V E R 
V E R 
V E R 
rf«l 
poly^amia super!] ua class of plants, with a| full comity -court of the same shire, within the 
radiated dower, made up of hermaphrodite ! forest where he dwells ; he is sworn to main- 
' ‘ ’ tain and keep the assizes of the forest, and 
to view, receive and enrol the attachments and 
presentments, of all manner of trespasses of 
vert and venison in the forest. 
There are eleven 
See 
tubulose ones on the disc, and a few hnulated 
ones on the verge ; the seeds are angulated, 
and contained in the cup. 
species. 
VERDEGREASE, or V erdegris. 
Copper. 
V erdegris is an acetat of copper, useful 
in the arts as a pigment. The principles on 
which it is formed are these : 
Acetic acid attacks copper very slowly in 
open vessels, converts it into an oxide, and 
dissolves it ; but in close vessels no action 
takes place. This acid readily combines with 
the oxide of copper, and torms with it an 
acetat. This salt was known to the antients, 
and various ways of preparing it are described 
by Pliny. It is usually obtained by exposing 
plates of copper to the action ot vinegar, till 
they are converted to a bluish-green powder, 
and then dissolving this powder in acetic acid, 
and crystallizing it. 
Acetat of copper crystallizes in four-sided 
truncated pyramids. It has a beautiful bluish- 
green colour. Its specific gravity is 1.779. 
Its taste is disagreeably metallic, and, like all 
the compounds into which copper enters, it 
is poisonous. It is very soluble in water ; 
alcohol likewise dissolves it. When exposed 
to the air, it effloresces. By distillation it 
gives out acetic acid. Proust first remarked 
that acetous acid and acetic acid form the 
same salt with copper; and hence concluded 
that there is no difference between the two 
acids. When sulphureted hydrogen gas is 
made to pass through a solution of this salt in 
water, the copper is deoxidized, and pre- 
cipitates in the state of a blue sulphuret, and 
there remains behind an acid which possesses 
the properties of the acetic. 
According to Proust, the acetat of copper 
is composed of 
61 acid and water 
39 oxide 
100 . 
When the verdegris of commerce is put 
into water, 0.56 parts of it are dissolved, and 
there remain 0.44 parts in the state of a fine 
green powder, which remains long suspended 
fn the solution. Mr. Proust has ascertained 
that this powder is a subacetat of copper. It 
is decomposed by sulphuric acid, by potass, 
and by distillation. According to the ana- 
lysis of Proust, it is composed of 
37 acid and water 
63 oxide 
100 . 
of A, be compounded of the ratios of one of A 
to A, and of one of B to B. 
For, let A contain 11 parts, then one of A to 
A is as I to 11, or — . Let B contain 10 parts, 
1! 
Thus it. appears from the experiments of 
this philosopher, that the verdegris of com- 
merce is composed of two different acetals of j 
copper; the one soluble in water, the othei : 
insoluble. It is much used as a paint ; and j 
crystallized acetat of copper is a frequent in- j 
gredient in dying compounds. Verdegris is j 
formed in great quantities at Montpelier. A 
particular account of the processes followed 
in that place has been published by Mr. 
Chaptal. 
VERDEROR, a judicial officer of the ! 
king’-s forest, chosen by the king’s writ in the 
VERDICT, the answer of a jury, made 
upon any cause, civil or criminal, committed 
by the court to their examination, and this is 
twofold, general or special. 
A general verdict is that which is given o r 
brought into the court in like general terms to 
the general issue ; as in an action of disseisin, 
the defendant pleads no wrong, no disseisin ; 
then the issue is general, whether the fact is 
wrong or not ; which being committed to the 
jury, they upon consideration of the evidence 
come in and say, either for the plaintiff, that 
it is a wrong and disseisin ; or for the defen- 
dant, that it is no wrong, no disseisin. 
A special verdict, is when they say at large, 
that such a thing and such a thing they find 
to be done by the defendant or tenant, so de- 
claring the course of the fact, as in their 
opinion it is proved ; and as to the law upon 
the fact, they pray the judgment of the com" 
and this special verdict, if it contains any 
ample declaration of the cause from the be- 
ginning to the end, is also called a verdict 
at large. Co. Lit. 128. 
A special verdict is usually found where 
there is any difficulty or doubt respecting 
the laws ; when the jury state the facts as 
proved, and pray the advice ot the court 
thereon. A less expensive, and more speedy 
mode however, is to find a verdict generally 
for the plaintiff, subject, nevertheless, to the 
opinion of the judge, or the court above, on 
a special case drawn up and settled by counsel 
on both sides. 
VERG E signifies the compass of the king’s 
court, which bounds the jurisdiction of the 
lord steward of the household, and which is 
thought to have been 12 miles round. 
The term verge is also used for a stick or 
rod, whereby one is admitted tenant to a 
copyhold estate, by holding it in his hand, 
and swearing fealty to the lord of the manor. 
VERGERS, certain officers of the courts 
of kings’-bench and common-pleas, whose 
business it is to carry white wands before the 
judges. 
There are also vergers of cathedrals, who 
carry a rod tipped with silver before the 
bishop, dean, &c. 
VERJUICE, a liquor obtained from grapes 
or apples, unfit for wine or cyder; or from 
sweet ones, whilst yet acid and unripe. Its 
chief use is in sauces, ragouts, &c. though it 
is also an ingredient in some medicinal com- 
positions, and is used by the wax-chandlers 
to purify their wax. 
VERMES, the sixth class of animals in the 
Linnsean system, 'comprehending five orders 
See Natural History, and Zoology. 
VERNIER SCALE, a scale excellently adapt 
ed for the graduation of mathematical instru 
ments, thus called from its inventor Peter Ver- 
nier, a person of distinction in the Franche 
Compte. Vernier’s method is derived from the 
following principle: If two equal right lines, or 
circularises, A, B, are so divided, that the num- 
ber of equal divisions in B is one less than the 
number of equal divisions of A, then will the 
excess of one division of B above one division 
5 R 2 
then one of B to B is as 1 to 10, or 
Now 
Or 
1 _ 11 — 10 
ii — kTx TT 
if B contains « 
10 X 11 
parts, and A 
1 1 
~ IcT x 
11 
contains 
n -j- 1 parts ; then — is one part of B, and 
1 
n -j- I 
is one part of A. 
n -j- 1 
= X 
x « T" i * ” + 1 
The most commodious divisions, and their 
aliquot parts, into which the degrees on the cir- 
cular limb of an instrument may be supposed to 
be divided, depend on the radius of that instru- 
ment. 
Let R be the radius of a circle in inches; and * 
a degree to be divided into n parts, each being 
— th part of an inch. 
t 
Now the circumference of a circle, in parts 
of its diameter 2 R inches, is 3,1415926 X 2 R 
inches. 
Then 360° ; 3,1415926 X 2 R ; ‘ 1° ; 
3,1415926 . , 
— X 2 R inches. 
360 
Or, 0,01745329 X R is the length of one de- 
gree in inches. 
Or, 0,01745329 X R X p is the length of 1% 
in />th parts of an inch. 
But as every degree contains n times such 
parts, therefore n — 0,01745329 X R X p- 
The most commodious perceptible division ii 
- or — of an inch. 
8 10 
Example. Suppose an instrument of 30 inched 
radius, into how many Convenient parts may 
each degree be divided ? how manv of these 
parts are to go to the breadth of the vernier, 
and to what parts of a degree may an observa- 
tion be made by that instrument ? 
Now, 0,01745 X R = 0,5236 inches, the length 
of each degree : and if p is supposed about 
of an inch for one division ; then 0,5236 X p 
— 4,188 shows the number of such parts in a 
degree. But as this number must be an integer, 
let it be 4, each being 15' -. and let the breadth 
of the vernier contain 31 of those parts, or 7-|°, 
and be divided into 30 parts. 
Here n = 
; then 
1 
X 
1 
30 
— of a degree, or 30', which is the leaser 
120 
part of a degree that instrument can show. 
If n — ■ — , and 
5 
60 
36 
; then 
1 
36 
— of a minute, or 20 
5 X 36 
The following table, taken as examples in the 
instruments commonly made from ,5 inches to 8 
feet radius, shows the divisions of the limb to 
nearest tenths of inches, so as to be an aliquot 
of 60’s and what parts of a degree may he esti- 
mated by the vernier, it being divided into such 
equal parts, and containing such degrees a? theft 
columns show. 
