S E M 



a thick mafs, which is largeft at its middle, and fmaller at 

 the two ends. They defcend obliquely inwards, and termi- 

 nate in an aponeuroiis, which, beginning oppofite to the end 

 of the fuperior one, receives the fibres fucceffively, and 

 ends below in a thick tendon, which paffes behind the knee- 

 joint, and divides into three portions. The external is nar- 

 row and (lender, afcends obliquely outwards behind the 

 joint, and is fixed above the external condyle of the thi^h, 

 confounded with the external head of the galtrocnemius. 

 The middle, which is broad and continuous with the pre- 

 ceding, is fixed to the back of the internal tubercle of the 

 tibia, and fends an expanfion over the popliteus. The in- 

 ternal, more confiderable and rounded, feems to be the con- 

 tinuation of the tendon ; it turns round the tiaberofity, and 

 is attached in front of it, contained in a fibrous fheath, hned 

 by a fynovial membrane, which mull be opened to gain a 

 clear view of it. 



It is covered by the femitendinofus, the biceps, and the 

 fafcia lata ; it lies on the quadratus, the adduftor magnus, 

 the popliteal artery, the knee-joint, and the inner head of 

 the gaftrocnemius, between which and its tendon there is a 

 fynovial membrane. 



It bends the leg on the thigh, or the thigh on the leg ; 

 and it extends the thigh on the pelvis, or carries the pelvis 

 backwards on the thigh. 



SEMI-METALS, a term formerly applied in Chmijlry, 

 to thofe metals not podefRng duftility or malleability ; thefe 

 properties being then confidered as the prmcipal characters of 

 a metal. In a mechanical point of view this is doubtlefs the 

 cafe, but the chemical properties of this numerous clafs of 

 bodies are fo ilriking, as to render the above diilindlion ob- 

 folete. See Metals. 



SEMINA, in Ancient Geography, a town of Afia, in 

 Parthia. Ptolemy. 



SEMINAGUR, in Geography, a town of Hindooftan, 

 in Oude ; 36 miles N. of Kairabad. 



SEMINAL, Seminalis, in Medkhie, fpermatic, or 

 fomething belonging to the iemen or ieed. 



Se.minai, Leaves, thofe foft, plain, and undivided leaves, 

 that firit flioot forth from the greatell part of all fown 

 feeds, and are different from thofe of the fucceediui^ plant in 

 figure, texture, and all other refpefts. See Seed and Ve- 

 getation. 



SeiMIN'AI, Varieties of Plants, fuch as are produced from 

 feeds, which, in many initances, is invariably the cafe, as in 

 the potatoc, &c. 



SEMiNAL-i?«o/, in Natural H'lftory, a name given by Grew 

 to that part of the feeds of plants, which may otherwife 

 be called the inner body of the feed : this is di'lributed 

 through the parenchyma of the feed, but is wholly different 

 from it ; and diltinguiflied by Dr. Grew from the radicle, 

 which becomes the plant-root in its future growth. The 

 parenchyma of the feed is, in feme degree, that to the fe- 

 minal-root, which the mould or earth is to the plant-root, or 

 radicle ; and the feminal-root is to the plant-root, what the 

 plant-root IS to the trui.k. 



SEMll^ALIS, in Botany, a name by which fome au- 

 thors have called horfetail. 



SEMINARA, in Geography, a town of Naples, in Ca- 

 hhria Ultra; dcllroyed by an ■arlliquake in 17S5, though 

 tlie inhabitants efcaped ; 17 mile'* N.N.E. of Reggio. 



SEMINARY, a place appointed for the initruction of 

 young pcrfoiis deltincd for t!'e minillry, in its duties, cere- 

 monies, and offices ; firll inllituted, as Thomafiin tells us, 

 by St. Au'Tuiline. 



Of thele fcminaries there are many abroad, furnirticd with 

 halls for the alTcmblics of the exercitauts, and little chara- 



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bers, or cells, where each perfon retires, ftudies, and prays, 

 apart. Such is thefcminary of St. Sulpitius, at Paris. 



The council of Trent decrees, that children exceeding 

 twelve years of age be taken, brought up, and inilrufted 

 in common, to qualify them for the ecclefiaftical ftate ; and 

 that there be a feminary of fuch belonging to each cathedral, 

 under the direftion of the bifhop. 



In France, the eftablifhment of feminaries was fomewhat 

 different from the decree of the council ; none are taken ia 

 but young people ready to lludy theology, and to be or- 

 dained : fo that the feminaries were a kind of houfes of pro- 

 bation, where the vocation of clerks is examined, and they 

 are prepared to receive orders. And by an edict of 1 74.9, 

 no feminary could be eilablifhed without letters patent from 

 the king. 



For the fubfiftence of thefe feminaries, there are feveral 

 unions of benefices, or elfe the clergy of the diocefe are 

 obhged to contribute to maintain them. 



Pope Pius IV. having eilablifhed a feminary at Rome, in 

 confequence of the decree of the council of Trent, by ad- 

 vice of the cardinals, it was given to the Jefuits, who have 

 made very good ufe of it. 



Seminary, among the canons of St. Auguftine, is ufed 

 for a kind of college, or fchool, where penfioners are kept, 

 and inftruCled in claflical and other learning ; and this among 

 us is the popular fcnfe of the word. 



The houles of die fociety de propaganda Jidc, eilablifhed 

 for the preparing of ecclcfiailics for mifCons among infidels 

 and heretics, are alfo called feminaries. The principal of 

 which is that at Rome, called the apnJloTical college, apojlolkal 

 feminary, pajloral femmaryi feminary of the propaganda, &c. 

 See PisTOiA. 



Seminary is how ufed among us in the fame fenfe with 

 fchool ; which fee. 



Seminary, in Gardening, the term ufed for the feed-plot, 

 or place allotted for raifing plants from feed, and keeping 

 them till they are fit to be rem.oved into the garden, or 

 nurfery. 



When the feminary is intended for trees, it mull be pro- 

 portioned to the quantity of feeds fown, and of a foil adapt- 

 ed to the generality of the trees intended to be raifed in it. 

 The land fhould be good, and the fituation warm, and well 

 defended, and as near the nurfery as poUible. A fertile 

 mead, or rich pallure, lowly fituatcd, will be very proper 

 tor the purpofe. In preparing the feminary, let the ground 

 be double dug, working the fward to the bottom, which 

 operation may be performed in winter. In the fpring, the 

 weeds mufl be conitantly kept down ; and about Midfum- 

 mer, if the foil is not naturally very rich, fome rotten dung 

 fhould be fpread over the furface of the ground, which 

 fhould be then trenched, or double du'T afrclh. From 

 Midfummer till September, the ground mull be kept 

 clean from weeds, and jull before the feeds are com- 

 mitted to it, it fhould be double dug afrefli ; at which time 

 the parts mult be wholly incorporated. When this is 

 done, the ground inuil be levelled, and the beds laid out for 

 the different purpofes wanted ; referving fuch a portion of 

 it as will be wanted for the reception of thofe feeds which are 

 to be fown in the fpring. 



The feminary mull be divided into different apartments, 

 for the different forts of feeds, according to their nature ; 

 thofe feeds that are fown in autumn being fown in a part by 

 themfelves ; thofe in the fpring in another. Tliofe lleds, 

 which remain till the fecond fpring bifore they come up, 

 fhould be all fown in beds contiguous to each other ; and 

 thofe, which often continue three years, mull be fown by 

 themfelves. When the phints produced in any of the 



apartmentt 



