S M I 



SMI 



be dedroyed, during the fubfequent calcination and fufion, 

 by means ef the fulphur. 



As in the ores called calc'iform, the metallic matter exills 

 in a calcined itate ; and as calcination reduces the metals of 

 mincralifed ores (excepting the perfeft metalsj to that ftate 

 alfo ; therefore all calciform and calcined ores require the 

 addition of fome inflammable fubjlance to reduce them to a 

 metallic ftate. In great works, the charcoal or other fuel 

 iiled to maintain the fire, produces alfo thiseffeft. 



Metals are fometimes added in the fufion of ores of other 

 "lore valuable metals, to abforb from thefe fulphur and 

 I fenic. Thus, iron is added to fulphurated cupreous and 

 . Uer ores. Metals are alfo added in the fufion of ores of 

 other more valuable metals, te unite with and coUcit the 

 Imall particles of thefe difperfed through much earthy mat- 

 ter, and thus to alTill their precipitation. With thefe in- 

 ' iitions, lead is frequently added to ores and minerals con- 

 iiiing gold, filver, and copper. 



Ores of metals are alfo fometimes added to allift. the pre- 

 cipitation of more valuable metals. Thus, antimony is fre- 

 quently added to aflill the precipitation of gold intermixed 

 with other metallic matters. Macquer's Chem. DiCt. Eng. 

 <dit. art. Smelting, note m. See Copper, Gold, Iron, 

 Lead, Silver, Tin, &c. See alfo Schlutter's Treatife 

 j en the Smeltinsr of Ores, tranflated from the German into 

 French by M. Hellot, and Chem. Di£t. art. Smelting, Eng. 

 1. notes n, o, p, q. 



The following iimple method of fmelting is praftifed by 

 the natives of the province of Mekran in Perfia ; which, 

 although it may, at times, leave a trifluig portion of the 

 earth mixed with the metal, is, from its ingenuity, worthy 

 of notice. When a fufRcient quantity of the ore is col- 

 lected, it is placed upi'n a pile of wood, which is fet on 

 lire, and conllantly replenilhed with frcrti fuel, until the ore 

 melts and falls to the bottom, when it is feparated from the 

 alhes, and found to be confu'erably clearer than when firft 

 taken from the mine. It is then placed in a pit, made of 

 earthen tiles, fo conftrufted as to admit a fire under it. 

 Ttie ore is again melted in this pit, and a confiderable quan- 

 tity of the drofs and dirt removed, by fkimming the furface. 

 After this procefs, the metal is lifted out in a liquid ilatc, 

 poured into hollow cylinders of clay, and then fold. 



SMELTitiG-Hou/e, a houfe where they run and melt the 

 ore into lead : one of thefe will run a ton in ten or twelve 

 hours ; but a fodder is their ufual day's work, that is, twenty- 

 two hundred and an half weight. 



SMELTZ, in Geography, a river of Pruflian Lithuania, 

 which runs into tiic Curilh Half, two miles S. of Memel. 



SMENUS, in yindent Geography, a river of the Pelo- 

 ponnefus, in Laconia. It had its fource in mount Taigetes, 

 and its mouth on the left of a very elevated promontory, 

 upon which was a temple of Diana Diftymna, according to 

 Paufanias. 



SMERWICK, in Geography, a fmall town of the county 

 of Kerry, Ireland, fituated on a bay to wiiich it gives 

 name; 7 miles N.W. from Dingle, and 173 S.W. by W. 

 from Dublin. 



SMEW, in Ornithology, the Englifh name of the common 

 mergiis, known among authors by the names of albellus, and 

 mergus cirratus. 



SMICH, in Geography, a river that runs into the Danube, 

 3 miles W. of Sigraaringen. 



SMIDARY, a town of Bohemia, in the circle of Koiii- 

 gingratz ; 3 mi^s N. of Biezow. 



SMlHANJi:!, a town of Croatia ; 40 miles E. of 

 Bihacs. 



SMILA, in Ancient Geography, a town of Greece, in 



the country of Croffsea, on the confines of Thrace and 



Macedonia. 



SMILACINA, m Botany, a name which, with all our 

 refped for its excellent author, profeflbr Desfontaines, we 

 cannot admit, as being fabricated from another cxifting 

 generic name, Smilax, and therefore contrary to found Lin- 

 nxan laws, and to right reafon. The eftablifhment indeed 

 of the genus itfelf, which is feparated from Cmvallaria 

 merely on account of the deep divifions of the corolla, re- 

 vives an old queltion, long ago fet at relt, as we prefume, 

 by Linnseus. It would be more defirable to difcovcr a cha- 

 radler by which the Linna;an Convallaria, including the 

 Polygonatum and Smilacina of other authors, could be clearly 

 diftinguiflied from one or two of its neighbours. See CoN- 

 vallaria, the third feftion of which comprifes the Smi- 

 lacinit of Desfontaines, Ann. du Muf. d'Hill. Nat. v. 9. 51. 

 Purfh North Amer. v. i. 232. The eflential charatter is 

 thus given by the author laft cited. 



Corolla inferior, in fix deep fpreading fegments. Stamens 

 diverging, inferted into the bafe of each fcgment. Berry 

 globofe, of three cells. Flowers terminal, panicled, or 

 fomewhat. umbellate. 



SMILAU, in Geography, a town of Bohemia, in the 

 circle of Czaflau ; 5 miles N. of Pohia. 



SMILAX, in Botany, s-(iii?,a| of the Greeks, a name 

 originally belonging to the Yew, Taxus ; but likewife ap- 

 phed by Diofeorides, with different epithets, to fome other 

 plants of a climbing nature. One of thefe he terms rja;^!iK, 

 rough, and as the name of Smilax remains with this, among 

 modern botanifls, De Theis fuppofes the word to originate 

 from cr^iXu, a fcraper. We cannot prefume to offer any 

 conjefture refpefting its etymology or meaning. The 

 a-fxiXa^ of Diofeorides, fimply fo denominated, is ftigmatized 

 by him as a moll dangerous poifon ; while his o-/hiXk| T^a;^!!* 

 is celebrated as an antidote, fo powerful, that if given to a 

 new-born infant, he can never be poifoned as long as he 

 lives!— Linn. Gen. 524. Schreb. 692. AVilld. Sp. PI. 

 V. 4. 773. Mart. Mill. Dift. v. 4. Ait. Hort. Kew. 

 v. 5. 387. Sm. Prodr, Fl. Grsec. Sibth. v. 2. 259. 

 Purfh 249. Brown Prodr. Nov. HoU. v. i. 293. JulT. 24. 

 Lamarck Iliuftr. t. 817. Ga;rtn. t. 16. ( Ripogonum ; 

 Forft. Gen. t. 25. Brown Prodr. Nov. Holl. v. 1. 293.) 

 — Clafs and order, Dioeeia Hexandria. Nat. Ord. Sar- 

 mentacex, Linn. Afparagi, Juff. 



Gen. Ch. Male, Cal. Perianth widely bell-fhaped, of 

 fix oblong leaves, approximated at the bafe, reflexed and 

 fpreading at the extremity. Cor. none, unlefs the calyx 

 be taken for fuch, (which, from the analogy of Ajparagusy 

 Convallaria, &c. it furely ought to be.) Slam. Filaments 

 fix, fimple ; anthers oblong. 



Female, Cal. as in the male, deciduous. Cor. none. 

 Pijt. Germcn fuperior, ovate ; ftyles three, minute ; fligmas 

 oblong, reflexed, downy. Peric. Berry ulobofe, of three 

 cell:'. Seeds folitary in each cell, globofe, one or two of 

 them generally abortive. 



Eff. Ch. Male, Calyx of fix leaves. Corolla none. 



Female, Calyx of fix leaves, inferior, deciduous. Co- 

 rolla none. Styles three. Berry of three cells. Seeds 

 one, two, or three. 



Obf. Mr. Brown defines the calyx permnnem ; we find 

 it, as Linnxus fays, deciduous. RlPOGONUAf (lee. that 

 article) has the Ikamens and piltils in the lame flower. 



Of this ample genuf, Linnxus in Sp. PI. has only thirteen 

 fpecies ; Wilidenow has forty-one. To tli -fe, tour North 

 American ones arc added by Purfh, and Mr. Brown has 

 four trom New Holland, exclufive of the fecond fpecies 

 of Ripogonum. They are all climbing perennial plants, 



with 



