CEP 
C E R 
jihery of the curve, and that in every point 
of it. See Mechanics. 
CENTRIPETAL force, that force by 
which a body is every where impelled, or 
any way tends, towards some point as a cen- 
ter ; such are gravity, or that force whereby 
bodies tend towards the center of the earth 
(see Mechanics) ; magnetical attraction, 
whereby the loadstone draws iron ; and that 
force, whatever it be, whereby the planets 
are continually drawn back from right-lined 
motions, and made to move in curves. 
CENTRISCUS, in ichthyology, a genus 
of lishes belonging to the order of amphibia 
nantes. The head gradually ends in a nar- 
row snout, the aperture broad and flat ; the 
belly is carinated, and the belly-fins united. 
There are two species, viz. 
1. The scutatus, which has its back co- 
vered with a smooth bony shell, which ends 
in a sharp spine, under which is the tail, but 
the back fins are between the tail and the 
spine. It is a native of the East Indies. 
2. The scolopax (see Plate Nat. Hist. fig. 
105.) has a rough scabrous body, and a straight 
extended tail. It has two belly-fins, with 
four rays each, and has no teeth. * It is found 
in the Mediterranean. 
CENTRUM tendinosum, in anatomy, a 
point wherein the tendons of the muscles of 
the diaphragm meet. See Anatomy. 
GENl UM\ III I, in Roman antiquity, 
judges appointed to decide common cause.-, 
among the people. 'They were chosen three 
out of each tribe ; and though live more than 
a hundred, were nevertheless called cen- 
tumviri, from the round number centum, a 
hundred. 
CENTUNCULUS, in botany, a genus of 
plants called by some anagallidiastrum , and 
by others a species of' anpgullis, the charac- 
ters of which are these : it belongs to the te- 
trandria monogynia class of plants ; the flower 
is monopetalous, the tube being globose, and 
the limb divided into four oval segments: the 
fruit is an unilocular capsule, containing a 
great number of roundish seeds. There is 
one species, annual. 
CENTURION, among the Romans, an 
officer in the infantry, who commanded a 
century or a hundred men. The centurions 
held the first rank in the first cohort of a 
legion, and two of them the place of the two 
first hastali, or pikemen : the lirst among the 
principes was also a centurion. 
CENTUSSIS, in Roman antiquity, a coin 
containing a hundred asses. 
CEPHALANTHUS, a genus of the te- 
trandria monogynia class of plants; the co- 
rolla consists of a single petal; the tube is 
slender; the limb is divided into four parts, 
acute, reflex, and of the length of the tube ; 
the fruit is an oblong capsule, containing only 
one cell; several, of these grow together, and 
form a roundish head : the seeds are nume- 
rous and oblong. There are live species, 
trees and shrubs of China. 
CEPHALIC medicines, are remedies for 
disorders of the head. See Medicine, 
Cephaxic vein. See Anatomy. 
CEPHEUS, in astronomy, a consteTation 
o.f the northern hemisphere, the stars of which, 
in Ptolemy’s catalogue, are 13; in Tycho’s, 
a 1 ; in Hevelius’s, 40 ; and in Mr. Flamsteed’s, 
CEPI corpus, iu law, a return made by the 
4 
sheriff, that, upon a capias, or other like pro- 
cess, he lias taken the defendant’s body. 
CERAMBYX, in zoology, a genus of 
beetles, or the coleoptera order, the cha- 
racters of which are these: the antennas 
are long and setaceous, and the thorax is 
oblong, rounded, and mucronated or point- 
ed at each extremity. Under this genus 
is comprehended the capricorn - beetle.— 
1 here are S3 species of this genus enume- 
rated by Linnaius, principally distinguished 
by the figure of the breast. 'See Plate Nat. 
I list. figs. 99 and 100. 
CERASTIUM, mouse-ear, a genus of the 
decandria pentagynia class of plants, the 
flower of which consists of five bilid petals; 
and its fruit is a very long unilocular pod, 
containing numerous roundish seeds. There 
are I S species of this weed. 
CERATE, in pharmacy, a medicine used 
externally in several diseases, especially those 
ot the skin. It is generally of four sorts, the 
white cerate, the yellow cerate, the cicatriz- 
ing cerate, and the mercurial cerate. See 
Pharmacy. 
CERATOCARPUS, a genus of the mo-, 
ncecia monandria class of plants, distinguished 
by having no petals, and a small, compressed, 
and bicornate seed, not unlike that of bidens. 
CERATONIA, the carob tree, or St. 
John's bread, a genus of the tricecia order, 
in the polygamia class of plants, and in the 
natural method ranking under the 33d or- 
der, lomentaceaj. The calyx is hermaphro- 
dite and quinquepartite ; there is no corolla ; 
the stamina are live; the style is filiform; 
the legumen coriaceous asd " polyspermous. 
It is also dioecious, or male and female dis- 
tinct on different plants. 'There is but one 
species, viz. 
Ceratonia siliqua, a native of Spain, of 
some parts of Italy, and the Levant. It is 
an evergreen ; and, in the countries where 
it is native, grows in the hedges. It -pro- 
duces a quantity of long, flat, brown-coloured 
pods, which are thick, mealy, and of a sweet- 
ish taste. 'These pods are eaten by the poorer 
sort of inhabitants when there is a scarcity of 
other food; but they are apt to loosen the 
belly, and cause gripings of the bowels. 
C ER ATO PH YLLUM, a genus of the 
pplyandria order, in the moncecia class of 
plants, and in the natural method ranking 
under the 15th order, inundatie. The male 
calyx is multipartite; no corolla; stamina 
from lb to 20 : the female calyx is multipar- 
tite; no corolla; one pistil; no style; one 
naked seed. 'There are two species, of no 
note. 
CERBERA, a genus of (he monogynia 
order, in the pentandria class of plants, and 
in the natural method ranking under the 30th 
order, contorta*. 'The fruit is a monospermous 
plum. Of 5, the most remarkable species is, 
Cerbera atrouai, a native of the warm 
parts of America It rises with an irregular 
stem to eight or ten feet, sending out many 
crooked diffused branches, with thick succu- 
lent leaves of a lucid green, smooth, and 
very full of a milky juice. The flowers 
come out in loose’ bunches at the end of the 
branches; they are of a cream-colour, having 
long narrow tubes, and at the top are cut 
into five obtuse segments, which seem twist- 
ed. The wood of this tree stinks most abo- 
minably, and the kernels of the nuts are a 
deadly poison, to which there is no antidote ; 
C E R 3I() 
so that the Indians will n<^t even use the 
wood for fuel. 
CERCELE, in heraldry. A cross cer- 
cele is a cross which opening at the ends, 
turns round both ways like a ram’s horn. 
CERCIS, the Judas tree, a genus of the 
monogynia order, in the decandria class of 
plants, and in the natural method ranking 
under the 33d order, lomentaceae. The ca- 
lyx is quinquedentated, and gibbous below ; 
the corolla papilionaceous, with a short vex- 
illum or flag petal under the wings or side 
petals ; a leguminous plant, 't here are onlv 
two species, both deciduous. Tlie most re- 
markable is, 
Cercis Canadensis, or Canadian cercis: it 
will grow to the size of twenty feet in some 
places. The branches are also irregular : the 
flowers are usually of a palish red, and show 
themselves in spring, before the leaves are 
grown to their size. 'The flowers are often 
eaten in sallads, and afford an excellent 
pickle. 
CERDON IANS, in church history, per- 
sons who maintained most of the errors of 
Simon Magus, Saturnel, and other Gnostics. 
They. asserted two principles, the one good, 
and the other evil: this last, according to 
them, was creator of the world, and the God 
that appeared under the old law-; the first,, 
whom they called unknown, was the father 
of Jesus Christ; who, they taught, was only 
incarnate in appearance, and was not bom • 
of a virgin, nor suffered death, but in appear- 
ance. 
CEREALIA, in-antiquity, feasts of Ceres, 
instituted by Triptolemus of Eleusis, in. 
Attica. 
CEREBELLUM, in anatomy, the hinder, 
part of the brain. See Anatomy. 
CEREBRUM. See Anatomy. 
CERINTHE, honey-wort, a genus of 'the- 
monogynia order, in the pentandria class of 
plants, and in the natural method ranking un- - 
der the 4lst; order, asperifoliae. 'The limb of 
the corolla is a ventricose tube, with the 
throat pervious ; and there are two bilocular 
seeds; There are two species, natives of 
Germany, Italy, and the Alps. 'They are low 
annual plants, with purple, yellow, and red 
flowers, which may be propagated by seed, 
sown in autumn, in a warm situation. 
CERINTHIANS, in chinch history, a 
Christian sect, followers of Cerinthus,* who > 
lived and published his heresy in the time of. 
the apostles themselves. They did not allow 
that God was the author of the creatures, . 
but said that the world was created by an 
inferior power: they attributed to this crea- 
tor an only son, but born in time, and differ- 
ent from the world: they admitted several 
angels and inferior powers ; they maintained 
that the law and the prophets came not from 
God, but from the angels ; and that the God 
of the Jews was only an angel. 'They distin- 
guished between Jesus and Christ : and said, 
that Jesus was a mere man, born, like other 
men, of Joseph and Mary ; but that he 
celled all other men in prudence and wis- 
dom ; that Jesus being baptized, the Christ 
of the supreme God, that is, the Holy Ghost, 
descended upon him ; and that by the assist- 
ance of this Christ, Jesus performed his mi- • 
racles. It was partly to refute- this sect tiiat 
St. John wrote his gospel. 
CEROPEG1A, in botany, a genus of the* 
pentandria monogynia class. Tin: flower con— 
