K E R 



Mr. Geoffroy /hews, by many experiments, that the 

 kermes is the reguline part of the antimony, joined to a fort 

 of hepar fulphuris. He teaches us a much eafier way of 

 preparing this medicine, thus: Mix intiinately the fine 

 powder of two parts of antimony, and one of any fixed alica- 

 line ialt ; melt thofe metals in a crucible ; then having 

 powdered them while hot, boil them two hours in a large 

 quantity of water ; after this, pafs the hot liquor through 

 paper, receiving it into a veflcl, in which there is hort water, 

 the kermes feparatcs when it cp(J>is. The groIFer parts, 

 which do not pafs through the paper, are to be boiled 

 again, and filtrated as before ; and the operation is to be 

 repeated a third time, by which fix or fevcn drams of kermes 

 may bi got out of every ounce of antimony. He fays, he 

 has feen efleCts like to thofe of mild kermes from antimony, 

 reduced to fuch a fine powder, that none of the fhining fpi- 

 cula are to be feen ; and that the magillery of antimony, 

 made by pouring fpiric of nitre, or aqua regia, on the pow- 

 der of antimony, and then edulcorating the mafs with water, 

 has the fame effects as kermes. Mem. de I'Acad, des 

 Sciences, 1734, 173 J. For the modern method of pre- 

 paring it, fee ANTiMON"i". 



Half a grain, or a grain of this powder, given every three 

 or four hours, produces no violent effects ; but by increafing 

 the dofe, it may be made to vomit, purge, and fweat. 



When feven or eight grains are taken at once, it chiefly 

 afts upon the prima; vise, generally as an emetic and purga- 

 tive. A dofe of three or four grains is feldom emetic, and 

 more frequently purgitive. When taken in thefe quantities 

 as an evacuant, a little of it paffes alio into the vis fecundx 

 & tertiae. When it is adminiilered in fmaller dofcs, it paiFcs 

 almoll entirely into the laCteal blood aiid lymphatic veflfels. 

 In thefe it occafions fuch fpafms and ofciUations as it does in 

 the primx \ix ; fo that it increafes all fecretions and excre- 

 tions, but particularly thofe of urine, fweat, and expeftora- 

 tion ; according to the dofe, the nature of the difeafe, and 

 the difpofition of the patient. It produces fin;^ularly good 

 effedls in thofe difeafes of the breall which proceed from ful- 

 nefs and obftruSion. It may be adminiilered in any vehicle, 

 or incorporated in a bolus, with other fuitable remedies. 

 But it fliould never be joined with acids, when it is defigned 

 to aft as kermes. 



Some commend this medicine as the mod univerfal refol- 

 vent and deobftruent ; affuring us, that it almoft infallibly 

 cures pleurifies, peripneumonies, alUimas, catarrhs, angina, 

 fmall-pdx, and many other difeafes. Othefs are as pofiiive, 

 that it heats ar.d thickens the blood, thereby increaling ob- 

 ftruclions, and is particularly hurtful in all inflammatory 

 difeafes. 



Tiiis preparation was famous in France, and known by 

 the name of foutlre des Chartreux. becaufe a Carthufian 

 monk, who got it from M. de la Ligerie, firll brought it 

 into vogue. See Hiil. de I'Acad. des Sciences 1720, and 

 the Memoirs for the fame ^-ear, where it is faid that Glau- 

 ber was looked upon as the firft inventor of this remedy. 

 Its efl^edi, like thofe of many other antimonial preparations, 

 are very various, v.hich is frequently owing, as Mr. Geof- 

 fi-oy obferves, to the different manner and care in making it. 

 He adds that the more the kermes contains of a regulus eafily 

 revivified, the more it proves emetic. He alfo fhews how 

 to make a cinnabar with the kermes and mercury, and io 

 djfengage the vitriolic acid from the kermes. See Mem. de 

 I'Acad. des Sciences, 1734. This preparation of antimony 

 is now difufcd ; and in its room the pharmacopeias have 

 adopted the " Sulphur antimonu prarcipitatum vcl auratum ;" 

 for the method of preparing aud admiuitlcring which, fee 

 . .;oSY. 

 .XIX. 



K E R 



KERMISE, in Geography, a town of Arabia, in the 

 province of Nedsjed ; 6^ miles S.S.E. of Jamama. 



KERN, or Kerne, a term in the ancient Irifh militia, 

 fignifying a foot-foldier. 



Camden tells us, the armies of Ireland confifled of cavalry, 

 caUed gaUoglaJfcs ; and infantry, lightly armed, called kernes. 

 The kernes bore fwords and darts ; to the kill were fitted 

 cords, by which they could recover them after they liad 

 been launched out. 



Keiin, in the Englijb Raltnvorks , a word ufed to fignify 

 the cryilallizing, or Ihooting of fait in the brine, when fuffi- 

 ciently evaporated in the boihng pan. 



This word is alfo ufed by the ieainen for the firll coming 

 of the bay-falt, made by the fun's heat in the ifles of Mav, 

 &c. See S.\z.T. 



KuRK^^OTf, in Natural Ui/lory, a name given by the com- 

 mon people of many parts of England, to a pcculLir fort of 

 Hone, which is found on the fides of hills in fandy countries, 

 where the hills are rocky. Pyran fands afford a great many 

 llor.es of this kind ; and the manner of their formation is 

 thus : the rocks in the fides of the hills are continually 

 covered over with the loofe fand, v>'hich the winds tofs up, 

 and the fparry matter continually oozing out of the pores of 

 thefe ilones, with the wet, cements the grain of ftuid toge- 

 ther. When one cruft is thus formed, another is foon added, 

 and fo on till the whole mafs is of a confiderable thicknefs ; 

 and the fpar ftill ferving as a general cement, the whole '\h 

 held together, though but in a loofe way, yet fo as to re- 

 femble a fort of ftonc. The little grains of fand are Uill 

 \-ifible in all parts of this flone, and are what induced the 

 people to call it kern-ftone, as they call thefe term, or 

 Lerrufls. This account of the origin of the flonc is eafily 

 proved, by putting a fmall piece of it into aquafortis, for 

 this ditTolves the fpar, or cement, and the fand is left 

 loofe. 



KERNES, in our Lazvs, fignify idle pcrfons, or vaga- 

 bonds. 



KERNING, m Leiler-Foundcry. See /,£•//«■ FouNniiRY. 



KERONA, m Geography, a town of Hindoollan, in the 

 circar of Gohud; 15 miles N. of Datteah. 



KEROWLY, a town of Hindoollan, in the country of 

 Agra; 74 miles S.W. of Agra. N. lat. 26 27'. E. long. 

 77-28'. 



KERPEN, a town of France, in the department of the 

 Roer, and chief place of a canton, in the dillricl of Cologne; 

 10 miles E.S.E. of Juliers. N. lat. 50' 25'. E. long. 6' 41'. 

 The place contains 1515, and the canton 10:419 inhabitants, 

 in 37 communes. 



KERR AH, a town of Hindoollan, in Guzerat, on the 

 gulf of Cambav ; 65 miles S.S.W. of Gogo. 



KERRERA, one of the fmaller wellern iflands of Scot- 

 land, near the coail of Argyle, where, in 1249, Alex- 

 ander II. died, when he was endeavouring to wrell the iflands 

 out of the poffeffion of the Norwegians; 12 miles S. of 

 Lifmore. N. lat. 56 23'. W. long. 5' 32'. 



KERRI, a town of the Arabian Irak, at the conflux of 

 the Tigris and Euphrates; 50 miles N.W. of Bafforah. 



KERROO, a town of HindooP.an, in Vifiapour ; 12 

 miles N.W. of Baddammy. 



KERRY, a county of the province of Munller, Ireland, 

 fiiuatcd on the fouth-weflern coall of the ifland. It is 

 bounded on the north by the river Shannon, which divides it 

 form the county of Clare ; on the call by the counties ut 

 Limerick and Cork ; on the fuulh-eaft by the latter county ; 

 and on the fouth-well and well by the Atlantic ocean. Its 

 form is very irregular in confequence of two great projofting 

 tongue? of bnd, comprifing the baromcs of Ivcragli and 

 ^ i\ Cortaguinny. 



