G lO 
S A C 
SAC 
SAC 
lized. The primitive form of the crystals is 
a rectangular prism, whose base is a square, 
and the form of its molecules is a triangular 
prism, whose base is a right-angled isosceles 
triangle ; and the height is to any of the sides 
of the base about the right angle, nearly as 
three to five. Specific gravity from 4.1-8 to 
4.24. It is not affected by the mineral 
acids. 
RUYSCFIIA, in botany, a genus of the 
monogynia order, in the pentandria class of 
plants ; and in the natural method ranking 
Q the eighteenth letter of our alphabet, 
^9 in abbreviations stands for societas, 
or socius ; as R. S. S. for regiie societatis so- 
eius, i. e. fellow of the royal society. In me- 
dicinal prescriptions, S. A. signifies secun- 
dum artem, i. e. according to the rules of 
art ; and in the notes of the anlients, S. stands 
for Sextus ; SB. for spurius ; S. C. for sena- 
tus consultum ; S. P. Q. R. for senatus po- 
pulusque Romanus ; S. S. S. for stratum su- 
perstratum, i. e. one layer above another al- 
ternately; S. V. B. E. E. Q. V. for si vales 
bene est, ego quoque valeo, a form used in 
Cicero’s time, in the beginning of letters. 
Used as a numeral, S. antiently denoted se- 
ven ; in the Italian music, S. signifies solo ; 
and in books of navigation, S. stands for 
south; S. E. for south-east; S. W. for 
south-west; S. S. E. for south-south-east; 
S. S. W. for sou th-south-west. See Com- 
pass. 
S ABE LLA, a genus of vermes testacea : 
animal a nereis, with a ringent mouth, and 
two thicker tentacula behind the head: shell 
tubular, composed of particles of sand, 
broken shells, and vegetable substances united 
to a membrane by a glutinous cement. There 
are 24 species. 
SABELLIANS, a sect of Christians of the 
third century, who embraced the opinions of 
Sabe'.lius, a philosopher of Egypt, who openly 
taught that there is but one person in the 
Godhead. 
SABLE. See Mu stela. 
Sable. See Heraldry. 
SABU RICE. See Gritt. 
SAC BUT, a bass wind-instrument, re- 
sembling the trumpet, so contrived as to be 
capable of being drawn out to different 
lengths, according to the acuteness and gra- 
vity of the scale required. 
The sacbut is usually about eight feet long, 
and when extended to its full length, about 
fifteen. There are, however, sacbuls of dif- 
ferent sizes to execute different parts; parti- 
cularly a small one called by the Italians 
trombone picciolo, and the G ermans cleine 
alt possaune, proper for the counter-tenor. 
SACCHARINE ACID. See Oxalic 
Acid. 
SACCHARUM, sugar, or the sugar- 
cane, a genus of the digynia order, in the 
triandria class of plants ; and in the natural 
method ranking under the 4th order, gra- 
mma. The calyx is two-valved ; the corolla 
is also bivalved* There are eleven species 
with those that are doubtful. The calyx is 
pentaphyllous; the corolla is pentapetalous ; 
and the berry many-seeded. There are two 
species, parasitical shrubs of Guiana. 
RYAN I A, a genus of the polvandria mo- 
nogynia class and order. The calyx is five- 
leaved ; corolla none; stigmas four; berry 
suberous, one-celled, many-seeded. There 
is one species, a tree of Trinidad. 
RYE. See Secale. 
RA NCHOPS, skimmer, in ornithology, 
s 
of this genus. The most remarkable is the 
officinarum. It is a native of Africa, the East 
Indies, and of Brazil, whence it was intro- 
duced into our West India islands soon after 
they were settled. In the manner of their 
growth, form of their leaves, and make of 
their panicle, the sugar-canes lAsemble the 
reeds which grow in wet marshy grounds in 
England, or elsewhere; except that the canes 
are far larger, and, instead of being hollow as 
the reeds, are filled with awhite pith, contain- 
ing the sweet juice or liquid, which stamps 
such value upon these plants. The inter- 
mediate distance between each joint of a 
cane is of different lengths, according to the 
nature of the soil, richness of the manure, 
and different temperature of the weather 
during its growth; it seldom exceeds, how- 
ever, four inches in length, and an inch in di- 
ameter. The length of the whole cane like- 
wise depends upon the above circumstances. 
It generally grows to perfection in about 
fourteen months, when its height, at a medi- 
um, is about six feet, sometimes more, some- 
times less. The bojly of the cane is strong, 
but brittle; of a fine straw-colour, inclining 
to a yellow. The extremity of each is cover- 
ed, for a considerable length, with many long 
grassy leaves or blades, sharply and finely 
sawed on their edges; the middle longitudi- 
nal rib being high and prominent. The su- 
gar-cane is propagated by planting cuttings 
of it in the ground in furrows, dug parallel 
for that purpose; the cuttings are laid level 
and even, and are covered up with earth; 
they soon shoot out new plants from their 
knots or joints; the ground is to be kept 
clear, at times, from weeds ; and the canes 
grow so quick, that in eight, ten, or twelve 
months, they are fit to cut for making of sugar 
from them. When ripe, they cut off the 
reeds at one of the joints near the roots; they 
are then cleared of the leaves, and tied up 
in bundles, and sent to the mills, which are 
worked either by water or horses. 
The bottom part of the sugar-cane top is 
about the thickness of one’s finger ; and as it 
contains a good deal of t be natural sweetness 
of the plant, it is usually cut into pieces of an 
inch and a half long, and given to the saddle- 
horses in the West Indies. It is very nou- 
rishing food, and fattens them apace. The 
mill-horses, mules, and asses, are likewise 
fed, during crop time, on sugar-cane tops and 
the skimming of the sugar-coppers; which 
last must be administered sparingly at first, 
for fear of griping, and perhaps killing them. 
For the manufacture, &c.ofsugar, see Sugar. 
a genus belonging to the order of anseres. 
The bill is straight : and the superior mandi- 
ble -imich shorter than the inferior, which is 
truncated at the point. The species are 
two, viz. the nigra and fulva, both natives of 
America. The fulva Is perpetually dying 
about and skimming over water, out of which 
it scoops small fish with its lower mandible: 
in stormy seasons it frequents the shores in 
search of shell-fish. See Plate Nat. Hist. ii<r 
348. Q 
SACCOLATS, salts formed from the 
saclactic acid, and but little known, l. Sac- 
col at of potass, small crystals soluble in eight 
times their weight of water. 2. Saccolat of 
soda, the same, soluble in five times their 
weight of water. 3. Saccolat of ammonia, 
has a sourish taste : heat separates the ammo- ; 
nia. Saccolat of lime, of barytes, ofmagne-l 
sia, and of alumina, are all insoluble in 
water. 
SACK ofzvool, a quantity of wool con- 1 
tabling just twenty-two stone, "and every stone 
fourteen pounds. In Scotland, a sack is 
twenty-four stone, each stone containing six- ^ 
teen pounds. 
Sack of cotton-zvool, a quantity from one 
hundred and a half to four hundredweight. 
Sacks of earth, in fortification, are can- 
vas bags filled with earth. They are used in 
making intrenchments in haste', to place on 
parapets, or the head of the breaches. See. or 
to repair them, when beaten down. 
SACLACTIC ACID. This acid was dis- 
covered by Scheele in 1780. After having 
obtained oxalic acid from sugar, he wished to 
examine whether the sugar of milk would 
furnish the same product. Upon four ounces 
of pure sugar of milk, finely powdered, lie 
poured twelve ounces of diluted nitric acid, 
and put the mixture into a large glass retort, 
which he placed in a sand-bath. A violent ef- 
fervescence ensuing, he was obliged to re- ] 
move the retort from the sand-bath till the 
commotion ceased. He then continued the \ 
distillation till the mixture became yellow. 
As no crystals appeared in the liquor re- i 
maining in the retort after standing two days, 1 
he repeated the distillation as before, with the 
addition of eight ounces of nitric acid, and 
continued the operation till the yellow co- 
lour, which- had disappeared on the addition 
of the nitric acid, returned. The liquor in J 
the retort contained a white powder, and 1 
when cold, was observed to be thick. Eight 
ounces of water were added to dilute this li- j 
quor, which was then filtrated, by which the 
white powder was separated; which being 
edulcorated and dried, weighed drachms. 
The filtrated solution was evaporated to the 
consistence of a syrup, and again subjected to 
distillation, with four ounces of nitric acid as 
before; after which, the liquor, when cold,, 
was observed to contain many small, oblong, 
sour crystals, together with some white pow- 
der. this powder being separated, the li- | 
quor was again distilled with more nitric acid, 
