U N C 



U N C 



capfular, contrafled at the mouth, fcarcely divided, per- 

 manent. Awn iiiferted into the receptacle, beneath the 

 germen, longer than the corolla, hooked. Nut inclofed in 

 the enlarged corolla. 



Mr. Brown obferves, that this genus differs from Carex 

 merely in the prefence of the awn, which by no means ori- 

 ginates from the bafe of each fcalc, as defcribed by Will- 

 denow, Sp. PI. v. 4.. 209, and by Pert m ; but from the 

 receptacle, within the corolla, termed by Mr. Brown pe- 

 rianth, on the outermoll fide. Hence, we would remark, 

 a new difficulty occurs refpedling the true denomination of 

 the part here called by us corolla, which we have always 

 taken for a tunic, arillus, but which cannot be fnch, if fe- 

 parated from the feed by the awn, a part belonging to the 

 flower. 



1. U. comf>a3j. Br. n. I " Spike oblong, denfe, 



many-flowered. Lowed fcale awned. Fruit denfely im- 

 bricated, perfeftly fmooth. Stem fmootli. Leaves flat, 

 ftraight." — Found by Mr. Brown, in Van Diemen's ifland. 



2. U. riparia. Br. n. 2. — " Spike thread-fhaped, rather 

 loofe, of few flowers. Lowed fcale like the reft. Fruit 

 alternate, half-imbricated, lanceolate, ribbed, perfeftly 

 fmooth. Angles of the ftem rough. Leaves flat, flaccid." 

 — From the fame country. 



3. U. mijlralls. Br. under n. 2 ? (Carex uncinata; Linn. 

 Suppl. 413. Willd. Sp. PI. V.4. 209. See Carex, n. 12.) 

 — Spike thread-flispcd, denfe, many-flowered. Lowed 

 fcale leafy-pointed. Fruit lanceolate, fcarcely ribbed. 

 Stem fmooth. Leaves flat. Awn twice the length of the 

 glume. — Native of New Zeeland. We prcfume this mull 

 be what Mr. Brown means by U. nuflni/is, though we can 

 find no pubcfcence about the top of the fniil, which he in- 

 dicates as the chief didinftion between this fpecies and the 

 lad, except its longer fj>'de. 



4. \5 . plileoldes . (Carex phleoides ; Cavan. Ic. v. 5. 40. 

 t. 464. f. I. C. hamata ; Swartz Prodr. 18. Willd. Sp. 

 PI. V. 4. 209. C. uncinata b ; Swartz Ind. Occ. 84. 

 Schkuhr Car. 13. t. G. f. 30. See Carex, n. II, by mif- 

 take printed bumata.) — Spike thread-fliaped, elongated, 

 denfe, many-flowered. Fruit oblong, with three fringed 

 angles. Awn thrice the length of the glume. — Native of 

 Jamaica, Cliili, and the ifland of Mauritius. 



^. U. erinacea. (Carex crinacea ; Cavan. Ic. v. 5. 40. 

 t. 464. f. 2. Willd. Sp. PI. V. 4. 210. See Carex, 

 n. 13.) — Spike cylindrical, denfe. Fruit roundidi, trian- 

 gular, fmooth. Awn five times the length of the glume. 

 — Native of Chili, and Brafil near Montevideo. The /pile 

 •meafures about an inch and a half, being only about one- 

 third the length of the lad, though full as thick as in that 

 fpecies. 



6. U. tenella. Br. n. 3. — " Spike thrcad-fliaped, of few 

 flowers. Scales uniform, deciduous. Fruit fomewhat im- 

 bricated, lanceolate, fmooth. Stem fiender, with fmooth 

 angles. Leaves flaccid, nearly bridle-lhaped." — Gathered 

 by Mr. Brown, in the idand of Van Diemcn. 



UNCINUS, in Surgery, the name of a imuU hooked in- 

 ftrument, ferving for many purpofes. 



UNCKEL, in Geography, a town of Germany, on the 

 right bank of the Rhine ; 2 miles N. of Lint/. 



UNCO RE, or Ungues Pryi,JliU ready, in Law, a plea 

 for the defendant, being fued for a debt due on a bond at a 

 day pad, to fave the forfeiture of his bond, Sfc. by affirm- 

 ing that he tendered the debt at tlic time and place, and that 

 there was none to receive it ; anil that lie is yet alfo ready 

 to pay the fame. 



UNCTION, Unctio, the acl of anointing, or rubbing 

 with oil, or other fatty matter. 



Vol. XXXVIL 



Mercurial unftion, properly applied, brings or a faliva- 

 tion. The furgcons cure divers wounds, ulcers, &c. by 

 repeated undlions, with oils, unguents, cerates, &c. 



Unction, in Mailers of Religion, is ufed for the cha- 

 ra&er conferred on facrcd things by anointing them with 

 oil. 



A nciently in the eadern countries, wliich abounded fo 

 much in oil and odoriferous fpices, it was the cudom to 

 feparate perfons and things defigned for extraordinary 

 offices or ufes, by anointing them with ointments compofed 

 of fuch ingredients ; fymbolizing thereby, both an effufion 

 of the neceffary gifts to quahfy them for their office, and 

 a difTufion of the good and grateful effefts expefted from 

 them. 



There were three forts of perfons to whom this unftion, 

 or confecration, 'efpecially belonged, kings, prieds, and 

 prophets; who, therefore, are all of them (fays Barrow) 

 dyled in fcripture the Lord's anointed. 



The unftion of kings is fnppofed to be a ceremony intro- 

 duced very late among Chridian princes : Onuphrius fays, 

 none of the emperors were ever anointed before Judinian, or 

 .Tudin. The emperors of Germany took up the praftict 

 from thofe of the eadern empire. King Pepin of France 

 was the firlt king who received the unftion. 



Unftion, although we have no fcripture warrant for it, is 

 one of thofe rites that fuccceded baptifm in the ancient 

 church. Of unftion, or chrifmation, TertuUian (De Bap- 

 tifm.) fays, " as foon as we are baptized, we are anointed 

 with the bleffed unftion, — an external unftion is poured 

 upon us, but it is fpiritually profitable." And Cyprian 

 alfo fays (Epid. 70. i) 3.), " he that is baptized muft of 

 neceffity be anointed, that having received the chrifm or 

 unftion, he may be the anointed of God, and have in him 

 the grace of Chrid." Under this chrifmation was compre- 

 hended Agnation, or the figning of the baptized perfon with 

 the lign of the crofs, which the minider performed with tliis 

 ointment or chrifm. See TertuUian, de Refurreft. Carnis, 

 and Cyprian, de Unft. Ecclef. § \6. To fignation fuc- 

 ceedcd impofition of hands. Or that which is now termed 

 confrmalion ; which fee. The ceremony of unftion was 

 derived from the .lewidi rites, and was employed in the 

 indalment of the higli pried, to denote his facerdotal con- 

 fecration to the fervice of God. The unftion of Chrid by 

 God the father, in confcqucnce of which he was called 

 Chrid, or anointed, was urged as a plea for this carnal and 

 external unftion by TertuUian, ubi fupra. 



In the Romifli church, befides an unftion at baptifm, on 

 the forehead, and at confirmation, on the head (fee Chrism,) 

 they have an exlremc unftion, given to people in the pangs 

 of death, on the parts where the five fenfes refide, being the 

 parts by which the perfon is fuppofed to have finned. 



The fird mention that is made of this ceremony is by 

 pope Innocent I. Sacred oil, indeed, was held in grMt 

 veneration fo early as the fourth century, and cdeemcd 

 as an univerfal remedy ; for which purpofe it was either 

 prepared and difpenfed by prieds and monks, or was taken 

 from the lamps which were kept burning before the relics 

 of the martyrs. But in none of the lives of the faints 

 before the ninth century is there any mention made of their 

 receiving extreme unftion, though their deatii;! are fome- 

 times particuKirly related, and their receiving the euchariil 

 is often mc ntioncd. But from the fovcnth century to the 

 twelfth, thi y began to ufe this anointing of the fick, and a 

 peculiar ofricc was made for it ; but the prayer that was 

 ufed in it plainly fljcws that it was with .1 view to theu- 

 recovery, for which purpofe it is dill ufed in the Greek 

 church, But becaufe it failed fo often, that the credit of 

 Z I this 



