4 
A B O 
A B R 
A B R 
ABJURATION, in law, is used for re- 
nouncing, disclaiming and denying the Pre- 
tender to have any manner ot right to the 
throne of these kingdoms; and that upon 
oath, which is required to be taken upon di- 
vers occasions under certain pains and pe- 
nalties by many statutes, particularly ] W. 
and M. 13. Vi'. III. 1 Anne. 1 Geo. I. 
Abjuration, in our ancient customs, 
was an oath taken by a person guilty of fe- 
lony, and who had tied to a place of sanc- 
tuary, to leave the world for ever. This is 
much the same with what in Scotland is 
called signing an act of banishment. 
ABLATIVE, in Latin grammar, the name 
of the sixth case, which is peculiar to that 
language. The ablative is opposed to the 
dative ; the latter expressing the action of 
giving, and the former' that of taking 
away : thus, ablatum est a me, it was taken 
from me. It is sometimes called the com- 
parative case, as being much used in com- 
paring things together: thus, didcior melle, 
sweeter than honey. 
Ablative absolute, among Latin gram- 
marians, is so called, because governed by 
no other word. 
ABLECTI, in Roman antiquity, a select 
body of soldiers, chosen from among those 
called extraordinarii. 
ABLEGMINA, in Roman antiquity, 
choice parts of the entrails of victims. The 
ablegmina were sprinkled with Hour, and 
burnt on the altar ; the priests pouring some 
wine on them. 
ABLUENTS, diluting medicines, or such ' 
as dissolve and carry off acrimonious and sti- 
mulating matter, in any part of the body, 
especially the stomach and intestines. 
ABLUTION, in a religious sense, a ce- 
remony in use among the antients, and still 
practised by the Mahometans: it consisted 
in washing the body, which was always 
done before sacrificing, or even entering 
their temples. This custom was probably 
derived from the Jews. 
Ablution, in the church of Rome, a 
small quantity of wine and water, which the 
communicants formerly took to wash down, 
and promote the digestion of, the host. They 
also use this term for the water with which 
the priest washes his hands after consecrat- 
ing the host. 
Ablution, among chemists and apothe- 
caries, is used for washing away the super- 
abundant salts of any body ; an operation 
otherwise called edulcoration. 
ABOLITION, in law, denotes the re- 
pealing of any law or statute, or prohibit- 
ing some custom, ceremony, & c. sometimes 
also it signifies leave granted by the king, 
or a j udge, to a criminal accuser to forbear 
any farther prosecution. 
Abolition, is also used by antient civi- 
lians and lawyers, for desisting from, or an- 
nulling, a legal prosecution ; for remitting 
the punishment of a crime ; and for cancell- 
ing or discharging a public debt. 
ABOLLA, a military garment, worn by 
the Greek and Roman soldiers: it was lined, 
or doubled, for warmth. 
ABOMASUS, Abomasum, or Aboma- 
sius, in comparative anatomy, names used 
for the fourth stomach of ruminating beasts, 
or such as chew the cud. These have four 
stomachs, the first of which is called venter; 
the second, reticulum’, the third, vmasus; 
and the fourth, abomasus. It is in the abo- 
masus of calves and lambs that the runlet is 
found, used for curdling milk: 
ABOR TION, an untimely or premature 
birth of a foetus, otherwise called a miscar- 
riage ; but if this happens before the second 
month of pregnancy, it is called a false con- 
ception. 
Abortion, which is always a dangerous 
and but too often a fatal accident, may be 
owing to a multiplicity of causes ; but the 
most frequent ones are immoderate fluxes 
of any kind, violent passions of the mind, 
stimulating medicines, strong purges or vo- 
mits, sudden commotions of the body, as 
running, leaping, falls, blows, &c. to which 
we may add a too frequent use of venery, 
copious bleeding in the foot, a debility or 
laxity of the womb, and a plethoric habit of 
body: this last is often the cause of abortion 
in young women, pregnant of their lirst 
child. 
In order therefore to prevent abortion, 
the above causes must be carefully guarded 
against, it is likewise conducive to the 
same end, to bleed at proper times ; as also 
to use strengthening and attemperating me- 
dicines. It ought however to he carefully 
attended to, not to give any thing l'eslrin- 
gent either internally or externally, when 
the abortion is become unavoidable. 'The 
signs of an approaching or threatened abor- 
tion are, a sudden fiaccklity of the breasts, a 
Constriction or subsiding ot the belly, a pain 
in the head and eyes, grinding pains in the 
stomach, coldness of the extremities, faint- 
ings, shiverings, &c. 
As to the immediate forerunners of an 
abortion, they are these : violent pains in 
the loins and hips, a dilation of the orifice of 
the womb, the formation of waters, an erup- 
tion of the same, a discharge of pure blood, 
or blood mixed with the waters. When 
these symptoms appear, immediate delivery 
becomes absolutely necessary, without wail- 
ing for strong pains, which seldom return 
after the Hooding is grown so excessive. 
This is performed in the same manner as for 
a timely birth. See Midwifery. 
ABOUT, in sea language, the situation of 
a ship immediately after she lias changed 
her course. About-ship, is the order to the 
ship’s crew for lacking. 
About, in military language, expresses 
the movement by which a body of troops 
changes its front, by facing according to any 
given word of command. 
ABRA, a silver coin in Poland, nearly 
equivalent to the English shilling. The 
abra is current through all the dominions of 
the grand signior, where it passes for a 
fourth part of the Dutch dollar, called assani 
in the Levant. 
ABRAHAMIANS, or Abraiiamites, 
in church-history, heretics who renewed the 
doctrines of the Paulfcians ; a sect, who, to 
the principles of the Manichees, added an 
abhorrence of the cross, which they are said 
to have employed in the most servile offices. 
The term is also used for another sect, who 
suffered death for the worship of images. 
ABRAUM, a name by which some call 
adamic earth, a kind of clay used by cabinet- 
makers to give a red colour to new mahoga- 
ny. , It is found in the Isle of Wight, also in 
some parts of Germany and Italy. 
ABRAXAS, a word denoting a power 
which presides over 365 others, the number 
ot days in a year. It is thought to be made 
up of the Greek numerals A, 1 ; /3, P, 1 00 ; 
A, 1 ; S, 60; A, 1 ; x, 200: which added 
together make the number of 365. 
j Abraxas, a mystical term expressing the 
supreme God, under whom tiie Basilidians 
supposed 365 dependent deities. 
It was the principle of the Gnostic hier- 
archy, whence sprang their multitude of 
icons From abraxas proceeded the primo- 
genial mind ; from the primogenial mind, the 
logos, or word; from the logos, the plirone- 
sis, or prudence ; from phronesis, sophia and 
dynamis, or wisdom and strength ; from 
these two proceeded principalities, powers, 
and angels; from these other angels, to the 
number of 365, who were supposed to have 
the government of so many celestial orbs 
committed to their care. 
Abraxas, among antiquaries, an antique 
gem or stone, with the word abraxas en- 
graven on it. There are many kinds of 
them, of various figures and sizes, mostly as 
old as the third century. They were used 
as amulets, and were supposed to have 
great efficacy in driving away liies. 
ABREAS T, a sea term, expressing the 
situation of two or more ships, that lie in a 
parallel direction. When the line of battle 
at sea is formed abreast, the whole squadron 
advances uniformly, the ships being equally 
distant from and parallel to each other. 
ABRIDGING, in a'gebra, is the reduc- 
ing a compound equation to a more simple 
form. 
This is done to save room, or to simplifythe 
expression. Thus die equation x 2 -j- a -Lb x * 
ab 
r = °’ b ' r I nmill g P — a-fb and q == 
ab 
— , becomes x -\- px — q — 0. 
ABRIDGEMENT, signifies much the 
same with an epitome, or abstract of a large 
work. 
The perfection of an abridgement consists 
in taking only what' is material and substan- 
tial, and rejecting all superfluities, whether 
of sentiment or style. It is very seldom* 
however,, that a good work will bear this re- 
trenchment; and above all, the practice of 
teaching by abridgement is reprehensible'; 
It is a practice which has unfortunately been 
too common in schools; and is calculated fo 
make smatterers, and not scholars. Abridged 
histo.y, for instance, can only give a dull 
chronology of events, without 'the .rngners-, 
sentiments, characters, the knowledge of 
human nat ure in short, which well-written 
history is intended to convey ; and abridged 
geography supplies only a knowledge of the 
latitude and longitude, "or at most of the re- 
lative situations of places, with a few charges 
upon the memory, the least improving parts 
ot the study. The climate, soil, the pro- 
ductions, the manners of the country, its 
commerce and political relations, are only 
to be learned from larger works. But the 
worst effect is, that when the pupil has com- 
mitted a few barren facts to memory, he 
.concludes himself master of the science ; 
even his curiosity is blunted, and his desire 
of acquiring knowledge anticipated ; and the 
great probability is, that he, never afterwards 
is sanguine enough to open a work of real 
information on the subject. 
Abridgement, in law, is the shortening 
