40 
ACC 
ACE 
ner, and at what times, the receipts, issues, 
and expenditures of the public monies are 
accounted for ; and to consider and report, 
by what means and methods the public ac- 
counts may hi future be passed, and the ac- 
countants compelled to pay the balances due 
from them, in a more expeditious, effectual, 
and less expensive manner. 
ACCRETION, in natural history, the in- 
crease or growth of a body by an external ad- 
dition of yew parts: thus it is salts, shells, 
stones, &c. are formed. 
Accretion, among civilians, a term used 
for the property acquired in a vague or not 
occupied thing, by its adhering to or following 
another thing already occupied; thus, if a 
legacy is left to two persons, and one of them 
dies before the testator, the legacy devolves 
to the survivor by right of accretion. Allu- 
vion is another instance of accretion. 
ACC ROCH E', in heraldry, denotes one 
thing being hooked into another. 
ACCRUED, in heraldry, a term applied 
to a tree full blown. 
ACCUSATION, the posture used among 
the Greeks and Romans at table: which was 
with the body extended on a. couch, and the 
head resting on a pillow, or on the elbow sup- 
ported by a pillow. 
Pitiscus tells us the manner in which the 
guests were disposed, which was this : a low 
round table was placed in the dining-room, 
about which stood sometimes two, but more 
usually three beds or couches ; from the 
number whereof the diniug-room got the 
ijiame' of biclinium or triclinium. These 
couches were covered with richer or plainer 
cloths, according to the quality of the per- 
son, and furnished with quills and pillows. 
Each couch usually contained three persons ; 
it being deemed sordid to crowd more. The 
first lay at the head of the bed, with his legs 
^extended behind the second, who lay in the 
same manner to the third. The middle place 
E assed for the most honourable. However, 
efore placing themselves, they always t&ok 
care to pull off their shoes, and put on what 
was called the vestis ccenaioria, or the dining 
garment. 
ACCUMULATION, among lawyers, de- 
notes the concurrence of several titles to the 
same thing, or of several circumstances or 
proofs to make out one fact. 
Accumulation of degrees, in an uni- 
versity, the taking several of them together, or 
at smaller distances from each other than 
usual, or than the rules allow of. 
ACCUSATION, among civilians, the 
bringing a criminal action against any person. 
The antient Roman lawyers distinguished be- 
tween postulatio, delatio, and accusatio. For, 
first, leave was desired to bring a charge 
against one, which was called postulate : then 
he against whom the charge was laid, was 
brought before the judge; which was called 
tleferre, or nominis delatio : lastly, the charge 
was drawn up and presented, which was pro- 
perly the accusatio. The accusatio properly 
commenced, according to Psedianus, when 
the reus or party charged, being interrogated, 
denied he was guilty of the crime, and sub- 
scribed his name to the delatio made by his 
opponent. In England, by Magna Charta, no 
man shall be imprisoned or condemned on 
any accusation, without trial by his peers, or 
the law ; none shall be vexed with any accu- 
sation, but according to the law of the land ; 
and no man may be molested by petition to 
the king, &c. unless it be by indictment or 
presentment of lawful men, or by process at 
common law. Promoters qf accusations are 
to lind surety to pursue them ; and if they do 
not make them good, shall pay damages to 
the party accused, and also a line to the king. 
No person is obliged to answer upon oath to 
a question whereby he may accuse himself of 
any crime. 
ACCUSATIVE, among Latin gramma- 
rians, the fourth case, which is always govern- 
ed by an active verb or preposition, expressed 
or understood ; thus, tuna JJeum, I love God ; 
to Londinum, i. e. to ad vtl versus Londi- 
num, 1 am going to London, or I am on my 
way to London. In the English noun there 
is no difference between the nominative and 
accusative, except that the former precedes 
and the latter follows the verb. 
ACER, the maple-tree in botany. It is of 
the class and order, polygamia monoecia. The; 
essential character is calyx five cleft ; corolla 
live-petalled ; stamina eight or ten; germen 
two (or three) superior ; stylus simple ; cap- 
sule two, sometimes three, with one seed in 
each terminated by a wing. The male blos- 
soms are without germen or stylus. 
'Phe maple genus consists entirely of trees, 
and embraces twenty species. The acer pseu- 
doplatanus or great maple, vulgarly called the 
sycamore tree or mock-plane, and in Scotland 
the plane tree, is too well known to require a 
description. Before earthenware came into 
common use, the wood of this tree was in 
great request for trenchers ; and it is still much 
used by the turners for bowls, dishes, &c. It 
is of quick growth, but not of long duration. 
In spring and autumn the wounded stem of 
this tree will, like the birch, pour forth a 
saccharine juice, from which wine may be 
made. There are two varieties in the nurse- 
ries — one with very boad leaves, the other 
variegated; both very ornamental for large 
plantations. 
The acer campestre is also well known, 
growing very commonly in our woods and 
hedges. It is much cultivated in some parts 
of the kingdom for hop-poles. The scarlet 
maple is also propagated with us for its beau- 
tiful scarlet flowers. 
The acer saccharinum, or American sugar 
maple, however, is perhaps the most distin- 
guished of the tribe. It grows to the height 
of forty feet ; and large tracts in North Ame- 
rica are covered with it. The sugar is pro- 
cured by tapping (or wounding) the tree 
with an augur about the months of February, 
March, or April, when the sap is rising ; and 
from 23 gallons one quart of sap drawn from 
two trees in twenty-four hours, 4 pounds 13 
ounces of sugar have been obtained; and in 
somec ases one pound of sugar from every 3 
gallons of sap. The sugar thus obtained is 
grained, clayed, and refined, in every respect 
as that from the cane in the West Indies, and 
is of a very excellent quality. There is no 
doubt that it might be cultivated with great 
advantage in this country ; since the Indians 
of Canada have practised the making of sugar 
from the maple, time out of mind, even in 
that ungenial climate. 
ACER R A, in antiquity a kind of altar 
erected near the bed of a dead person, on 
which incense and other perfumes were burnt 
till the time of the burial. 
Acerrte also denoted the pots wherein 
A C H 
the incense was burnt ; hence we read of plena 
acerru, a full acerra. \ 
ACETABULUM, in antiquity, a kind of 
utensil wherein sauce was served to table, and 
not unlike our salts or vinegar cruets. 
Acetabulum was also a Roman measure, 
used as well for dry things as liquids; and 
equal to a cyathus and a half. 
Acetabulum, in anatomy, a hollow cavity 
in the heads of certain bones serving to re- 
ceive the protuberant heads of others, and 
forming the articulation called enarthrosis. 
See Anatomy. 
AC- Ell AM, in law, a clause devised by 
the officers of the kmgVbench, and added to 
the usual complaint of trespass. This is done 
in some cases to save the suitors the trouble 
and expence of suing out special originals. 
ACETIC ACID differs from acetous acid, 
by having a larger proportion of oxygen. See 
j Acetous Acid and Chemistry. 
ACETITE of Potash. This salt occurs 
native in the sap, and some other vegetable 
juices, and also in the urine of quadrupeds. 
It is prepared artificially by adding carbonate 
of potash to distilled vinegar, till the liquor 
contains a slight excess of acid; if the salt is 
wanted ill a solid state, it may be obtained by- 
evaporation. It has a strong affinity for water, 
and deliquiates readily in the air. For this 
and the other acetites see Chemistry. 
ACETOUS ACID, a transparent colour- 
! less fluid, obtained from distilled vinegar, in 
the proportion of 7 or 8 per cent, to the dis- 
tilled vinegar. See Chemistry. This acid 
forms an important article in the materia me- 
dica. Common vinegar, which is this acid 
in an impure state, is also much used in food, 
and for the preservation of animal and vege- 
table substances. 
ACETUM rosatum, vinegar of roses, is 
made of rose-buds infused in vinegar five or 
six weeks ; the roses are then pressed out, arid 
tiie vinegar preserved. It is used in cases of 
head-ach. 
Acetum proplujlacticum, is a preparation 
of acetic acid, camphor, flower of lavender, 
&c. It is called also the vinegar of the four 
thieves, who during, the plague at Marseilles 
plundered the sick, the dying, and the dead, 
and escaped unhurt by the use of this prepa- 
ration. 
ACHALALACTLI. See Alcedo. 
ACHANE, in Persian antiquity, a corn 
measure equal to forty-five attic medimni. 
ACHANIA, a genus of the monodelphia 
polyandria class, and the natural order of co- 
lumniferse. The essential character is, calyx 
double ; outer many-leaved ; corolla convo- 
lute ; berry five-seeded. 
The achania genus includes three species, 
all exotics, and cultivated (chiefly from cut- 
tings) as stove plants. 
ACIIERNER, a star of the first magni- 
tude, in the southern extremity of the con- 
stellation Eridanus ; invisible in our latitude. 
See Eridanus. 
AC HER SET, an old English measure of 
corn, probably the same with our quarter, or 
eight bushels; the monks of Peterborough 
had, among other things, an allowance of 12 
achersotes de frumento. 
ACHIAR a Malayan word, signifying a 
mixture of all sorts of fruits and roots, pickled' 
with vinegar and spice. The Dutch import 
this pickle from Batavia. 
ACHILLEA, a genus of plants compre- 
