EMB 



EMB 



rder. Natural order of Gramina, or 

 Grasses. Essent al character : calyx late- 

 ral, two-valved, aggregate, many flower- 

 ed. The American species are 10 in 

 number, riz. 1. E. arenarius. 2. E. phi- 

 ladelphicus. 3. E. canadensis. 4. E. vir- 

 ginicus 5. E. striatus. 6. E. europaeus, 

 7. E. villosus. 8. E. hystric. 9. E. cilia- 

 tus. 10. E. glaucifolius. (Muhl.) 



EMARGINATED, among botanists, an 

 appellation given to such leaves as have 

 a liUle indenting on their summits : when 

 tliis indenting is terminated on each side 

 by obtuse points, they are said to be ob- 

 tusely emargmated ; whereas, when these 

 points are acute, they are culled acutely 

 emarginated. 



EMBALMING, is the opening a dead 

 body, taking out the intestines, and filling 

 the place with odoriferous and desicca- 

 tive drugs and spices, to prevent its pu- 

 trefying. The Egyptians excelled all 

 other nations in the art of preserving bo- 

 dies from corruption ; for some that they 

 have embalmed upwards of 2000 years 

 ago remain whole to this day, and are 

 often brought into other countries as 

 great curiosities. Their manner of em- 

 balming was thus ; they scooped the 

 brains with an iron scoop out at the nos- 

 trils, and threw in medicaments to fill up 

 the vacuum : they also took out the en- 

 trails, ami having filled the body with 

 myrrh, cassia, and other spices, except 

 frankincense, proper to dry up the hu- 

 mours, they pickled it in nitre, where it 

 lay soaking for seventy days. The body 

 was then wrapped up in bandages of fine 

 linen and gums, to make it stick like 

 glue ; and so was delivered to the kin- 

 dred of the deceased, entire in all its 

 features, the very hairs of the eye-lids be- 

 ing preserved. They used to keep the 

 bodies of their ancestors, thus embalmed, 

 in little houses magnificently adorned, 

 and took great pleasure in beholding 

 them alive, as it were, without any change 

 in their size, features, or complexion. The 

 Egyptians also embalmed birds, &c. The 

 prices for embalming were different ; the 

 highest was a talent, the next 20 minae, 

 and so decreasing to a very small mat- 

 ter ; but those who had not wherewithall 

 to answer this expense, contented them- 

 selves with infusing, by means of a 

 syringe, through the fundament, a cer- 

 tain liquor extracted from the cedar, 

 and, leaving it there, wrapped up the 

 ')0(\y in salt of nitre : the oil thus preyed 

 upon the intestines, so that, when they 

 took it out, the intestines came away 

 vvith it, dried, and not in the least putre- 



fied : the body, being inclosed in 

 grew dry, und nothing reirviiiitd besides 

 the skin giueU upon tht nones. . 



The ir.ethoci ot embalm, ; used by the 

 modern Egyptians, according :. Maillet, 

 is, to vvasii the body several times 

 rose-watev, which, he elsewhere observes, 

 is more fragrant in that country than With 

 us, They afterwards perfume it \v.tL m 

 cense, aloes, anil a quantity of otiier 

 odours, of which they are by no rntans 

 sparing 1 ; and then they bury the body in 

 a winding-sheet, made partly 01 bilk aiid 

 partly ot cotton, and moistened, as is sup- 

 posed, witn some sweet scented water or 

 liquid perfume, though Aiaillet uses only 

 the term moistened; this they cover with, 

 another cloth of unmixed cotton, to which 

 they add one ot the richest su.ts of 

 clothes of the deceased. The expense, 

 he says, on these occasions, is very great, 

 though nothing like what the genuine em- 

 balming cost in former times. 



EMBARGO, in commerce, an arrest 

 on ships, or merchandize, by public au- 

 thority ; or a prohibition of state, com- 

 monly on foreign ships, in time of war, 

 to prevent their going out of port ; some- 

 times to prevent their coming in ; and 

 sometimes both, for a limited time. The 

 king may lay embargoes on ships, or em- 

 ploy those of his subjects, in time of 

 danger, for service and defence of the na- 

 tion ; but they must not be for the private 

 advantage of a particular trader, or com- 

 pany : and, therefore, a warrant to stay a 

 single ship is no legal embargo. No in- 

 ference can b e made from embargoes 

 which are only in war time, and are a 

 prohibition by advice of council, and not 

 a prosecution of parties. If goods be 

 laden on board, and after an embargo or 

 restraint from the prince or state comes 

 forth, and then the master of the ship 

 breaks ground, or endeavours to sail, if 

 any damage accrues, he must be respon- 

 sible for the same : the reason is, because 

 his freight is due, and must be paid, nay 

 though the goods be seized as contra- 

 band. Embargo differs from quarantine, 

 insomuch as this last is always for the 

 term of forty days, in which persons from 

 foreign parts infected with the plague are 

 not permitted to come on shore. See 

 QUARANTINE . 



EMBASSADOR, or AMBASSADOR a 

 public minister sent from one sovereign 

 prince, as a representative of his person, 

 to another. 



Embassadors are either ordinary or ex- 

 traordinary. Embassador in ordinary is 

 he who constantly resides in the court of 



