A C R 
13 
a c a 
All the species of aconite are extremely acri- 
monious, occasioning mortal convulsions, or 
inflammations that end in a mortification. It 
is even said that some persons by only smelling 
at the flower of the common monks-hood have 
been seized with swooning fits, and lost their 
sight for two or three days: Like other poi- 
sons, however, it has been used as a medicine 
in small doses, particularly in rheumatisms and 
intennittents. 
Acontias is used for a kind of meteor, with 
a roundish or oblong head, and a long slender 
tail, resembling a javelin. 
ACONTIUM, in Grecian antiquity, a kind 
of dart or javelin, resembling the Roman pi- 
lunr. 
ACORN, a little ornamental piece of wood, 
in the shape of a cone, fixed on the top of tire 
spindle on the mast-head, above tire vane, to 
keep it from coming off the spindle in a whirl- 
wind. 
ACORU S, calamus aromaticus, surd flag, 
or sweet rush, a genus of the monogynia order, 
belonging to the hexandria class of plants, and 
ranking in the second natural order, piperitae. 
The characters are, the calyx is a cylindric 
simple spadix covered with florets ; there is no 
spatha, iror perianthium ; the corolla is com- 
posed of six obtuse, concave, loose petals ; the 
stamina consist of six tlrickish filaments, some- 
what longer than the corolla; the antlrene are 
thickislr and didynrous ; the pistillum has a 
gibbous oblong gernren the length of the sta- 
mina, no stylus, the stigma a prominent point; 
the pericarpium is a short triangular, obtuse 
three-celled capsule, attenuated at both errds ; 
the seeds are numerous, and of an oblong egg 
shape. There are two species : the acoros ca- 
lamus grows naturally in shallow standing wa- 
ters, and is found wild in rivulets and marshy 
places about Norwich and other places in this 
island, in the canals of Holland, in Switzerland, 
and in other countries of Europe. The shops 
have been usually supplied from the Levant 
with dried roots, which do not appear to be 
superior to those of our own growth. The 
root of this plant has a very agreeable flavour, 
which is greatly improved by drying. Ii is 
reckoned carminative and stomachic, having a 
warm, pungent, bitterish taste, so is frequently 
used as an ingredient in bitters. 
Acorus, a blue coral, found on the coasts 
of Africa, from Rio del Re, to the river Ca- 
marones. It grows in form of a tree, on a 
r»cky bottom. 
ACOUSMATICI, in Grecian antiquity, 
such disciples of Pythagoras as had not finished 
their five years probation. 
ACOUSTICS, the science of hearing, or of 
sounds in, general. See P n e u mat i-c s . 
Acoustic duct, in anatomy, a name some- 
times given to the external passage of the ear, 
snore usually called meatus auclitorius. See 
Anatomy. 
Acoustic instrument, or Ear Trumpet, 
oue contrived to assist hearing. It is fashioned 
in manner of a horn, with a perforation in the 
smaller end, which is fitted to be put into, the 
ear. 
ACQUEST, or Acquits, in law, denotes 
goods not descended by inheritance, but ac- 
quired bv purchase or donation. 
AC QUl ETAN D I S plegiis, in law, a writ 
which lies for a surety against a creditor, who 
refuses to. acquit one after the debt is paid. 
Cowdl. 
AC QU IETANTIA dc shires et hundrcdis, 
A C R 
a freedom from suits and services in shires and 
hundreds. 
ACQUITTAL, in law', is a deliverance or 
setting free from the suspicion of guilt. 
Acquittal is either in tact, or in law ; in fact, 
it is where a person, on a verdict of a jury, 
is found not guilty : in law, it is when two 
persons are indicted, one as a principal. See. 
the other as accessary : here if the former is 
discharged, the latter of consequence becomes 
acquitted. 
It is also used for a freedom from entries 
and molestations of a superior lord, on account 
of services issuing out of land. 
ACQUITTANCE, a discharge in writing 
for a sum of money, witnessing that the party 
has paid the same. 
Every man is obliged to give an acquittance 
on receiving money ; and a servant’s acquit- 
tance for money received for the use of his 
master, shall bind him, provided the servant 
used to receive his master’s rents. An ac- 
quittance is a full discharge, and bars all ac- 
tions, &c. 
ACRE, a measure of land containing four 
square roods, or one hundred and sixty square 
poles. 
The arpent, or French acre, is equal to If 
of the English acre. That of Strasburgh is 
only about one-half of the English acre. The 
Scotch acre is to the English acre by statute, 
as 100,000 to 78, 694. _ 
We have computations of the number of 
acres contained in several countries : thus, 
England is said to contain forty-six millions 
and upwards ; and the United Provinces about 
four and one-third millions. 
AcRE-ta.r, a tax levied upon lands, at a cer- 
tain rate by the acre, otherwise called acre- 
shot. 
ACRID, an appellation given to such mat- 
ter as is of a sharp or pungent taste. 
Antient naturalists distinguished tw T o kinds 
of acrid tastes ; one proceeding from hot and 
drv, as in pepper ; the other from hot and 
moist, as in garlic. 
ACRIFOLIUM, signifies any prickly leav- 
ed plant. 
ACROATIC, in the Aristotelian schools, a 
denomination given to such lectures as were 
calculated only for the intimate frieuds and 
disciples of that philosopher; being chiefly 
employed in demonstrating some speculative 
or abstruse part of philosophy. Acroatic is 
also used, in a more general sense, for any 
tiling that is sublime or abstruse ; thus we read 
of an acroatic philosophy, theology, &c. 
ACROATICI, an appellation given to such 
of Aristotle’s disciples as were instructed in his 
acroatic, or sublime philosophy. The acroatic 
lectures stood contradistinguished from the 
exoteric, which were adapted to. a common 
auditory. 
ACROBATIC A, or Acrobaticum, in 
Grecian antiquity, an engine on which people 
were raised aloft, that they might have the 
better prospect. 
ACROCHIRISMUS,, in Grecian antiqui- 
ty, a kind of gymnastic exercise performed 
with the fists, without closing at all. 
ACROCIIIRISTES, in Grecian antiquity, 
one who practised, or excelled at, the exercise 
called achrochirismus,. 
ACROCORDUS, or Warted: Snake, a 
genus of snake, with body and tail completely 
covered with warts : there are three species ; 
1st. The Acrochordus Javanicus, winch is 
whitish beneath, with the sides marked by 
dusky spots. The remarkable snake which 
gave rise to the institution of this new genus, 
is a native of the island of Java, and was first 
described by Mr. Hornsted in the Swedish 
transactions for the year 1787. It was found 
in a large pepper-ground near Sangasan, in the 
year 1784, and measured about eight feet in 
length ; the thickness of the neck being six 
inches, that of the largest part of the body ten 
inches, and that of the tail an inch and an half : 
the colour of the upper part of the animal was 
blackish, and of the under part whitish ; the 
sides marked with dusky spots : the head trun- 
cated, depressed, and scaly : the jaws equal, 
the superior being emarginated beneath ; the 
inferior curved : the eyes lateral, on the fore 
part of the head; the hides lived : the nostrils 
circular, small, approximated, and situated 
above the tip of the snout : the rictus or gape 
rather small for the size of the body : the teeth 
in both jaws subulate, very sharp, and revers- 
ed, without any appearance of fangs, and ac- 
companied by a double row of very small- 
teeth in the palate : the tongue thick at the 
base, the forked part black and slender : the 
body entirely covered, as well as the tail, with, 
rough tricarinated warts : the vent small, the 
body very suddenly tapering towards the tail.. 
This snake was secured by a Chinese, by. 
means of a split bamboo applied over its neck,, 
and thus carried to Batavia, where, on being 
skinned and opened, exclusive of a quantity of 
indigested fruit, were found five completely 
formed *^oung, measuring nine inches each : 
the flesh of the animal was eaten by the Chi- 
nese people, who affirmed that it was excel- 
lent food, and the skin, being preserved in 
spirits, was brought over to Euroqe by Mr. 
Hornsted, and deposited in the Museum of 
the King of Sweden. 
2dly. Doubtful or Brown Acrochordus,. 
with carinated abdomen, and sides spotted 
with black. In its general appearance and 
proportion so very nearly does the present 
serpent resemble the preceding, or Javan spe- 
cies, that one description might almost serve 
for both, except that the head in this is covered 
with very minute rough or warted scales, dif- 
fering in size alone from those on other parts 
of the animal; whereas, if we may rely on the 
accuracy of. Mr. Hornsted’s description and. 
figure of the Javan Acrochordus, that part is 
covered with flat, ovate scales, and, of a far 
different appearance from the muricated or 
wart-like scales on every other part. The size 
of the present specimen also falls much short 
of the former, measuring only about three feet 
in length : its colour is an obscure brown, with 
some ill-defined clouds and patches of a darker 
colour dispersed along the sides and abdomen : 
the shape of the vent, thickness of body, and 
sudden contraction at the beginning of the 
tail,.as well as the comparative size and’ shape 
of that part are exactly similar,;: the abdomen, 
however, in this serpent is slightly carinated 
beneath towards the tail,, which is a circum- 
stance not particularized in- Mr. Hornsted’s 
description of the-Javan species.. The present 
specimen is in the British Museum, and the 
engraving which accompanies this, article will 
shew in the most satisfactory manner the re- 
semblances and discrepances between this and 
the former animal. Its native place is not 
particularized.. See Plate Nat; Hist.. fig. 7. 
3dly. Fasciated Acrochordus, with carinat- 
ed abdomen, and whitish ascendent lateral 
! 
