A B D 



vr irril to fiibvfrt the conUitiition of t!ie kingdom, by 



\ . ii'j llie ori^irial contracl between k'nn; and people, and 



i. . ;,;, by the advice of Jel"iiit< and other wicked peilons, 



.d the fundamental laws, and witiidniwn himfclf out of 



" >;n, has a/nlicueil the jjoveniment, and that the 



• irrrhv v-ticant. This vote was palFcd by a great 



I.,: ; , ui me commons; but wa< oppofed in the houie ot 



loids. They particularly objcdod to the word abi!ka>erl, 



and it was carried, tliat ikj'erteJ wai more pioper. The 



commons adherod to their vote, and by their perfeverance 



obli'^ed the lords to co-nply. 'l"he Scots convention voted 



that kint; James, by his mal-adminiilration and his abufe of 



power, \\-iii foi-ftUed {(romj'ons-fii^-ia) all title to the crown. 



Abdication, among Roman ll'rilers, is more particu- 

 larly uled for the act whereby a father difcarded or dif- 

 cluimed his Ton, and expelled him the family. 



In this fenfe the word is fynonymous with the Greek 

 ■Toxn^^Ji,-, and the Latin a fumilia ahenatio, or fomctimes 

 ablegiitio, and nf^tilio ; and llands oppofed to mhption. It is 

 dillinguifhed from exhkr«datio, or dilinheriting', in that 

 ihe former was done in the father's life -time, I lie latter 

 l>y will at his death : fo that whoever was abJicalf^i, was alio 

 dilinherited, but not vice Vfrfn. 



ABDITjE Caufr, are the fccret or remote caufes of 

 dillempers, which phyficians of the dogmatic, or ration<il 

 fed, aflinned, were necedary to be known, in order to 

 cllablilh a right method of cure. 



ABDOMEN, in ./^na/om)', derived from aiiLre to iitlf, tlie 

 /o-:urr Billy, or the cavity that is bounded at its ui)per 

 part by the diaphragm, or midriff, by which it is fe- 

 parated from the thorax ; and at its lower part it is diftin- 

 guifhcd from the jjelvis by a circular ridge of bone, which 

 is confidered as the brim of the latter cavity. The fpine 

 and lumbar mulclcs form the back part of the abdomen, 

 whilll the fides and front are completed by mufcles, named 

 alilominiil. Tiie abdominal mufeles are the OBLiciui ex- 

 ttrni and interni, the recti tranf'verjales., and pyrami- 

 nALES. This great cavity is divided by anatomifts in- 

 to certain regions or dillridts, that they may be able ealily 

 and aecurately to defcribe the fituation of tire contained vif- 

 cera. The divifions are in a great degree arbitrary ; one 

 imaginary line is drawn acrofs from the greateft convexity 

 of the cartilage of the 7th or lall true rib ; another from 

 thofe projecting points of the hip-bones, named the anterior 

 and fuperior fpinous procefTes. Tiiat part of the cavity, 

 which is Ikuated above the upper line, is termed the epi- 

 gaftric region ; that below the lower one, the hypo- 

 gaftric. The fpace included between the hnes, is called 

 the umbilical region. Thefe regions are again fubdivided : 

 the iides of the cpigaftric region, whicli extend beneath 

 the cartilages of the ribs, being named hypochondria, and 

 the fmall depreffion at the upper part, juit over the enfi- 

 form cartilage, being called fcrobiculus cordis by I^atin 

 writers, and the pit of the ftomnch commonly by the Eng- 

 li(h. The fides of the umbihcal region are named the iha 

 or flanks, and the back part the loins. The iides of the 

 hypogadric region are the groins, and the lower -part in 

 front, the pubes. The boundaries of the abdomen are eveiy 

 where lined by a thin and elaftic membrane, named peri- 

 tonseum, v^'hich is alfo fpread over the contained vifcera. 

 From the fmooth glofTy furface of this membrane, a fmall 

 quantity of an aqueous fluid is poured forth, which keeps 

 the bowels fcparate from each other, and from the fides 

 of the cavity in which they are contained. All the abdo- 

 minal vifcera, except the kidneys, are employed in the di- 

 gellion of our food, the couverfion of it into chyle, and the 

 cxpuhion of the refidue. The vifcera more direftly em- 



I 



A B D 



ployed in the chylopoietic funftion, are tiie ftomach, and the 

 fmall and large intellines. The fmall intellines are divided 

 into the duodenum, the jejunum, ami the ilium; the large 

 into the cvECum, colon, and rectum.' The liver, with its 

 gall-bladder, the fpleen, and pancreas, are fubfervient to the 

 functions of the alimentary canal. Behind the peritonaeum 

 in the loins, we find the kidneys, which are alfo abdominal 

 vifcera. Several procelfes of peritonauim prefent themfclves 

 in the cavitv of the abdomen, and claim attention, as the 

 great and fmall omentum, the mefentcry, and others of Icfs 

 importance. 



The abdominal vifcera are pre.Ted upwards towards the 

 hollow cavity of the cheft, by the abdominal mufcles, in 

 expiration ; they are pufhed down again by the action of 

 the diaphragm during inlpii-ation. When both the dia- 

 phragm and abdominal mufcles ait at the fame time, a pref- 

 fure "is made on all the abdominal vifcera, v.liich is occafion- 

 ally employed to aid particular parts in performing their 

 office ; to aflill, for iiillance, in the expulfion of urine and 

 fcECes, and in parturition. T!ie effort by which this preffure 

 is made, we call ilraining, and it is often fo forcible as to 

 protrude fome of the vifcera from their natural fituation in 

 the cavity, of the abdomen. The parts thus protruded form 

 external tumors, and are called hernia; or ruptures. Cough- 

 ing, in which the abdominal mufcles alone comprefs the 

 vifcera, and tend to diminifh the cavity of the abdomen, 

 produces, in a gradual manner, fuch protrufions. 



The principal nutrient arteries of the parietes of the 

 abdomen, are the lower intercoftal, the lumbar, and cir- 

 cumflcded arteries of the ilium, at the fides ; whilft the 

 epigailric, and internal mammary arteries are diftributed in 

 front and communicate by their minute branches with the 

 former vefiels. Thefe arteries have con-efponding veins. 

 Tlie nerves fupplying the parietes of the abdomen arife' 

 from the lower dorfal and lumbar nen'es, and their branches 

 are dillributed in a circular manner round that cavity. For 

 an account of the large arteries, veins, nerves, and abfor- 

 bents, which are found at the back part of the abdomen, 

 in their progrefs to fupply the contained vifcera, and alfo the 

 pelvis and lower extremities, fee Ramifications 0/' Arteries, 

 Veins, and Nerves, and Difiribution of ihd Absorbing 

 Vessels. 



Abdomen, in Medicine. This part of the body is liable 

 frequently to become the feat of feveral important and 

 dangerous Difeafes. Some of thefe are real affettions of this 

 cavity, while others, though commonly referred to it by 

 the patient, more properly belong to the primx •uix, or the 

 organs of generation and urine. 



All thefe difeafes, with the manner of treating them, will 

 be found under fome of the following heads or terms, viz. 



1. Inflammations of the abdominal vifcera, including 

 Inflammation of the Diaphragm, fee Diaphragmitis ; of 

 the Liver, Hepatitis; of the Stomach, Gastritis ; of the 

 Peritoneum, Peritonitis ; of the Intellines or Mefentery, 

 Enteritis ; of the Bladder, Cystitis ; of the Kidneys, 

 Nephritis; and of the Womb, &c. Hysteritis. 



2. Painful or Spafmodic Affeftions, referred to the abibo- 

 men by the patients, and not attended by inflammation or 

 fever, will be found under Cardialgia or Gastrodynia; 

 pain in the region of the ilomach, under Enterodynia, 

 Colic, Jaundice, Calculi, Scirrhus, Hysteria, 

 Gout, and Worms. 



3. Other Difeafes of the Prima; Vias, or Intellines, will be 

 included under Vomiting, Cholera, Diarrhoea, Li- 

 enteria, and Dysenteria. 



4. Dropsies of the abdomen will be treated of under 

 Ascites, Hydrops ovarii, and Tympanites. 



Abdomen, 



