448 THE TRIVIAL OR SECOND TERMS OF SPECIFIC NAMES. 





zymosis, n., zim-oz'is (Gr. zumos- 

 is, fermentation, zumotds, fer- 

 mented from zumoo, I cause to 

 ferment), in med., a morbid 

 action or condition, as of the 

 blood, supposed to be allied to 

 fermentation: zymotic, a., zim- 

 ot'4k, pert, to or caused by fer- 

 mentation : zymotic diseases, 



that large class of contagious 

 diseases supposed to be caused by 

 the reception into the system of 

 a virus which acts as a ferment ; 

 the entire class of epidemic, 

 endemic, and contagious diseases, 

 which are in a great measure 

 preventible. 



THE TEIVIAL OR SECOND TEEMS OF 

 SPECIFIC NAMES. 



IN the nomenclature of plants, living and fossil, and in the nomen- 

 clature of sciences in general, specific names are binomial, that is, 

 made up of two names, the first being the name of the genus, and the 

 second indicating some peculiarities or properties characteristic of 

 certain individuals, and distinguishing them from all others of the same 

 genus. Thus, Primus is a genus of plants, and Prunus domestica, a 

 species, is the Plum tree and its varieties, which, when dried, constitute 

 Prunes the second name, domestica, meaning for house-use ; Prunus 

 spinosa is the Sloe, spinosa meaning * thorny,' 'prickly,' referring to 

 the prickly character of the tree. 



Such names, however derived, appear in Latin forms and termina- 

 tions. In Latin nouns and adjectives, the terminations vary in order 

 to express gender. The name of the genus is of course always a noun 

 and the second or trivial name is always an adjective, or a noun used a* 

 tin adjective. Whatever, therefore, the gender masc. , fern. , or neut. 

 of the name of the genus may be, the termination of the second or trivial 

 name must indicate the same gender. This explains why the same trivial 

 name terminates sometimes with one letter, sometimes with another. 

 Thus we have the specific names Helleborus niger, Morus nigra, Piper 

 nigrum, in which the trivial name niger appears in the masculine, 

 feminine, and neuter terminations respectively, in order to agree in 

 gender with the generic names Helleborus, Morus, and Piper. 

 Similarly we write Linaria vulgaris, Hordeum vulgare ; and Lathrus 

 sativus, Latuca sativa, Lepidium sativum. Linnaeus calls the second 

 part of the specific name the trivial name. Sometimes the trivial 

 name is not an adjective, but a noun, and used as such, in which case 

 it is not made to agree in gender with the generic name, but governed 

 by it in the genitive case ; thus, Hydrangea Thunbergii, the Hydrangea 

 of Thunberg, Musa sapientium, the Musa trees of the Wise : or it is 

 employed simply as an indeclinable adjective, and therefore united to 

 a generic name of any gender. 



For the benefit of those not familiar with the Latin language, the 

 following Latin nouns and adjectives are declined, after studying 

 which, the reader will be able to examine the list of specific names 

 with greater advantage. The Latin words are marked with symbols as 

 a guide to their pronunciation, and the meaning of each case follows. 

 N. Nominative, G. Genitive, D. Dative, A. Accusative, V. 

 Vocative, Ab. Ablative. 



