GLOSSARY. 



199 



Wgate (Lat. vir'ga, a rod). Shaped 

 like a rod. 



Victual (Lat. vir'tus, power or force). 

 Being or acting in effect, not in 

 fact ; in optics, applied to the 

 focus from which rays, that have 

 been rendered divergent, appear to 

 issue ; in mechanics, to the velocity 

 which a body in equilibrium would 

 acquire in the first instant of its 

 motion, if the equilibrium were dis- 

 turbed. 



Vir'ulent (Lat. virus, a poison). 

 Very poisonous. 



Vi'ras (Lat.). A poison ; in medi- 

 cine, applied to the essential mat- 

 ter of a disease, which is capable of 

 communicating the disease from one 

 person to another. 



Vis a Fronte. A force acting from 

 the front or in advance. 



Vis Iner'tise (Lat. the force of in- 

 action). A term used to denote 

 the power by which matter resists 

 changes endeavoured to be made in 

 its state. 



Vis a Tergo (Lat. force from the 

 back). A moving power acting 

 from behind. 



Vis In'sita (Lat. inherent force). The 

 property by which a muscle, when 

 irritated, contracts independently 

 of the will of the animal, and with- 

 out sensation. 



Vis Medica'trix Natu'rae (Lat. the 

 healing power of nature). A term 

 applied to denote the power by 

 which a living body is able to 

 throw off disease or recover from 

 injury. 



Vis Nervo'sa (Lat. nervous force). 

 The property of nerves by which 

 they convey stimuli to muscles. 



Vis Plas'tica (Lat. plastic force). 

 The formative power of plants and 

 animals. 



Vis Vi'tae (Lat. force of life). Vital 

 power or energy. 



Vis'cera (Plural of Lat. vis'cus, an 

 entrail). The organs contained in 

 any of the great cavities of the 

 body, especially the chest and ab- 

 domen. 



Vis'ceral ( Viscera). Belonging to the 

 viscera or internal organs. 



Vis'cid or Vis'cous (Lat. vis'cwm, 

 bird-lime). Glutinous ; sticky. 



Vis'cus (Lat.). An entrail, or organ 

 contained in one of the great cavi- 

 ties of the body. 



Visible (Lat. vid'eo, I see). In optics, 

 emitting or reflecting a sufficient 

 number of rays of light to produce 

 an impression on the eye. 



Vis'ual (Lat. vid'eo, I see). Relating 

 to sight. 



Vi'tal (Lat. vita, life). Pertaining or 

 contributing to life. 



Vitality (Vital). The principle of 

 life : the act of living, 



Vitellary (Lat. mtellus, a yolk). Be- 

 longing to the yolk of an egg. 



Vit'reous (Lat. vitfrum, glass). Be- 

 longing to, or consisting of glass : 

 resembling glass. 



Vit'reous Body. A large globular 

 transparent structure occupying the 

 centre of the eyeball, being the 

 largest of the transparent media of 

 the eye. 



Vit'reous Electricity. A name some- 

 times given to positive electricity, 

 because developed by rubbing glass. 



Vitreous Humour. See Vitreous 

 Body. 



Vitres'cence (Lat. vit'rum, glass). 

 Glassiness; capability of being 

 formed into glass. 



Vitrifac'tion (Lat. vi'trum, glass ; 

 fac'io, I make). The process of 

 converting into glass by heat. 



Vitrifi'able (Lat. vit'ram, glass ; fa- 

 cio, I make). Capable of being 

 converted into glass by heat. 



Vit'rify (Lat. vit'rum, glass ; fac'io, 

 I make). To convert or be con- 

 verted into glass by heat. 



Vit'riol (Lat. viHrum, glass). A 

 name given to sulphuric acid and 

 several of its compounds^ probably 

 from the glassy appearance of the 

 crystals : oil of vitriol is sulphuric 

 acid : blue vitriol, sulphate of cop- 

 per: green vitriol, green sulphate 

 of iron : red vitriol, red sulphate of 

 iron : white vitriol, sulphate of zinc. 



Vitriolic ( Vit'riol). Belonging to or 

 containing vitriol. 



Vitt'a (Lat. a fillet or head-band). In 

 architecture, the ornament of a 



