of finding the quantity of two 

 or more forces or motions, which taken 

 together shall produce the same quantity 

 of force or motion, with the given one in 

 the same direction. This is the reverse 

 of composition of forces or motion. 



RES'ONAJJCE. In music, prolonged and 

 reflected sound: resonant, resounding. 



RESPIRA/TION, from re and spiro, to 

 breathe. The act of breathing, which com- 

 prehends inspiration and expiration. Re- 

 spiration appears to be essential to the 

 life of all living bodies, plants as well as 

 animals ; and moreover, the blood of ani- 

 mals is warm or cold according as they 

 respire more or less air. 



RESPIRA'TOR. An instrument fitted to 

 cover the mouth, and retained by band- 

 ages : its object being to heat the inspired 

 air before entering the lungs, by retain- 

 ing that of the expired air, and giving it 

 off to the succeeding inspiration. 



RESPONDE.X'TIA.. In commercial narifja- 

 tion, a loan upon a cargo, differing from 

 bottomry, which is a loan upon the ship. 



RESPONSE'. I. In the Romish church, a 

 kind of anthem sung after the morning 



lesson. 2. In music, a repetition of the 



given subject by another part. 



