A N T 



but we ire not informed of the fpecific charaAcrs of either. 

 Of that celebrated Poifon-tree the firll fatisfaftory account, 

 according to Mr. Brown, is there given, which differs from 

 his defcription above, merely in fome particulars relative to 

 the m^iejlotuers. He adds that Anllar'ts Ihould Hand in the 

 Urtictit, between Brojiintim of Swartz, and Olmedia of the 

 Flora Peruviana, agreeing with the latter in the ftruclure of 

 iti male Jioivers, and more nearly rcfembling the former in 

 \KA female jloiuers znA fruit. 



ANTIMONY, in Chemijlry. Several important additions 

 have been lately made to our knowledge refpefting thih 

 snetal and its compounds, which we fliall briefly notice 

 here. 



In defcribing this metal, we Hated that Haiiy had been 

 unable to afcertain its primitive cryftalline form. This inde- 

 fatigable obferver has at length, however, determined that 

 the primitive form of its ciyftal is an octahedron, and that 

 its integrant particles have the figure of tetrahedrons. The 

 fpecific gravity of antimony, according to Hatchett, is 6.7 1 2. 

 It melts at a low red heat, or about 8 10° of Fahrenheit ; and 

 after this, if the heat be raifed, the metal evaporates. 



The oxyds of antimony have been lately inveftigated with 

 great care by Thenard, Prouft, Bucholz, and Berzelius. 

 According to Thenard, this metal forms no lefs than fix 

 oxvds ; according to Prouft and Bucholz, it forms only two ; 

 while according to Berzelius, it forms four. Thefe difcor- 

 dancies arife from the great difficulty of the inveftigation. 

 The protoxyd of Berzelius is obtained by expofing antimony 

 to the air, or to the aftion of a galvanic batter)'. It is a 

 grey powder. When atted upon by muriatic acid, it is 

 leparated into the protoxyd of Prouft and metalhc antimony. 

 Hence Dr. Thomlon remarks it is only a mixture of the 

 two. The two oxyds of Prouft are eafily obtained, and 

 poiTefs fpecific charafters. Berzelius has fliewn that the 

 iecond of them poflelfes the properties of an acid. The 

 peroxyd of Berzelius is alfo readily obtained, though it is 

 difficult to free it from water. This likewife pofleires the 

 properties of an acid. Hence, fays Dr. Thomfon, we know 

 Jhree oxyds of antimony. The grey protoxyd, the white 

 ant'tmonious add, and Xheflraw-yello'W nntimonic acid. 



The following is the compofition of the protoxyd of anti- 

 mony according to 



Proutt. Berzelius, Thomfon. 



Antimony 100 1 00 100 



Oxygen 22.7 18.6 iJ-TlS 



Antimonioui acid is compofed, according to the fame chcr 

 mills, of 



Antimony 100 100 100 



Oxygen 29.87- 24.8 23,7 



And antimonic acid of 



Antimony —^ 1 00 lOO 



Oxygen — 37-2 35-556 



The above refults of Berzehus and Thomfon are rather 

 obtained by calculation than aftual experiment, being 

 founded on the fuppofed compofition of fulpluiret of 

 antimony, which, according to Berzehus, is compofed of 

 100 antimony and 37 fulphur, and according to Thomfon, 

 of 100 antimony and only 35.572 fulphur. 



While fuch difcordancies exift refpecling the compofition 

 of the oxyds of antimony, it is impoffible to fix with cer- 

 tainty the weight of its atom. Dr. Thomfon, however, it 

 may be proper to ftate, confiders it as 56.25. 



The two oxyds of antimony, denominated above the anti- 

 monious and antimonic acids, are capable, according to Ber- 

 zelius, of combining with different bafts and forming two 



A N Y 



fets of falls, the firll of which may be termed antimcnites, 

 the fecond antimoniatei. 



The following is the method of preparing the antimonium 

 tartarizatum, or tartrate of antimony and potafh, according 

 to the laft edition of the London Pharraacopceia. 



Take fulphuret of antimony pounded, two ounces ; nitrate 

 of potafh, one ounce; fupertartrateof potafh, two ounces ; ful- 

 phunc acid by weight, two ounces ; diftilkd water, a pint and 

 a half. Mix the acidvvith half a pint of water in a proper 

 glafs velTel, and place it in a fand-bath. When moderately 

 heated add by degrees the fulphuret and nitre previouily 

 well mixed together ; and then apply heat till the whole of 

 the water is driven off. Walli the remainder with diftilled 

 water until it comes off taftelefs, and while the mafs is yet 

 moift mix it with the fupertartrate of potafh. To this 

 mixture add a pint of diflilled water. Boil the mixture 

 and when filtered put it afide to cryftallize. 



ANTONIUS LiBERALis, in Biography, a Greek writer 

 of an uncertain age, known as the author of Ms1a/io^?M7Eii» 

 Tw^yayyn, or a CoUedtion of Metamorphofes, publifhed at 

 Bafil, in 8vo., by Xylaiider, in 1568; at Leyden, in i2mo., 

 by Berkehus, in 1674; by Munkeras, at Amfterdam, in 

 1676; and by Gale, at Paris, 1675, 8vo. This writer is 

 not the fame with a Latin rhetorician, mentioned by Jerom. 

 Fab. Bib. Grsec. 



ANYCHIA, in Botany, fo called by Michaux, on account 

 of its affinity to Paronychia. (See that article.) This 

 plant therefore has as little concern with \\vt finger nail, wj^, 

 as the other has with a whitlow. — Michaux Boreal. -Amer. 

 V.I. 112. Purfli 176. St. Hilaire P.iron. 98. (Queria ; 

 Gxrtn. t. 128.) — Clafs and order, Pentandria Monogynia. 

 Nat. Ord. Holeracett, Linn. Amaranlhi, JufT. Paronychia, 

 Juff. Ann. du Muf. St. Hilaire. 



Gen. Ch. Cal. Periantii inferior, of one leaf,oblung, in five 

 deep, oblong fegments, fiightly hooded at the extremity, 

 with a pofterior point. Cor. none. Stam. Filaments five, 

 fometimes fewer, fhorter than the calyx, oppofite to each 

 fegment and jnferted into its bafe, briftle-lhaped, eretl, 

 diftinft, without any intermediate proceffes ; anthers nearly 

 heapt-lhaped. Peric. Germen fuperior, roundifli ; ftyle one, 

 very (hort ; ftigmas two, oblong, recurved. Peric. Cap- 

 fule roundifh, membranous, of one cell and one valve, 

 covered by the calyx, with an orbicular depreffion at the 

 fummit, pointed, feparating at length irregularly at the 

 lower part. Seed one, nearly kidney-fhaped, fmooth, 

 attached by a lateral tliread to the bafe of the pericarp. 



Eff. Ch. Calyx inferior, in five deep, converging feg- 

 ments, hooded at the fummit. Stigmas two. Capfiile 

 membranous, of one valve. Seed folitarj'. 



This is a genus of diminutive herbs, with oppofite leaves, 

 attended by flipulas. Flowers minute, in leaf\' tufts, each 

 of them feilile, with brafleas like the ftipulas. Michaux. 



1. A. dichotcma. Forked Anychia. Michaux n. I. 

 Purfh n. I. (QuERl.\ canadenjis ; fee that article, n. 2.) 

 — Stem forked, much branched, fpreading. Leaves elh'ptic- 

 lanceolate, fmooth, ereft. Bratleas about as long as the 



fmooth calyx On Arj lime-ftone hiDs, from New York to 



Kentucky, flowering from June to Auguft. Perennial. 

 Flowers exceedingly fmall ; very variable in the number of 



Jiamens, generally from two to five. Piirfo ; who quotes 

 Ortega's Dec. t. 15. f. 2, a work not in our polTcflion. The 

 root has all the appearance of being annual, as profeffor 

 Schrader found it in the garden of Gottingen. 



2. A. hcrniarioides. Rupture-wort Anychia. Michaux 

 n. 2. Purfh n. 2. — " Stem diffufe, denfely branched, downy 

 all over. Leaves elliptic^oblong, fringed, briftle-pointed. 

 Segments of tlic calyx awl-fhaped, willi brillly fpreading 



points,'' 



