SPE 



387 



SPE 



I make), that designates the 

 species or constitutes it ; in the 

 binomial nomenclature of plants, 

 etc. , applied to the second name, 

 or the name which follows that 

 of the genus, which double name 

 constitutes the name of the species 

 or individual as distinguished 

 from the genus : specific centre, 

 a term used to express the 

 particular place upon which each 

 species had its origin, and from 

 which its individuals became 

 diffused: specific character, the 

 circumstances distinguishing one 

 species from every other species 

 of the same genus : specific name, 

 see ' specific ' : specific remedy, 

 a particular remedy found usually 

 curative or alleviative of a partic- 

 ular disease. 



spectrum, n., spZk'trtim, spectra, 

 a. plu., 8p&K'trd (L. spectrum, 

 an appearance, an image), the 

 image of something seen after the 

 eyes have been closed ; the pris- 

 matic colours formed in a darkened 

 :hamber by permitting a ray of 

 sunlight to pass into it through 

 a prism a spectrum may be 

 formed from a ray proceeding 

 from any luminous body, as from 

 a star or a planet : spectrum 

 analysis, the act or art of ascer- 

 taining the character and com- 

 position of luminous bodies, or of 

 non-luminous bodies when in a 

 state of combustion, by causing 

 a ray of light from the body 

 desired to be so analysed to pass 

 through a prism, each substance 

 in the spectrum having its 

 own characteristic system of 

 lines. 



jpeculum, n., 8p$tful>ti,m (L. 

 speculum, a mirror from specio, 

 I look at), in surg., an instrument 

 for keeping open more perfectly 

 certain apertures of the body, in 

 order that their interiors may be 

 attentively examined. 

 jpeiranthy, n., spir'dnth-i (Gr. 

 speirdo, I coil or curl ; anthos, 



a flower), in "hot., the twisted 

 growth of the parts of a flower. 

 sperm, n., sperm (Gr. sperma, 

 seed, spermdtos, of seed from 

 speiro, I sow), animal seed: sperm 

 cell, a cell which impregnates, as 

 opposed to a germ cell, which 

 has been impregnated : spermo- 

 derm, n., sperm' d-derm (Gr. 

 derma, skin), in bot., the outer 

 covering of a seed : spermaceti, 

 n., sperm'd-set'i (Gr. ketos, L. 

 cetus, any large fish, a whale), a 

 white, brittle, semi-transparent 

 substance obtained from the head 

 of the sperm whale, and from 

 sperm-oil : spermatic, a. , sperm- 

 at'ik, pert, to or consisting of 

 seed or semen ; seminal : sperm- 

 atic cord, a cord made up of the 

 vessels and nerves which pass to 

 and from the testis. 

 spermagones, n. plu., sperm- dg' 

 on-ez (Gr. sperma, seed ; gonos, 

 offspring), reproductive bodies in 

 the form of very minute hollow 

 sacs, found on the thallus of 

 Lichens ; capsules or cysts in 

 Lichens, Fungi, etc., containing 

 spermatia. 



spermarium, n., sperm-dr'i-um 

 (Gr. sperma, seed), the organ in 

 which spermatozoa are produced : 

 spermatia, n., sperm- of- slii-d, in 

 bot. t motionless spermatozoids in 

 the conceptacles of Fungi, sup- 

 posed to be possessed of fertilising 

 power. 



spermatheca, n., sperm' d-theJc'-d 

 (Gr. sperma, seed ; theke, a re- 

 ceptacle), a receptacle or sac 

 in which ejected semen is stored 

 up, as among some insects. 

 spermatic, see under * sperm.' 

 spermatophore, n., sperm -at' 6 -for, 

 spermatophores, n. plu., -forz, 

 or spermatophora, n. plu. , sperm' 

 at-of'-dr-a (Gr. sperma, seed ; 

 phoreo, I bear), in anat., cases 

 of albuminous matter in which 

 the bundles of spermatozoa are 

 packed. 

 spermatozoon, n., sperm'dt^zo' 



