AGO 



fop, and in a manner tnincate : the ftamina are tliickiflT 

 filaments, fomewhat lonjrer than tlie corolla, and the antlu-rs 

 are thickifli, twin, terminal and adnate ; the plftilhmi is a 

 gfibbons germ, ratlicr oblong, and of the length of the 

 ftamens ; without ftyle ; the lligma is a prominent point; 

 the pericarpium is a (hort triangular capfvile, attenuated to 

 both ends, obtufe and three-celled : the feeds are many and 

 ovate-oblong. There are two fpecies, vit. i. A. ccildinus, 

 or common fwcet rulh, of which there are two varieties ; 

 the viihwis, European fweet rulh, fwcet fmelling flag, or 

 calamus aromaticus, and the venis feu ylfuitkiii, Indian 

 fweet vudi, or calamus aromaticus. The common calannis 

 aromatic\i;i is fuiHcicnlly dlitinguinied by its long fword- 

 fliaped leaves, refembling thofe of the flag, but naiTOVi-er, 

 of a brighter green, and yielding, when broken, a ftrong 

 aromatic Icent ; and alfo, by its oblong cylindric fpike of 

 flowers, proceeding from the fide of the ilem at the edge of 

 the leaf, which fpike is generally fmgle, fomctimes double, 

 and more rarely tri])le and quadruple. It grows naturally 

 on the banks of rivers, and in (hallow ftanding waters ; and 

 is f<nmd in many parts of England, on Hounflow-heath, 

 near Norwich and Lynn iii Norfolk, near Cambridge, in 

 the Avon, near Perfliore, and in many parts of Chefliire, 

 &c. ; but it is more plentiful in the llanding waters of 

 Holland, and is common in many other parts of Europe. 

 The Indian calamus, which grows not only in marfli ditches 

 but in more elevated and dry places in IVIalabar, Ccvlon, 

 Amboyna, and other parts of the Eaft Indies, differs little 

 fi\)r.i the European, except that it is more tender and nar- 

 row, and of a more hot and pungent talle. 2. A. grumi- 

 Tifi/s, grafs leaved fweet rufli, or Chinefe fweet grafs, has 

 the roots in tufts, with a few thready libres. The whole 

 herb has an aromatic fmell when bruifed, much refembling 

 our Englifh fweet flag, from which the prefent fpecies is 

 <Jillinguiflied by the fhortnefs of that portion of its ilalk, 

 which is above the fpadix, as well as by all its parts, except 

 the florets, being five times fmaller than in that plant. It 

 is probably a native of China, and cultivated for the fake of 

 its fmell, in pots near the habitations of the Chinefe, whence 

 Mr. Alton obtained it in 1786. It flowers in the fpring. 



Culture. The fweet flag will fucceed very well in a gar- 

 den, if the ground be moill, but never produces its fpikes 

 unlefs it grows in the water. It loves an open fituation, 

 and will not thrive well under trees. The flowers appear 

 towards the end of June, and continue till Auguft. In a 

 proper fituation it will increafe by its creeping roots. The 

 Chinefe fweet grafs muil be kept in a dry Itovc, without 

 »ny great degree of heat. 



Medk'wal Properties. The dried roots of the calamus 

 aromaticus are commonly imported from the Levant, though 

 thofe of our own growth are equally good. The bell are 

 thofe which are greenifli v.ithout, and reddilh within ; the 

 pulp whito, and talle bitter. They have a fl:rong aromatic 

 fmell, and a warm pungent bittcrilh tafte ; and their flavour 

 is much improTed by drjing. The powdered r(X)t might 

 fupply the place of foreign fpices, and indeed it is the only 

 native aromatic plant of northern climates. It is caimina- 

 tive and iloniachic, and often ufed as an ingredient in bitter 

 infufions. But it communicates a naufeous flavour to thefe 

 infufions ; and Neumann obferves, that its agreeable flavour, 

 as well as ditlingulfliing talle, are owing to an cffential oil ; the 

 rcliduum after diflillation having a naufeous flavour unlike 

 that of the calamus. It appears that water is the moil per- 

 feifl men'lruum of the bitter matter, as retlified fpirit is of 

 the aromatic, and the fmell of the calamus is covered or 

 fupprefled by fpirit. The tinftures in both menftrua are of 

 a yellow or isrown'Oclour, bs thty are lefs or more faturated. 



'Vol. I. 



AGO 



The root is an ingredient in the mithridate and thfriaca of th« 

 London pharmacopoeia, and in the aromatic and (lomarhic 

 tin6turfs, and couipound avutn powder, of that of Edin- 

 burgh. The Turks candy it, and regard it as a prcfervative 

 againft contagion. It is alfo faid that it hai cured ague?, 

 when the Peruvian bark has failed ; and it \\m been re- 

 commended in Vertigo, proceeding from a vitiated ftomach. 

 Rome have pretended that it is ellicacious in fcorbutic and 

 hemorrhagic complaints, to vliich little credit will be given, 

 and much lefs to its alexipharmic power. The prepanition^ 

 of it, enumirated by Murray, are a dry confecHou of the 

 roots, a dillilled water and oil, a fpirit nous and aqucou? 

 extratl, and the elixir vitx Matthioli, and elixir vitrioli Mvn- 

 fichli. The leaves have a fweet fragrant fmell, refembling 

 that of the roots, but weaker. No cattle whatever will 

 cat any part of the plant. Martvn's Miller. Lcwis'» 

 Mat. Med. — Woodviile's Med. Bot. \ol. iii. p. 473. 

 Murray's App. Med. vol. v. p. 31;. 



ACORU.S, or Bi.UF. COR.M,, in Natural Hiflory. Tli^ 

 true acorus of this kind is very fcarce : fonicof it, liowcvir, 

 is found on the coafls of jXfrica, partienlaily from Rio del 

 Re to the river of the Caniarones. This coral is part of 

 the merchandize v.-hici; the Dutch trade for with the Cania- 

 rones ; that of the kingdom of Benin is alfo veiT nuu h 

 eflecmed. It grows in form of a tree on a rocky bottom. 

 Acorus is alfo a name for the greater galasoal root. 



AcoRUS Aduher'inus, in tlie Malrna Mcil'ua, the name 

 of the root of the iris hitea pctlujlrls, or common yellow 

 water-flag-flower. 



ACOvSTA, Gabriel, in Biogriiphy, a canon and pro- 

 feflor ot theology at Coimbi-a, who died in 1616, and 

 whofe large Latin commentary on part of the old teflament 

 was printed in fol. in 1 641. I>ugd. Bat. 



AcosTA, Joseph, a celebrated Spanilh author, born at 

 Medina del Campo, about the year 1540. He was a mif- 

 fionary and provincial of the Jeluits in Peni, and died at 

 Salamanca in 1 600. Belides his " Natural and moral hillorj- of 

 theWell Indies," full printed in Spanifli in 8vo. A.D. 1591 ; 

 and printed in French in 1600: he alfo wrote a treatife 

 " De Procuianda Indoium Salute," 8vo. Salam. 15S8, 

 " De Chrifto Revelato," 410. Rom. 1 590, and " De vera 

 Scripturas interpretandi ratione," in the commentaries of 

 Menochius, &c. The decretals of the council of Lima 

 are alfo afcribed by fome perfons to this author. Aen/ln, 

 fays Dr. Robcrtfon, (Hid. Amer. vol. ii. p. 459.) is the 

 firll philofopher who endeavoured to account for the different 

 degrees of heat in the old and new Continents, by the 

 agency of the winds which blow in each. Tiiis theory 

 was adopted and improved by M. Buffon. 



AcosTA, Uriel, was born at Oporto near the clofe of 

 the 16th centur)-. Having been educated in the Roniifh 

 religion, though defcended from one of thofe Jewifli fa- 

 milies which had fubmittcd, as it were by conllraint, to 

 Chrillian baptifm ; he continued in the profiflTion of it till 

 the age of 25 years. His mind, however, had been per- 

 plexed bv doubts previcufly to this period, in which he be- 

 came treafurer in a collegiate church. At this time he di- 

 refted his attention to the books of Mofcs and tile Prophets, 

 and the refnlt was a conviclion, that Judaidn was the true 

 religion. Fearing openly to profefs it during his continu- 

 ance in Portugal, he detenuined to rcfign his place, and 

 embarked for Amllerdam with his motlier and brothers, 

 whom he had in(lru<?ted in the principles 'of the Jewilh faith. 

 In this new fituation they became members of the fyna- 

 gogue, and were circumcifed according to the Jewifli cnf- 

 toin ; and he changed his name ot Gabriel for tliat of UricL 

 ■He foon perceived that the Jews did not conform, either in 

 y their 



