A N T 
ANT 
112 ANT 
resist add, or sour humours. See M ateria 
Medica. 
ANTAGONIST muscles, in anatomy, 
tliose which have opposite functions, as ilex- 
ors and extensors, abductors and adductors, 
&c. See Anatomy. 
ANTALKALIN ES, in the materia me- 
dica, signify medicines fitted to correct alka- 
line salts, or alkaline matters in the whole 
body. 
ANATANACLASIS, in rhetoric, a figure 
which repeats the same word, but in a diffe- 
rent sense, as, dim vivimus, vivamus. And 
the English, Let the dead bury the dead. 
ANTANAGOGE, in rhetoric, a figure by 
which, when the accusation of the adversary 
is unanswerable, we load him with the same 
or other crimes. This is usually called re- 
crimination. 
ANTAN ISOPHYLLUM, in botany, see 
Boerhaavta. 
ANTARCTIC, in a general sense, de- 
notes something opposite to the arctic, or 
northern pole. Hence, 
Antarctic circle, in geography and 
astronomy, is one of the lesser circles of the 
sphere, and distant only 23° 30' from the 
south pole, which is likewise called antarctic, 
for the same reason. 
ANT ARES, a star of the first magnitude, 
otherwise called the Scorpion’s heart. See 
Scorpion. 
ANTE', in heraldry, denotes that the 
pieces are let into one another in such form 
as is there expressed; as, for instance, by 
dove-tails, rounds, swallows’ tails, or the like. 
ANTEAMBULONES, in Roman anti- 
quity, servants who went before persons of 
distinction to clear the way before them. 
They used this formula, Date locum domino 
ineo; i. e. make way for my master. 
ANTECEDENT, in grammar, the word 
to which a relative refers: thus, God whom 
we adore, the word God is the antecedent. 
Antecedent, in logic, is the first of the 
tw o propositions in an enthymema. 
Antecedent, in mathematics, is the first 
of two terms of a ratio, or that which is com- 
pared with the other, as in the ratio of 2 to 3, 
or a to b, 2 and a are each antecedents. 
Antecedent signs, in medicine, such as 
are observed before a distemper is so formed 
as to be reducible to any particular class, as 
a bad disposition of the blood. 
Antecedent term, in mathematics, the 
first one of any ratio: thus, if the ratio be 
a : b, a is the antecedent terra. 
ANTECEDENTLY, in astronomy, an ap- 
parent motion of a planet towards the west, 
or contrary to the order of the’Vigns, viz. from 
Taurus towards Aries, &c. 
ANTEDATE, among lawyers, a spurious 
or false date, prior to the true date of a bond, 
bill, &c. 
ANTEDILUVIAN, whatever existed be- 
fore Noah’s Hood: thus, the generations from 
Adam to Noah are called the antediluvians. 
There have been great disputes among phi- 
losophers about the form, constitution, figure, 
and situation of the antediluvian earth. Dr. 
Burnet contended that it was only a hollow 
crust, with an uniform equable surface, with- 
out mountains and without seas, and in all 
respects different from what we now find it 
to be. Dr. Woodward undertook to prove 
that its appearance was the same as at pre- 
sent ; that it had the same position in respect 
of the sun, and consequently the same vicis- 
situdes of seasons: and Mr. Whiston ima- 
gined that the chaos of which our earth was 
formed, had been the atmosphere of a comet ; 
that the annual motion of the earth began as 
soon as it assumed a new form ; but that the 
diurnal motion did not take place till the fall 
of Adam ; that before tire deluge the year 
began at the autumnal equinox ; that the 
orbit of the earth was a perfect circle ; and 
that the solar and lunar years were the same, 
each consisting of just three hundred and 
sixty days. The state of the antediluvian 
philosophy has been the subject of much de- 
bate among authors, and so also has the state 
of the population. 
AN TEJ U R AMENTU M, by our ances- 
tors called juramevtum calumnicc, an oath 
which anciently both accuser and accused 
were to take before any trial or purgation. 
Tire accuser was to swear that he would 
prosecute the criminal ; and the accused to 
make oath, on the day he was to undergo the 
ordeal, that he was innocent of the crime 
charged against him. 
ANTELOPE, in zoology, a genus of qua- 
drupeds. The generic character is, horns 
hollow, with a bony core, pointing upwards, 
annulated or wreathed, permanent ; front 
teeth, in the lower jaw, eight; no canine 
teeth. Antelopes have but lately been in- 
cluded in a separate genus ; they were for- 
merly placed under that of the goat. They 
form a link indeed between the goat and 
deer kind, but possess sufficient distinctive 
marks to entitle them to stand apart from 
them both. They are in general natives of 
the hottest part of the globe, and peculiarly 
of Asia and Africa, Europe having but two 
species, and America none. 
Antelopes have a slender elegant make, 
and are singularly agile and swift in their 
motions: they are restless, timid, vigilant, 
and full of animation. Their chace is a fa- 
vourite amusement in the east ; and such is 
their speed, that the fleetest dogs cannot 
overtake them ; on which account falcons 
are trained to assail them, and by pecking 
at their eyes, to check their course, and 
throw them into confusion. A species of 
leopard is employed also to steal upon them 
unawares, and seize them by a few bounds. 
Antelopes have the singular property of 
sometimes stopping short, and gazing at their 
pursuers. The beauty of their eyes affords 
a favourite object of comparison to eastern 
poets. They usually prefer hilly countries, 
and associate in numerous herds. They 
graze on herbage, or crop the shoots of trees, 
and their flesh is generally of a very delicate 
flavour. There are 28 species of the ante- 
lope. 
1. Oryx, or Egyptian antelope. The 
Egyptian antelope, or pasan, is more easily 
distinguished than many others in this exten- 
sive race ; the horns affording a character 
perfectly clear and constant : they are almost 
entirely straight, nearly three feet in length, 
very slender in proportion to their length, 
annulated at the lower part or towards the 
base, the remainder smooth, and gradu- 
ally tapering to the point. The size of the 
animal is somewhat superior to that of a deer. 
'fiie pasan is nearly four feet high, mea- 
sured from the top of the shoulders to the 
ground : it is found about the Cape of Good 
Hope, as well as in other parts of Africa. 
2. Leucoryx, or white antelope. The 
leucoryx is entirely milk-white, except the 
markings on the face and limbs: these are 
described as of a red colour, and not black, 
as in the pasan ; the nose is thick and broad, 
like that of a cow ; the ears somewhat slouch- 
ing; the body heavy; the limbs somewhat 
less so; the horns very long, very slightly 
incurvated, slender, and annulated about half ' 
way upwards; their colour is black, and they 
are sharp-pointed ; the hoofs are black, and 1 
the tail somewhat flocky, or terminated by 
loose hairs. The size of this species is com- j 
pared by Mr. Pennant to that of a Welch \ 
runt. It is an inhabitant of an island called . 
Gow Bahrein, in the gulph of Bassora. 
3. Antilope gazella, or algazel. This spe- 
cies is a native of India and Persia, and i> 
also found in many parts of Africa. It is 
about the size of a fallow deer, and is of a 
reddish or bright bay colour, with a white 
breast: the horns are very long, thin, and 
black, nearly upright, bending inwards at 
their extremities ; they are nearly smooth; 
the rings with which they are marked being 
very slight, except near the base, where they 
are somewhat more distinct : they are almost 
three feet in length. 
In celerity and general manners this spe- 
cies agrees with many others of its tribe, and 
is said, to be easily tamed. 
4. Oreas, or Indian antelope. This is one 
of the largest of the whole genus, and is 
found both in India and Africa, living in 
numerous herds. It is not much inferior in 
size to a cow, and is of a bluish grey or slate- 
colour, with the head of a bright bay. Along 
the upper part of the neck, and a part of the 
the buck, runs a coarse black mane : on the 
breast is a very large pendent tuft of hair, as 
in the Nilgau : the tail is also tipped with long 
black hairs ; the horns are extremely stout, 
strait, sharp-pointed, and marked with two 
very thick prominent wreaths or spires : they 
are sometimes above two feet in length, and 
are of a blackish colour. The oreas is said 
to be an animal of great strength, and it has 
been thought not impracticable to train it to 
agricultural purposes, in the same manner as 
the horse or ox. It is said sometimes to grow 
extremely fat, so as to be easily run down. 
The flesh is reckoned extremely good ; and 
the skin is very strong and serviceable for the 
purpose of leather. The female is said to 
be horned like the male. 
5. Antilope ourebi, or ourebi. This is 
described by Mr. Pennant as the antelope 
with small strait horns, small head, long neck, 
long pointed ears: colour above a deep 
tawny, brightening towards the sides, neck, 
head, and legs ; lower part of breast, belly, 
buttocks, and inside of thighs, white : tail 
only three inches long, and black : hair on 
the body short, under the chest long and 
whitish, on each knee a tuft of hair. The fe- 
males are hornless : length three feet nine 
inches to the tail : inhabits the country very 
remote from the Cape of Good Hope. Sel- 
dom more than two are seen together. They 
generally haunt the neighbourhood of foun- 
tains surrounded with reeds ; are excellent 
venison. 
6. Antilope oreotragus, ot klipspringer. 
This species is to be numbered among the 1 
late acquisitions in natural history, having 
been first described by Dr. Eorster 
