A B S 



prove i\\e tnith of ubforptions in general ; fome of tliem 

 teaviMg levc! ground in tlic place of the tliinj^s alitoibcd, foine 

 immeiiU' chnfms and cracks, and fume hikes of frelli or fait 

 water ; and it may be that many immcnfe lakes were formed 

 in a^jcs, of wli'ch we have no liillories, by the like abfoq^tions. 



Plinv jjives m \ny accounts of the relloring of places thus 

 abforbed, but later obfervations do not give an equal credit 

 to thofe parts of this hiftory. 



There are inftaiices, however, of islands being produced, 

 tho\igh we cannot affirm them to have appeared in the place 

 of a:iy wliich have been abforbed. 



In the year 1638, an illand was raifed near St. Michael's 

 in the Atlantic ocean, by fubterranean fires, which threw 

 ftnnca and other fubterranean productions, in fuch quan- 

 tities that they fonncd an iiland of five miles in length. 

 The mountain raifed in one night, in the fea near Puzzoli, 

 is another inilancc of this fudden produAion of thefe moun- 

 tains : this appeared after one night's violent fubterranean 

 i-iinl1ic\, and ilill keeps its place, and is known by the name 

 of Mons Sanclus. See Icel.ind. 



ABSTEINEN, in Geography, a diftriA near the river 

 Memcl, in Little Lithuania. It is a mountainous and plea- 

 fant country, and on account of its fertility in com and paf- 

 turage, called the larder of Lithuania. It abounds with 

 flocks of fheep, various kinds of grain, and excellent horfes. 



ABSTE^III, '\\\ Ecclefiaft'tenl Hijlory, a name given to 

 pcrfons who could not partake of the cup of the Euchaiift, 

 0.1 account of their natural averfion from wine. 



ABSTEMIOUS, is properly undcrftood ofaperfon who 

 refrains abfolutely from all ufe of wine. 



It is compounded oi abs, from, and timetiim, •wine. 



The hiftory of Mr. Wood, in the Medic. Tranf. vol. ii. 

 p. 261. art. 18. is a veiy remarkable exemplification of the 

 verj- beneficial alterations wliich may be effefted on the hu- 

 man body, by a ftricl courfe of abllemioufnefs. 



The Roman ladies, in tiie firft ages of the republic, were 

 all enjoined to be abftemions ; and that it might appear, 

 by their breath, whether or not they kept up to the in- 

 junftion, it was one of the laws of the Roman civility, that 

 they lliould kifs their friends and relations whenever they 

 accofted them. 



ABSTEMIUS, Laurentius, in Biogrnphy, a native of 

 Macerata, in Italy, who made a very coiifiderable progrtfs in 

 polite literature, to which he devoted himfelf in early life. 

 He taught the belles lettres at Urbino, where he was libra- 

 rian to Duke Guido Ubaldo, under the pontificate of Alex- 

 ander VI. His works are Notes on different paflages of an- 

 cient authors : Hecatomythium, or a CoUeftion of 100 

 Fables, which have been often printed with thofe of jEfop, 

 PliTdrus, Gabrias, Avienus, &c. and a preface to the edi- 

 tion of Aurelius Viftor, publilhed at Venice, in 150J. 



ABSTENTUS, among Civiliims, is underftood of an 

 heir with-held by his tutor from taking on him an inheritance. 

 Among Ecdrjuiflkal Writer:, the word is alfo ufed for a per- 

 fon excommunicated. 



ABSTERGENTS, or Abstersive medicines, more 

 nfually called among phj-ficians detergents, are medicines 

 which not only warfi off adhering fubftances, as abluents, 

 but are fuppofed to pofTefs a power of refolving and loofen- 

 ing their cohtlion. But the terms are too General, and are 

 often erroneoufly applied upon a falfc fuppofition, that they 

 have a power of refolving vifeid fublbnces, which water 

 limply, as an abluent, cannot cfFeft. 



Abstinence, derived ham abjmere, formed oi als, 

 from, and tcr.-re, to hold, in a general fenfe, the aft or habit 

 of refraining from foinething to which we have a propenfity, 

 or iu vrhichwe find pleafure. 



A B S 



The Jews virerc obliged to praftife various kinds of ab- 

 tlinence by their law. The Pythagoreans were accuftomed, 

 upon being initiated into the fraternity of the felcft com- 

 panions and friends of Pythagoras, to abftain from animal 

 food, except the remains of the facrifices, and to drink no- 

 thing but water, unlefs in the evening, when they were 

 allowed a fmall portion of wine. Some of the primitive 

 chriflians alfo abllained from the ufe of particular- kinds of 

 food, whilll others treated their abftinence with contempt. 

 See Rom. xiv. The council of Jerufalem, which was held 

 by the apolUcs, enjoined the chrillian converts to abilain 

 from meats ftrangled, blood, fornication, and idolatry. 

 Acts XV. 20. The abftin:nce, called ritual, which confiiled 

 in abilaining from particular meats at certain fealbns, was 

 introduced by the Romilh church, prefcribed by rules, de- 

 nominated Rogations, and grofsly abufed. The church 

 of England alfo recommends certain days of fading and ah- 

 Jlin'cnce. — Abjlinence from fiijli has been enjoined by ttatute 

 even fince the Reformation, particularly on Fridays and Sa- 

 turdays, and on Vigils, and all commonly called fifii-days, 

 2 and 3 Ed. VI. c. 19. — The like injuntlions were re- 

 newed under queen Elizab^-Lh, but at the fame time it was 

 declared, that this was done, not out of motives of religion, 

 as if there were any difteience in meats, but in favour of the 

 confumption of fea-fiih, and to multiply the number of 

 fifhermen and mariners, as well as fpare the flock of llieep. 

 5 Eliz. c. 15. The great faft, fays St. Auguilin, is to 

 ahjlain from fin. See Fast. 



The ancient Athletae lived in a perpetual abftinence from 

 all kinds of feniible pleafure, to render their bodies more ro- 

 buit and hardy. 



Abstinence is more particularly ufed for a fpare diet, 

 or a flender paifimonious ufe of food. 



The Phylicians relate wonders of the efFefts of abftinence 

 in the cure of many diforders, and in protracting the term 

 of life. The noble Venetian Cornaro, after all imaginable 

 means had proved vain, fo that his life was defpaired of at 

 forty, recovered, and lived to near a hundred, by mere dint 

 of abiUnence, as he himfelf gives the account. 



Many of the chriftians of the eaft, who retired from per- 

 fecution into the defarts of Arabia and Egypt, lived in 

 health and chearfulnefs to a very advanced age on very 

 little food. According to Caffian, the common allowance 

 for twenty-four hours was twelve ounces of bread, and wa- 

 ter ; and yet with this fubfiftence St. Anthony lived 105 

 years, James tlie Hermit 104, Arfenius, tutor of the em- 

 peror Arcadius, 120; Epiphanius 115; Simeon the Sty- 

 lite 112; and Romauld 120. Buchanan inform: us, that one 

 Laurence attained to 140, by temperance and labour : and 

 Spotfwood mentions one Kentlgern, called St. Mongah or 

 Mungo, who lived to 185 by the fame means. See Lox- 



GEVITV. 



Moft of the chronical difeafes, infirmities of old age, and 

 the fliort lives of Englilllmen, are owing, according to Dr. 

 Cheyne, to repletion ; and may be either cured, prevented, 

 or remedied, by abftinence. 



Abftinence, however, ftiould be maintained with dif- 

 cretion, and with a due regard to age, fex, climate, excr- 

 cile, dilpofition to corpulence in the individual, and various 

 other circuiiiftaiiees ; without a reference to which, it may 

 be purfiied lo a very hartful extreme. It is certiiln, that 

 many perfons have irreparably injured their coaftitutions by 

 exceiTive pariimony ; and thofe who, either by defign or ac- 

 cident, have fafted long, fcldom enjoy good health after- 

 wards. 



Among the brute creation, we fee extraordinary inftances 

 of long abftinence. — It is the natural ccuvls of divers fpecics 



to 



