vital 
A coln|M-tence is ritnl to runt. nt. 
YIIHIUJ, Mght Thoughts, \i. .'.<'.. 
A knowledge of tin- l:iw and :i devotion to it-, pi inr -ij,!,^ 
Mi- ritnl to a r. -pill. Hi\ ;uid lie :i( til.- very foiui'lation c.f 
it strength. Mori/, Mine. Writings, p. 512. 
5f. Capable of living; viable. 
I -, i h.i"' .1 'i , II I|.|,.M i .itr-, . . . liml others . . . iMinnnr- 
the liirtli (if thu seventh month I., lie ,,i,il. 
.SV '/'. Urinate, Vnln. HIT., iv. \-l. 
Vital airl, mi "I'l name lr oxygen Kan, which In essential 
i" animal I itc. Vital capacity of the lungs, see ,-/; 
ritn. Vital Center. Same a renter <>/'ivy/.i;-l/iiii (which 
n under rwpiroaon). Vital Christianity. SceCArw. 
tiimiti/. i (o. vital congruity*, tin mode .if union of 
body and soul according to the English Platonists. Vital 
contractility, the power of contraction inherent In llv- 
iiiK muscular tissue. Vital fluid, III*' name given liy 
Sell lilt 7.c toa llllid in plants, found ill certain vessels called 
liy liini ritnl. iv.vWx. It is also termed lutes. Vital force, 
the animating force in animals and plants. Sec the first 
quotation under ritiilitif, 1. Vital functions. .See/UHC- 
''- Vital-germ theory of contagion, the theory that 
contagions diseases are due tu the presence of perverted 
bioplasts liich are deseended from others originally 
healthy. Vital power, the ability to live, or continue 
alive; vitality. 
The movement of the bioplasm fa vital, occurs only 
dining life, and i.s due to m'fa/jwtivr which rilal pmrrr 
of this*, the highest form of bloplaftlil In nature, is in fact 
the living I. /,-.,(/,, Illoplasm, p. 200. 
Vital principle, that principle upon which, when united 
with organized matter, the phenomena of life are supposed 
to depend. See vitality. Vital sense, uuinestllesis. 
Vital tripod. Sec tripod. 
Totalisation, vitalise, ft 3. See ritalizution, etc. 
Vitalism (vi'tal-i/m), a. [< rital + -imii.] In 
hint., tli<! doctrine that ascribes all tlio func- 
tions of an organism to a vital principle dis- 
tinct from chemical and other physical forces. 
vitalist (vi'tal-ist), . [= F. ritaliste; < rilal 
+ -int.] A Leliever in the existence of vital 
Idtcc ,-is distinguished from the other forces op- 
crntive upon animal iiud vegetable organisms. 
vitalistic (vi-ta-lis'tik), a. [< vitalixt + -ic.] 
1. Pertoiobur to or involving the theory of 
vitalism, llrlutlioltz, Popular Sci. Lectures 
(trans.), p. 383. 2. Noting the vital-germ 
theory of contagion (which see, under vital). 
It was no easy tiling for him to justify the study of fer- 
mentation on the lines suggested hy what was called the 
ri'in/i-iie or germ theory. A'ohire, Mill. 482. 
Vitality (vi-tal'i-ti), n. [< F. vitalite = So. ci- 
talidaa = Pg. vitalidadc = It. ritalitA, < L. ri- 
talitti(t-),*, vital force, life, < vitalig, vital: see 
rilnl.] 1. The exhibiting of vital powers or 
capacities; the principle of animation or of 
life ; vital force. See life. 
It may be convenient to use the terms "vitality" and 
" vital force " to denote the causes of certain great groups 
of natural operations, as we employ the names of "electri- 
city " and " electrical force " to denote others ; but it ceases 
to be proper to do so if such a name implies the absurd 
assumption that either " electricity " or " vitality " Is an 
entity playing the part of an efficient cause of electrical or 
vital phenomena. A mass of living protoplasm is simply 
a molecular machine of great complexity, the total results 
of the working of which, or its vital phenomena, depend 
on the one hand upon its construction, and on the other 
upon the energy supplied to it ; and to speak of vitality 
as anything but the name of a series of operations is as if 
one should talk of the " horologlty " of a clock. 
Huxley, Anat. Invert., p. 15. 
Undoubtedly a man of genius can out of his own super- 
abundant vitality compel life Into the most decrepit vo- 
cabulary. Lowell, Study Windows, p. 240. 
2. Manifestation of a capacity for enduring and 
performing certain functions: as, an institution 
devoid of vitality. 
No incredulity or neglect can destroy the innate ritalihi 
of truth. <;,U,.; Oeol. Sketches, li. SO. 
There is nothing more curious than the vitality of a 
class of words never employed in good society, and never 
admitted into any dictionary. Science, V. 380. 
vitalization (vi'tal-i-za'shon), n. [< vitalize 
+ -atitiit.] The act or process of infusing the 
vital principle. Also spelled vitalisation. 
The essential function of the male element is not the 
riinli~<iti,:,i of the germ. 
W. K. Brooki, Law of Heredity, p. 248. 
vitalize (vi'tal-iz), 0. t. ; pret. and pp. vitalized, 
ppr. vitalizing. [< vital + -ire.] To give life 
to; render living; give an organic or vital char- 
acter to. Also spelled vitalise. 
It appears that it [organic assimilation] is a force which 
not only produces motion and cheiuloal change, hut also 
viUdiifs the matter on which it acU. 
Whewell, Hist. Scientific Ideas, iv. ::. 
It is thought to go without the saying that the [Austrian] 
monarch's negative will absolutely kill, his "let it be " 
abundantly vitaliif, all laws, whether constitutional or 
other. IT. II ,/-. Mate. 59. 
vitalize!" (vi'tiil-i-zer), . [< vitalize + -er 1 .] 
One who or that which vitalizes. Also spelled 
rilnU.ier. 
Vitally (M'tal-li). ni(Y. 1. In a vital manner; 
so as to give life. 
0773 
The organic structure of human I.,H!J, * uhei .l,y they 
are titled to live and move, and lie ntiill;/ infoimed l,y the 
Hoiil, is the workmanship of a most wise, powciful, and 
IH nelicent Maker. >/. l./"/oe'/i ) 
2. Ina manner or degree e.-sc nt in 1 In con tinned 
existence; essentially: as ntulli/ important. 
His attainment ton know ledge of IHH! and thin insUuit 
resistance of Sin ai e most intimately and vitally id il< [ 
Ncit lu r can advance In M>nd tin othct. 
( '/;,,.;/. Perfect Life, p. 95. 
3. In the vitals: us affecting vital parts; nor- 
tally; fatally: as, the animal was ritiilly hit or 
hurt. 
Vitals (vi'tal/), n. ill. [PI. of ritnl; short for 
ritnl /mrlx.] 1. The viscera necessary for vi- 
tal processes; those interior parts or organs 
which are essential to life, as the brain, heart, 
lungs, and stomach: a vague general term. 
A slight wound ; 
Tlmu-h It piere'il his body, It hath mlys'd the ritalt. 
I '/richer (and aiiotlu-r). Fair Maid of the Inn, II. 1. 
2. The part of any complex whole that is essen- 
tial to its life or existence, or to a sound state: 
M| corruption of manners preys upon the ritnli 
of a stale. 
A mortal disease was nixui her ritaU before Cmsar had 
crossed the Kulilr.ni 
.Story, Speech, Salem, Sept. 18, 1818. 
vitativeness (vi-tii'tiv-nes), n. In iiln-ni., the 
love of life a faculty assigned to a protuber- 
ance under the ear; also, the organ which issii)>- 
posed to indicate the presence of this faculty. 
vitellarian (vit-e-la'ri-an), . [< ritelliiriitiM + 
-nn.] Of or pertaining to the vitellarium: as, 
the vitellarian ducts. See cuts under I/ITI</ 
i- in ni, 'l'ii iniitiMln, and t'i:iloidea. Hus/<//. 
vitellarium (vit-e-la'ri-um), n. ; pi. ttuOaria 
(-ft). [NL., < Ii.rittllux, yolk: see ritellus.] A 
special gland of the female generative appara- 
tus of some worms, additional to the germarium, 
in which gland an accessory vitelline substance 
is formed. See yermarium, and cuts under Tre- 
matoda and IthaMocusla. 
Vitellary (vit'e-la-ri), w. and n. [< L. vitellus, 
yolk : see ritcllux.*] I.f n. The place where the 
yolk of an egg swims in the white. 
The citfllary or place of the yolk is very high. 
Sir T. Browne, Vulg. Err., Hi. 28. 
II. a. Same as vitellittf. 
The ritellurii sac of the embryo. Iluxiey. 
Vitellicle (vi-tel'i-kl), n. [< NL. ritflliculu.i, 
dim. of vitfllug, yolk: see ritellus.] A yolk- 
sac ; tlie vitelline or vitellary vesicle ; the bag 
which hangs out of the belly of an embryo, in 
the higher animals called the umbilical vesicle. 
See cuts under embryo and uterus. 
vitelligenoUB(vit-e-iij'e-nus), n. [< L. ritellux, 
yolk, T -genits, producing: see -f/e>ious.] Pro- 
ducing yolk or vitellus: specifying those cells 
secreted by the ovarioles of certain insects, 
which are supposed to supply nutriment to the 
ova. Also vitellogenous. Ilujclea, Anat. Invert., 
p. 381. 
Vitellin (vi-tel'in), w. [< ritell(im) + ->2.] 
The chief proteid constituent of the yolk of 
eggs. It Is a white granular body insoluble In water, 
soluble In dilute salt solutions, and not precipitated hy 
saturation with salt. It is associated with lecithin, and 
probably combined with it in the yolk of the egg. 
vitelline (v5-tel'in), a. and 11. [< vitellux + 
-ine 1 .] I. a. 1. Of or pertaining to the vitel- 
lus, or yolk of an egg; forming a vitellus, as 
protoplasm: said especially of the large mass 
of food-yolk or deutoplasm of a meroblastic 
egg, or of the vitellicle. 2. In entom. and hot., 
colored like the yolk of an egg; deep-yellow 
with a tinge of red. 
Also ritcllnry. 
Vitelline duct. See dvetm mtelliiau. nnder dtirtiw, and 
cut under embryo. Vitelline membrane. See mem. 
brant. Vitelline sac, the vitellicle, or umbilical vesicle. 
II. n. Yolk; the vitellus; the vitellary sub- 
stance. Seel., 1. [Rare.] 
vitellogene (vi-tel'o-jen), n. [< L. vitelltut, 
yolk, T -genus, producing.] The vitellarium. 
vitellogenous (vit-e-loj e-nus), n. Same as 
PfMUtfWMMM, 
vitellolutein (vi-tel-o-lu'te-in), n. [< L. ritel- 
liix, yolk, + litteus, golden-yellow, + -in2.] A 
yellow coloring matter found in the eggs of the 
spider-crab, Main xi/iiimiiln. 
vitellorubin (vi-tel-o-ro'bin), n. [< L. viteUus, 
yolk, + rub(er), red, -t- -i' 2 .] A reddish-brown 
coloring matter found in the eggs of Main 
gmttnaao. 
vitellus (vi-tel'us), . [NL., < L. vitellus, a 
yolk, a transferred use of riMltin, a little calf, 
dim. of ritulux. a calf: see real.] The yolk of 
an egg; in the broadest sense, the protoplasm 
Flowering Plant of fitrx .J 
a, a flower. 
vitiator 
of an ovum; tli- : ive or formaliM' pm- 
tuplii.siiiii- contents of an oviitn-cell. wliicn is 
Iran-rornied into the lio.ly of the emlirvo, pins 
that -iil^tuiiee. if .-my. wliich nonrinet the 
etiiliryo during its germination and IE 
qncnt growth. Hem,-, in meiohlasln- ma. two kind- 
of vll. lintfiiiKhed. the germ->olk. or neiniln:i- 
tlve \iti Ilils pioper. an. I tie fi M ,,l \,,)k til. i 
ing and the lattei noiiiiiiii,^ tin- einiiijo. Segmenta- 
tion of the vltelliiK. Vitellus for- 
matlVUS, fntniatlle 01 line Milk. >ce I,,.,, , 
Vitellus nutritlvua, food yolk 
VitCX (vi'leks), w. [NI,. (Kivinii-. KilHi,, < I,. 
nlis. ablins, cast us. | A genus of plai;l>, of the 
order I : rln nnrni . type of I he tribe I ilin-ir. It Is 
characterizwl by mcdinin -i/' il tlnu i *. tin ( oi oi 1. 1 H it 1 1 
aahorttiiheand very ol>lli|ii< llv c|, ft or two lipped limb 
(1U forward lobe larger), by four usually ezaerl 
and by a drupaceoiu fruit with a Mimic four-ci Ned null, t 
There are about 76 ipeclex. wide!) .li-pcis. d throughout 
want) reffloni, a f ew extend Ink- into teni|M*rate parts uf Alia 
and sou tie in I.IIMI|,C. 'I hey are trees or Khrubsbfarl iiu' oj, 
posite leaves, which ar( inmonly < om|oited of three U 
seven digitate entire or toothed thin or coriaceous leatleU. 
The (lowers are 
white, blue, vio- 
let, or yellowish, 
and form cymes 
which are loose 
and widely fork- 
Ing, or short, 
dense, and some- 
times almost 
contracted Into 
head. The ge- 
nus Is somewhat 
aromatic ; sev- 
eral species are 
tender shrubs 
cultivated un- 
der glass. V. 
Affnus etiKtiix. a 
deciduous shrub 
from Sicily and 
the Mediter- 
ranean, Is culti- 
vated In many 
forms, as with va- 
riegated leaves, 
etc., under the 
names chcutt- 
tree, Abraham'*- 
balm, hemp-tree, 
innitk'f pepper- 
tree, and espe- 
cially 0ffwi*ctut\u (which see, under ayma). V. tri/vlia is 
known In India as iriKd pepper. V. pubetcen* ( V. arborea) 
of the East Indies is an evergreen reaching 60 feet In 
height, known as tree-ntex. Many species produce a valu- 
able wood, as y. Liynum-ritjr, the llgnum-\ltae of Queens* 
land, and r. capitata, the bois lezard of Trinidad, Uutana. 
and Brazil, or a durable building-timber, especially r. I:' 
toralii, the New Zealand teak or purirl, which is consid- 
ered indestructible In water. The last is a large tree 
sometimes 5 feet in diameter, hearing spreading branches 
of dull-red hairy flowers an inch long. (8ee puriri, and 
\ew Zealand teak (under teak).) V. umbnua of the West 
Indies Is one of the trees known as kfxuwKl or/(/(//**uow/. 
vitialt (vish'i-al), a. [< L. vitium, a fault, vice, 
+ -nf.] Faulty; corrupt; vicious. 
There is nothing on It Itlie earth] that Is of It which Is 
not become more filial than vital. 
Ken. T. Attaint, Works, I. 337. 
vitiate (vish'i-at). v. t.; pret. and pp. ritiated. 
ppr. vitiatiny. [Formerly also vieiatc; < L. ri- 
tiatiis, pp. of ritiare C>\i. rieiarr = Sp. Pg. ririar 
= F. vicier), make faulty, injure, spoil, corrupt, 
< ritiiim, a fault, imperfection: see riw-l.] 1. 
To render vicious, faulty, or imperfect; injure 
the quality or substance of ; cause to be defec- 
tive; impair; spoil ; corrupt : HK,&vitiatedttate. 
This beauteous Maid [Venice) hath been often attempted 
to be vitiated. Hinrrlt, Letters, I. L 3(1. 
Wholesome meats to a vitiated stotnack differ little or 
nothing from unwholesome. Milton, Areopagltlca, p. Hi. 
2. To cause to fail of effect, either in whole or 
in part; render invalid or of no effect ; destroy 
the validity or binding force of, as of a legal 
instrument or a transaction; divest of legal 
value or authority ; invalidate : as, any undue 
influence exerted on a jury vitiates their ver- 
dict; fraud vitiatf a contract; a court is ri- 
tiated by the presence of unqualified persons 
sitting as members of it. 
The least defect of self-possession vitiates. In my judg- 
ment, the entire relation | friendship'. 
Kmennn, Friendship. 
= 8yn. 1. Pollute, Corrvpt, etc. (see laiii/i), debase, de- 
prave. 
vitiation (vish-i-a'shon), w. [< L. ritiatio(n-). 
violation, corruption, < ritiare. corrupt, vitiate: 
see vitiate.] The act of vitiating. Specifically 
(a) Impairment ; corruption : as, vitiation of the blood. 
The strong vitiation of the (ierman Idiom with English 
words and expressions. Ainer. Jour. Pkilot., X. 316. 
(6) A rendering invalid or illegal : as, the vitiation of a 
contract or a court. 
Vitiator (vish'i-a-tpr), . (< L. ritintnr. < riti- 
ni'i. corrupt, vitiate: see rilintr.] One who or 
that which vitiates. 
