TAX 704 



Py distilling nitric acid off the crystals, 

 they are converted into oxalic acid, and 

 the nitric acid passes to the state of 

 nitrous. 



TARTROMETH'TLIC ACID. An acid ob- 

 tained by treating tartaric acid with 

 pyroxylic spirit, and distilling the liquid. 

 It is white, destitute of smell, has an 

 acid, but at the same time sweetish, taste. 

 It is heavier than water, but crystallises 

 in four- sided prisms with right bases. It 

 consists of two atoms tartaric acid, one 

 atom methylene, and one atom water. 



TARTROVIN'IC ACID. An acid obtained 

 by the reaction of tartaric acid and alcohol 

 (spirit of wine) on each other. It has a 

 fine white colour, is destitute of smell, 

 and has a sweetish agreeable acidulous 

 taste. It is heavier than water, and crys- 

 tallises in oblique four-sided prisms. It 

 is composed of two atoms tartaric acid 

 and one atom ether combined with one 

 atom water. 



TARTCF'FE. A common French nick- 

 name for pretenders to devotion. 



TAR-WATER. "Water impregnated with 

 tar ; formerly a celebrated remedy for 

 many chronic affections, especially of the 

 lungs. 



TASTU'RA, Ital. tasto, a touch or key. 

 A term used to designate the whole range 

 or set of keys in an organ, harpsichord, 

 virginal, spinet, clavichord, and piano- 

 forte. 



TATTOO'. In military affairs, the beat 

 of drum by which soldiers are warned to 

 quarters. 



TATTOO'ING. An operation practised by 

 the South Sea Islanders, to mark their 

 bodies with figures of various kinds. It 

 is performed by puncturing the skin, and 

 rubbing a black colour into the wounds. 



TAUNT. Among seamen, a term signi- 

 fying too high or tall, as the masts of a 



TAT;'RUS. The bull. In astronomy, one 

 of the signs of the zodiac, the second in 

 order of that next to Aries. Taurus con- 

 tains i41 stars. 



TAUTO'CHRONE, rauro?, the same, and 

 %COYO;, time. In mechanics, a curve line, 

 such that a heavy body descending along 

 it will always reach the lowest point in 

 the same time, from whatever point in 

 the curve the body begins to descend. 



TAW'ING. The art of preparing the skins 

 of sheep, lambs, kids, and goats, in white, 

 for Tarious sorts of manufactures, espe- 

 cially gloves. 



TAX'IDERMY, from ratals, order, and 

 ?,tws, skin. The art of preparing and 

 preserving specimens of animals by stuff- 

 ing, Ac. 



TAXIS, ratl-if, order. This term is used 

 bj surgeons to denote the operation by 

 which those parts which have quitted 



TEB 



their natural situation, are replaced by 

 the hand without the assistance of instru- 

 ments, as in reducing hernia, &c. 2. 



In architecture, the fitness of tha parts to 

 the end for which a building is erected. 



TAXON'OMT, from rat-if, order, and 

 to/M>f,la.w. Classification : a term used 

 to designate the arrangement of animals 

 and plants according to certain principles 

 in divisions and groups. 



TAX'US. The yew-tree. A genus of 

 trees of three species. DiceciaMonadel- 

 phia. Nat. order Coniferte. One species 

 is a native of Britain, another of Ireland, 

 and a third of China. 



T BANDAGE. In surgery, a bandage so 

 named from its figure. 



TEA, Chinese te and cha ; Malay teh ; 

 Hind, cha ; Rus. tchai. 1. The leaves ot 

 the tea-tree or shrub (Thea viridii). This 

 plant ordinarily grows to the height of 

 from 3 to 6 feet, and has some resemblance 

 to the myrtle of the south of Europe. Its 

 blossom is white, like those of the dog- 

 rose ; its stem has numerous leafy 

 branches. The sorts of tea are black teas 

 (produce of Thea bohea~j, comprehending 

 bohea, congou, souchong, and pekoe. 

 2. Green teas (produce of the Thea viri- 

 dis), comprehending t wank ay, hyson skin, 

 young hyson, hyson, imperial, and gun- 

 powder. The qualities of these teas 

 are in general dependent on the period of 

 the season at which the leaves are ga- 

 thered, the age of the plants, and other 

 particular causes of that sort, and also on 

 the locality where the plants grow. The 

 finest teas are hardly known in the 

 English market. 



TEAK'-WOOD. Indian oak. The wood 

 of the Tectona grandis, a large forest tree 

 which grows in dry and elevated dis- 

 tricts of Asia and the Asiatic isles. The 

 wood is porous, but hard and durable, is 

 easily seasoned, and shrinks little. It is 

 of an oily nature, and therefore does not 

 injure iron. The wood called African 

 teak, so largely imported into Eneland 

 from the west coast of Africa, is an infe- 

 rior article. 



TEANT, TAWNT, or BRrsK. In heraldrt/, 

 a colour between yellow and red ; it is 

 reckoned a dishonourable colour. 



TEA'SEL. Fuller's thistle. The Dipsa- 

 cus fullonum, a biennial plant, mueh cul- 

 tivated in England for the sake of the 

 awns of the head, which are of consider- 

 able importance to clothiers, to raise the 

 nap of woollen cloths. For this purpose 

 they are fixed round the periphery of a 

 large broad wheel, against which the 

 cloth is held while the machine is turned. 

 2. In botany. See DIPJACUS. 



TEB'ETH. The tenth month of the Jew- 

 ish ecclesiastical year, and the fourth of 

 the civil. It answers to our December. 



