DAT SUPPLEMENT. DEC 



DATISCIN, a substance like grape sugar lame however divided, and also from the 

 obtained from the Datisca cannabina. authority of St. Paul, Romans vii. 7, where 



DE Luc's COLUMX, a voltaic pile com- the Apostle uses the words, " Thou shalt 

 posed of silver, zinc, and thin paper alter- notcovet,"in their obvious comprehensiveness 

 nately ; called also the Dry pile. as one injunction, and not as two, which the 



DEAD COLOUR, colour without glossiness, Romish division makes it. 

 occasioned usually by diminishing the DECANDROUS, a plant with ten stamens, 

 quantity of oil used, and increas ng the DECANTATION, a process frequently em- 

 quantity or proportion of spirits in the ployed in chemistry, when the circumstances 

 pigment. admit of its superseding the slower process of 



DEAD PLATE, an iron plate fitted to the filtration. 



bars of a furnace, to allow bituminous coal DECAPITATION, a mode of punishment 

 to form into coke before its complete com- abandoned in England since the execution 

 bustion. of the victims of the insurrection of 1745. 



DEAD SEA, the site in Palestine of the It was long before this confined to criminals 

 ancient cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. It of high rank in this country, though it is 

 is about 200 miles long by about 20 miles still retained on the continent of Europe in 

 broad. It receives the discharge of the river preference to hanging. 

 Jordan, after it passes through the Lake of DECIDUA, a formation of the mucous 

 Tiberias, which is 60 miles further up the membrane of the uterus in which the ovum 

 Jordan. Its surface is on an average 1,388 becomes embedded on its en trance, and which 

 feet below the level of the Mediterranean, protrudes inward, and becomes more in- 

 and 6,000 feet below the level of the inter- verted as the ovum enlarges ; the part of the 

 Tening table land. Although it has no outlet, decidua which does so being called the 

 the continual influx of the Jordan does not decidua flexa, the other portion of the 

 increase its annual volume ; the discharge of membrane being distinguished as the decidua 

 the accumulating waters being due to vera. 



evaporation, which is greatly facilitated by DECiMALorMETRiCALSYSTEM; thesystem 

 its mineral qualities. The saltness of the of weights and measures now made the 

 Dead Sea is between six and seven times standard of internal commerce in France, 

 greater than that of the ocean, though it based on the mitre, a measure of length 

 varies to about 22 per cent, at different equal to the ten-millionth part of the dis- 

 seasons. Chloride of sodium is the chief tance between the north pole and the equa 

 saline constituent, though the chlorides of tor, taken from the measurement of an arc 

 calcium and magnesium are also present in of the meridian between Barcelona and 

 large proportions, and, in a lesser degree, Dunkirk. A hundred metres is equal to 

 chloride of potassium. 119'6046 yards, so that the metre is rather 



DEAD WELLS, wells into which refuse more than the English yard, being 39'370!> 

 water and sometimes sewage are allowed to inches. The basis of the Superficial Measure 

 flow and infiltrate into the permeable strata is the Are, equal to 119'6046 English square 

 below. They are most pernicious and yards. The basis of the Liquid or Dry Mea- 

 dangerous contrivances of slovenliness and sure (Measure of Capacity) is the Litre, which 

 s'.oth, calculated to poison the whole spring is equal to 17608 pints, or the cube of the 

 water of a neighbourhood ; and yet, though tenth part of a metre. The basis of the Solid 

 under special restriction in France, there Measure is the Sttre, which is the cube of a 

 is no English legislation on the subject. metre. And the basis or unit of Weight is 



DEADENING WAT, the progressive abate- the Gramme, equal to 1.Y4327 grains, or to 

 ment of a vessel's speed at sea. the cube of the hundredth part of a mdtre of 



DEADHEADS, those additions of metal in pure water at the temperature of 32 Fah- 

 the casting of ordnance, in an upright renheit or Centigrade. In arranging these 

 position, by which the mould is filled measures into tables, decimal multiples and 

 to a height above the bore of the gun, divisions have been adopted, the multiples 

 and the dross, which would otherwise being named from the Greek language, and 

 deteriorate the metal at the muzzle, is the divisors from the Latin. That a uni- 

 carried free of it upwaids, and cut otf when form system of measurement, based on uni- 

 the casting has cooled. , versally recognised and identical standards, 



DEBLAI, the earth excavated from the wouW be of great value as a facilitation to 

 ditch of a fortification, and employed in commercial intercourse cannot well be dis- 

 forming the rampart. puted ; but so would one language for all 



DEBRIS, the geological name given to mankind. Unfortunately, however, the ob- 

 fragments of rocks, &c., in heaps, or natural stacles in the way of adopting the one in a 

 accumulations. great degree apply also to the other. It re- 



DECALOCCE, the Ten Commandments, quires an amount of achieved civilirv- 

 The Jews are said to have divided them as tion and popular intelligence disseminate.! 

 the Romish Church now does: but this appears through all peoples and kindreds and 

 Tery doubtful, both from the logical struc- tongues, together with an amount of com- 

 ture of the whole Decalogue, which is the mon consent and reciprocal concession for 

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