R H U 



R H U 



fo that it appears to be deftitute of aftringency ; but its 

 acidity is very gratefiil, and hence the French have called it 

 " le vinaigrier." Like many other acid fruits, thefe berries, 

 which in ealtern countries are ufed as a pickle, may be ad- 

 vantageoufly taken to allay febrile heat, and to correct 

 bilious putrefcency. The rhus toxicodendron and radicans 

 have of late been recommended in paralytic affeftions ; the 

 latter by M. Frefnoi, and the former by Dr. Alderfon of 

 Hull : but the cafes in which thefe virulent plants were em- 

 ployed are but few and indecifive. They excite, however, 

 a fenfe of heat and pricking, and irregular twitches in the 

 affedted limbs. It is fuggefted that fome advantage has 

 been derived from their ufe in herpetic eruptions. The 

 dofe of the powdered leaves may be gr. fs, given twice or 

 thrice a day, and gradually increafed to grs. iv, in the form 

 of a bolus. The items of the toxicodendron, when cut or 

 broken, exude a milky juice, which inflames the (kin where - 

 ever it touches, and becomes black when it is expoled for a 

 Ihort time to the action of atmolphenc air. This juice 

 forms an indelible black (lain on linen cloth, and is ufed in 

 Japan, where it is a native, as a varnilh. (Phil. Tranf. 

 vol. xlix. p. 158. See Varnish.) The leaves are in- 

 odorous, and their tafte is mawkifh and fubacriJ. Their 

 virtues are completely extracted by water, and pa. dally by 

 alcohol. The aqueous infuiion reddens litmus paper ; pre- 

 cipitates the folution of iron black, that of nitrate of filver 

 brown, and throws down a precipitate with gelatine. Hence 

 it contains gallic acid and tannin ; but its effecls chiefly de- 

 pend on a narcotic principle. Woodv. Med. Bot. Thom- 

 fon's Lond. Difp. See Sumach and Toxicodendron. 



RHUSELNIUM, in Botany, a name given by fome 

 authors to the ranunculus. 



RHUSTICANA, or Rusticana, in Ancient Geography, 

 a town of Hifpania, in the interior of Lufitania, between 

 Talebriga and Mendeculia. Ptolemy. 



RHUSUNCORjE, or Rusucurrum, a town of Africa, 

 in MauritaHia Casfarienfis. Ptolemy. It had the title of a 

 Roman colony. 



RHUTHYN, or Ruthin, in Geography, a borough 

 and market-town in the cwmwd of Llannerch, cantref of 

 Dyffryn-Clwyd, (now called the hundred ot Rhuthyn,) 

 county of Denbigh, North Wales, is fituated on the (lope 

 of a confiderable hill, which rifes near the centre of the de- 

 lightful vale of the Clwyd, at the diftance of 205 miles 

 N.W. from London. This town, from the etymology of 

 its name, appears to have derived its origin from a caftle, 

 called Rhyddin, or the red fortrefs, in allufion to the colour 

 of the (tone of which it is conitructed. Although there 

 was probably a walled fortrefs here anterior to the reign of 

 king Edward I., yet the laft caltle erected here was mod 

 probably by this monarch. Camden, however, afligns its 

 origin, as well as the town, to a baron named Roger Gray. 

 Its hiftory affords only a few events worthy of notice. In 

 the year 1400 Owen Glyndwr attempted to take it by af- 

 fault, but was unfuccefsful ; fo that after pillaging the in- 

 habitants, and fetting fire to the town, he retreated pre- 

 cipitately to the mountains. In the rtign of king Charles 1. 

 it was garrifoned in the royal caufe, till about the middle 

 of April, A.D. 1646, when it was compelled to furrender, 

 after haviug fuftained a fiege .of two months. Not long 

 Vubfequent to that period, it was difmantlcd by order of 

 parliament, and has fince gradually fallen into its prefent 

 ruinous ftate ; only a few fragments of walls remaining to 

 mark its fcite and character. 



Rhuthyn is defcribed as having been formerly a populous 

 •own, and as po(Te fling the bell market of any in the vale. 

 This pre-eminence, however, is now loft ; though it is yet 



a refpeftable and flourifhing place, containing, according to 

 the parliamentary reports of 181 1, 271 houfes, and a po- 

 pulation of 1292 perfons. The government is velted in two 

 aldermen and fixteen common council-men, chofen annually 

 in the lord's court. The number of burgelles is unlimited 

 Rhuthyn is a borough both by prefcription and by charter, 

 and joins with Denbigh in returning a reprefentative to the 

 national fenate. It has two markets, weekly ; one on Satur- 

 day for proviiions, and another on Mondav for corn, &c. : 

 beiides which, there are fix annual fairs. The lordlhip of 

 Rhuthyn, a manorial right belonging to the Middleton 

 family of Chirk-Caftle, comprifes three comots, w'ss. Co- 

 leigon, Dogfeilyn, and Llannerch ; and is diftindt with 

 refpect to government from the hundred, the lord appoint- 

 ing a lteward to it. Here is a free-fchool of equal, if not 

 greater, celebrity than any other in North Wales. It was 

 founded and endowed by Gabriel Goodman, D.D., who 

 was dean of Weftminlter in the reign of queen Elizabeth. 

 His deicendant, Godfrey Goodman, was likewife a bene- 

 factor to the town. From this fchool young men are fome- 

 times admitted into orders, without having graduated at 

 any univerfity. It has two mafterihips, the head one of 

 which is m the gift of Jeius college, Oxford. The town- 

 hall is fituated near the market-place, and is fitted up with 

 apartments for holding the hundred courts, the county 

 affizes, and the quarter fefiions ; which laft are held alter- 

 nately here- and at Denbigh. The new gaol is a handfome 

 and commodious building, erected according to defigns fur- 

 nilhed by Mr. Jofeph Turner. The debtors' apartments 

 and thole of the felons are divided by a lofty wall ; and both 

 have fpacious yards, with baths, attached to them. The 

 church is a large llruclure of confiderable antiquity. It 

 was originally conventual, having been attached to a re- 

 ligious houfe of the order of monks denominated Bon- 

 hommes. In the year 1 3 10, however, it was made col- 

 legiate by John de Gray, who placed in it a chapter of 

 feven regular canons, and conferred upon them confiderable 

 landed poilefiions, and numerous privileges. The apart- 

 ments for the canons were connected with the church by a 

 cloifter, of which a portion is it ill remaining, converted into 

 a residence for the warden of an hofpital, which was founded 

 and endowed by Gabriel Goodman, the founder of the free- 

 fchool, as an aiylum for twelve decayed houfekeepers, viz. 

 ten men and two women. The warden is ex officio rector of 

 the pari(h of Rhuthyn, and has, befides, the government of 

 the free-fchool. The interior of the church is much ad- 

 mired, and particularly its roof, which is a very curious 

 piece of workmanfliip, confiding of fmall fquares, adorned 

 with various fculptures, and bearing the names of the dif- 

 ferent workmen employed in their formation. The col- 

 legiate eftablifhment here was diffolved at the period of the 

 general fuppreilion, when its lands were granted to William 

 Winlove and Richard Fyld. There are no remarkable 

 monuments in this church, excepting that of Dr. Gabriel 

 Goodman, which difplays a bult of the deceafed, in marble. 

 The doctor was a native of Rhuthyn, where he was born 

 in 1583. He was fuccefiively advanced to be canon of 

 Windfor, dean of Rochefter, and bifhop of Gloucefter. 

 See Fuller's Church Hiftory, book xi. Worthies, and 

 Chahner's General Biographical Dictionary. 



The vicinity of Rhuthyn prefents fome objedls worthy of 

 notice. At a fhort diftance from the town is the neat vil- 

 lage of Llanrhydd, which is noted for the fine fculptural 

 monuments and decorations in its church. Near this village 

 is the Bathafarn, anciently a feat belonging to the lord 

 Gray ; and more to the fouth-weft lie Pool-Park and 

 Bachymbyd, both feats of the lord Bagot. Stretching to- 

 wards 



