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CON 
CON 
CON 
CONCHA, in anatomy, the larger cavity 
of the external ear, situated before the mea- 
tus auditories, or passage into the internal 
ear. See Anatomy. 
CONCHOID, in geometry, the name of 
a curve, given it by its inventor, Nicomedes, 
and thus generated. 
Draw the right line Q Q (Plate Miscel. fig. 
16.), and A C perpendicular to it in the point 
E ; and from the point C draw right lines 
C M, cutting the right line Q Q in Q ; and 
make Q M = Q N, AE = E F, viz. equal 
to an invariable line : then the curve in which 
are the points M, is called the first conchoid ; 
-and the other, in which are the points N, 
the second ; the right line Q Q being the 
directrix, and the point C the pole: and 
from hence it will be very easy to make an 
instrument to describe the conchoid. The 
line Q. Q, is an asymptote to both the curves, 
which have points of contrary flexion. If 
Q M == A E = a, EC = b, M If — E P = x, 
_E II = P M = 1 / ; then will a 2 IP — 2 a 2 
b x -j- a 2 x 2 — b 2 x 2 — 2 b x 3 x 4 -\- x 2 if, 
and express the nature of the second con- 
choid ■; and x 4 -f- 2 b x 3 -j- if x 2 -f- IP x 1 — a 2 
b 1 -j- 2 a 2 b a a 2 x 2 , the nature of the first ; 
and so both these curves are of the,. third 
kind. 
This curve was used by Archimedes and 
other antients, m the construction of solid 
problems ; and sir Isaac Newton says that he 
himself prefers it before other curves, or even 
the conic sections, in the construction of 
cubic and biquadratic equations, on account 
of its simplicity and easy description. See 
sir Isaac Newton’s Universal Arithmetic. 
CONCLAMATION, in Roman antiqui- 
ty, a, custom of calling the dead party by 
his name for eight days successively ; on the 
ninth, concluding him past all hopes of re- 
covery, they carried him forth and buried 
him. 
CONCLAVE, the place in which the car- 
dinals of the Romish church meet, and are 
shut up, in order to the election of a pope. 
The. conclave is a range of small ceils, ten 
feet square, made of wainscot : these are 
numbered, and drawn for by lot. They 
stand in a line along the galleries and hall of 
the Vatican, with a small space between 
each. Every cell has the arms of the cardi- 
nal over it. * The conclave is not fixed to 
any one determinate place, for the consti- 
tutions of the church allow the cardinals to 
make choice of such a place for the conclave 
as they think most convenient ; yet it is ge- 
nerally held in the Vatican. The conclave 
is very strictly guarded by troops : neither 
the cardinals, nor any person shut up in the 
conclave, ai'e spoken to, but at the hours al- 
lowed of, and then in Italian or Latin ; even 
the provisions for the conclave are examined, 
that no letters be conveyed by that means 
from the ministers of foreign powers, or other 
persons who may have an interest in the 
election of the pontiff. 
After this assembly has continued three 
days, they are only allowed one dish for one 
meal ; and after live days, only bread and 
water : but this rule is not very religiously 
observed. 
CONCOCTION. See Physiology. 
CONCORD, in grammar, that part of 
construction called syntax, in which, the 
words of a sentence agree ; that is, in 
which, nouns are put in the same gender, 
number, and case; and verbs in the same 
number and person with nouns and pro- 
nouns. 
Concord, in common law, the agreement 
between parties, who intend to levy a tint 
of lands to. one another, how and in what 
manner they shall pass. 
Concord, in music, an union ol two or 
more sounds, which by their harmony pro- 
duce an agreeable effect upon the ear. I ni- 
sonance being the relation ol equality be- 
tween the pitch of two or more sounds, all 
unisons are considered by most theorists as 
concords in the fir degree. But an interval 
being a difference of pitch, or a relation ol 
inequality between two sounds, will form a 
concord or discord, according to the circum- 
stances of that particular relation. Of con- 
cords there are two kinds, the one called j 
perfect, the other imperfect ; perfect con- i 
cords consist of the fifth and eighth, imperfect 
concords of the third and sixth. The im- j 
perfect concords have also anot her distinction; j 
that of the greater and lesser third and sixth. ! 
The concords are again divided into conso- J 
nant and dissonant. The consonant con- j 
cords are the perfect concord and its deri- j 
vatives; every other is a dissonant concord, j 
We apply the word concord also to the state 
of an instrument in respect of its tuning, as 
also to the agreement of two or more voices : 
as when we say “ That instrument is not in 
concord,” or “ notin tune “ Those voices 
do not concord,” or “ do not harmonise and 
agree.” 
CONCORDANT verses, are such as 
have several words in common, but which 
by the addition of other words convey an 
opposite or at least a very different meaning ; 
as. 
( canis ) • . 
1 lupus [ ms ' ?lva 
Cvenatur > 
( nutritur 5 
„ . f servat. 
& omnia { .. 
( vastat. 
CONCORDAT, in the canon law, a co- 
venant or agreement in some beneficiary 
matter, as relating to a resignation, permu- 
tation, or other ecclesiastical cause. This 
word is used absolutely among the French 
for an agreement between pope Leo I. and 
Francis 1. of France, for regulating the man- 
ner of nominating to benefices. 
CONCRETE, in logic, is used in contra- 
distinction to abstract ; for example, when we 
consider any quality, as whiteness, inhering 
in any subject, as suppose in snow; if we 
say the snow is white, then we speak only of 
whiteness in the concrete: but it we consider 
whiteness by itself, as a quality that may be 
in paper, in ivory, and in other things, as 
well as in snow, we are then said' to consider, 
or to take, it in the abstract. 
CONCRETIONS, morbid. Hard sub- 
stances occasionally make their appearance 
in different parts of the animal body, both in 
the solids and in the cavities destined to con- 
tain the fluids. In the first case, they are 
usually denominated concretions or ossifica- 
tions ; in the second, calculi. The know- 
ledge of these bodies is of importance both 
to the physiologist and physician. Their 
formation is an irregularity in the animal 
economy, and is likely therefore to throw 
j light upon its functions; for we succeed best 
: in detecting the secrets of nature when she 
1 deviates from that regularity which she usu- 
ally follows. The often produce the most 
excruciating di-cos- ; and the sufferings of 
the patient can only be effectually relieved 
by removing . .r cause. The different 
animal com ret :ons at present known may be 
divided into lc. e classes: 
1. Ossifications, 
2. Intestinal concretions, 
3. Biliary calculi, ) c n 
« TT ■ J •, j • \ bee Calculi. 
4. U rniary calculi, ) 
5. Gouty concretions. 
I. Ossifications. All the concretions 
which make their appearance in the solids of 
the animal body may be comprehended under 
this title with propriety; because they have 
all a close resemblance to bone, being com- 
posed oi similar constituents. The following 
are the most remarkable ol tlnfse concretions. 
1. Lineal concretions. It is well known 
to anatomists that small concretions like sand 
are often lodged in that part of the brain call- 
ed the pineal gland. It was suspected from 
analogy that they consisted chiefly of phos- 
phat ox lime ; but Dr. Wollaston was the first 
who examined them chemically, and proved 
the truth of this opinion. He dissolved some 
of the sand in nitric acid, and evaporated the 
solution; small crystalline needles made their 
appearance, indicating the presence of phos- 
phat of lime. 
2. Salivary concretions. Small concre- 
tions occasionally make their appearance in 
the salivary glands, especially the parotid 
and sublingual. From the experiments of 
Wollaston and Fourcroy, we learn that the 
basis of these concretions is phosphat of lime 
united to a membranous substance, which 
retains the shape of the concretion after the 
solution of the phosphat. This at least was 
the case in a small salivary calculus which we 
examined. The same chemists ascertained 
that the tartar of the teeth is phosphat of 
lime. 
3. Pancreatic concretions. The hard sub- 
stances sometimes found in the pancreas are 
said to be of the same nature with those of 
the salivary glands. The assertion, we pre- 
sume, is merely from analogy. 
4. Pulmonary concretions. Many people 
subject to cough, or threatened with con- 
sumption, occasionally cough up small round- 
ed white concretions. It is very common 
to find the. lungs of such persons filled with 
similar bodies. We examined some of these 
bodies coughed up by a consumptive patient, 
and found them composed of phosphat of 
lime united to a thick membranous substance, 
which retained the form of the concretion. 
The same result had been obtained long be- 
fore by Fourcroy. 
5. Hepatic concretions. The liver also is 
sometimes full of similar bodies. The shape 
of the hepatic concretions, as far as our ob- 
servations go, is more irregular, and we have 
seen them of greater size, than the pulmo- 
nary concretions. By analysis, their com- 
position is the same as that of the last 
species. 
6. Concretions in the prostate. From the 
experiments of Dr. Wollaston, we learn that 
the concretions which sometimes form in the 
prostate gland have likewise phosphat of 
lime for their basis. 
7. The extremities of the muscles and the 
larger bloodvessels sometimes harden, and 
assume the appearance of bone. It is be- 
lieved that this change is a real ossification. 
* 
