SCA 
fourth rhumb ; and after the same manner 
may both these lines be constructed. The 
line of meridional parts is constructed from 
the table of meridional parts, in the same 
manner as the line ot numbers is from the 
logarithms. 
The lines being thus constructed, all pro- 
blems relating to arithmetic, trigonometry, 
and their depending sciences, may be solved 
by the extent of the compasses only ; and, 
as all questions are reducible to propor- 
tions, the general rule is, to extend the 
compasses from the first term to the se- 
cond, and the same extent of the compasses 
■will reach from the third to the fourth; 
which fourth term must be so continued as 
to be the tiring required, which a little 
practice will render easy. 
Scale, scala, in music, is a denomination 
given to the arrangement of the six sylla- 
bles invented by Guido Aretine, ut, re, mi, 
fa, sol, la, called also gamut. It bears 
the name scale (j. d, ladder) becarrse it 
represents a kind of ladder, by means 
whereof, the voice rises to acute, or de- 
scends to grave ; each of six syllables be- 
ing, as it were, one step of the ladder. 
Scale is also used for a series of sounds ris- 
ing or falling towards acuteness or gravity, 
from any given pitch of tune, to the great- 
estdistance that is fit or practicable, through 
such intermediate degrees as make the suc- 
cession most agreeable and perfect, and in 
which we have all the harmonical intervals 
most commodiously divided. 
Scales offish, generally possess a sil- 
very whiteness, and are composed of dif- 
ferent lamina;. In many of their properties 
they resemble horn. By long boiling in wa- 
ter they become soft, and when they are 
kept for some hours in nitric acid, they are 
converted into a transparent membranous 
substance. By saturating the acid with 
ammonia, a precipitate is formed, which is 
phosphate of lime. The constituent parts 
of scales, therefore, are membrane and 
phosphate of lime. 
SCALENE, or Scalenous triangle, 
in geometry, a triangle whose sides and 
angles are unequal. 
SCAMMONY, in the Materia Medica, 
is a concreted vegetable juice of a plant of 
the same name, partly of the resin and 
partly of the gum-kind, of which there are 
two sorts, distinguished by the names of the 
places from whence they are brought. The 
Aleppo scammony is of a spongy texture, 
light and friable; it is of a faint disagreeable 
smell, and its taste is bitterish, very nause- 
SCA 
oils, and acrimonious. The Smyrna scara- 
mony is considerably hard and heavy, of a 
black colour, and of a inuch stronger smell 
and taste than the former, otherwise it much 
resembles it. 
SCANDALUM magnatuin, is the spe- 
cial name of a statute, and also of a wrong 
done to any high personage of the land, as 
prelates, dukes, marquisses, earls, barons, 
and other nobles ; and also the chancellor, 
treasurer, clerk of the privy seal, steward 
of the house, justice of one bench or other, 
and other great officers of the realm, by 
false news, or horrible, or false, messages, 
whereby debates and discord, between 
them and the commons, or any scandal to 
their persons might arise. 2 Richard II. c. 5. 
This statute has given name to a writ, 
granted to recover damages thereupon. 
It i.s now clearly agreed, that though 
there be no express words in the statute 
which give an action, yet the party injured 
may maintain one on this principle of law, 
that when a statute prohibits the doing of a 
thing, which if done might be prejudicial to 
another, in such case he may have an action 
on that very statute for his damages. 
SCANDIX, in botany, chervil, a genus 
of the Pentandria Digynia class and order. 
Natural order of Umbellatae or Umbelli- 
feraj. Essential character : florets of the 
disc most commonly male ; corolla radiate ; 
petals emarginate ; fruit awl shaped. There 
are eleven species. The most remarkable 
is S. odorata with angular furrowed seeds. 
It is a native of Germany ; and has a very 
thick perennial root, composed of many 
fibres, of a sweet aromatic taste, like ani- 
seed, from which come forth many large 
leaves that branch out somewhat like 
those of fern, whence it is named sweet 
fern. 
SC.ANNING, in poetry, the measuring 
of a verse by feet, in order to see whether 
or no the quantities be duly observed. 
The term is chiefly used in regard to the 
Greek and Latin verses. Thus an hexame- 
ter verse is scanned, by resolving it into six 
feet ; a pentameter, by resolving it into five 
feet, &c. 
SCANTLING,in building, a measure, or 
standard by which the dimensions of things 
are to be determined. The term is parti- 
cularly applied to the dimensions of any 
piece of timber, witli regard to its breadth 
and thickness. 
SCAPEMENT, a general term for the 
manner of communicating the impulse of 
the wheels to the pendulum of a clock. 
