OXA 
OUT 
OUNCE, a little weight, the sixteenth 
part of a pound avoirdnpoise, and the 
twelfth part of a pound troy ; the ounce 
avoirdnpoise is divided into eight drachms, 
and the ounce troy into twenty penny- 
weights. The avoirdnpoise ounce is less than 
the troy ounce, but the avoirdnpoise pound 
is greater than the troy pound. One hundred 
and seventy-five troy ounces are equal to 
one hundred and ninety-two avoirdupois 
ounces ; but one hundred and forty-four 
pounds avoirdupois are equal to one hundred 
and seventy-live pounds troy. Therefore 
one pound avoirdupois, is equal to one 
pound, two ounces, eleven pennyweiglits, 
sixteen grains troy. See AVeight. 
OVOLO, or Ovum, in architecture, a 
round moulding, whose profile, or sweep, in 
the Ionic and Composite capitals, is usually 
a quadrant of a circle : whence it is also 
commonly called the quarter round. 
OUSTED, in law, means put out, or 
removed, as ouster of possession as to 
lands. 
OUTLAWRY, is being put out of the 
law, or out of the king’s protection. It is 
a punishment inflicted for a contempt in 
refusing to be amenable to the process of 
the higher courts. By outlawry in civil 
actions, a person is so put out of the pro- 
tection of tlie law, that he is not only inca- 
pable of suing for the redress of injuries, 
but may be imprisoned, and forfeits all his 
goods and chattels, and the profits of his 
land ; his personal chattels immediately 
upon the outlawry, and his chattels real, 
and the profits of his lands when found by 
inquisition. Proceeding to outlawry is 
usually had in civil suits where an action is 
brought against two partners, and one is 
abroad ; it is then necessary to outlaw him 
before the other can be proceeded against. 
OUTWORKS, in fortification, all those 
works made without side the ditch of a 
fortified place, to cover and defend it. 
Outworks, called also advanced and de- 
tached works, are those which not only 
serve to cover the body of the place, biit 
also to keep the enemy at a distance, and 
prevent his taking advantage of tlie cavi- 
ties and elevations usually found in the 
places about the counterscarp, which might 
serve them either as lodgirients, or as ri- 
deanx, to facilitate the carrying on their 
trenches, and planting their batteries against 
the place: such are ravelines, tenailles, 
horn- works, velopes, crown- works, &c. It 
is a general rule in all outworks, that if 
there be several of them, one before ano- 
ther, to cover one and the same tenaille of 
a place, the nearer ones must, gradually 
one after another, command those that are 
further advanced out into the campaign, 
that is, must have higher ramparts, that so 
they may overlook and fire upon the be- 
siegers when they are masters of the more 
outward works. 
OATL. See Strix. 
OX. See Bos. 
OXALIC acid, iu chemistry, is found na- 
tive in some acid vegetable juices, and ra- 
ther plentifully in the “ oxalis acetocella,” 
or “ wood-sorrel,” and in other plants of the 
same genus; it is naturally united with a 
quantity of potash, not sufficient for com- 
plete saturation, forming what has been 
long known under the name of “ Essential 
salt of sorrel.” The oxalic acid is prepared 
artificially by boiling a sufficient quantity 
of nitric acid with a variety of vegetable 
and animal substances, such as sugar, mu- 
cilage, alcohol, animal jelly, &c. Take 
sugar as an example : one ounce in 
powder is put into a retort, with three 
ounces of strong nitric acid. During the 
solution, great quantities of the nitrous acid 
escapes : heat is to be applied till the ni- 
trous gas is driven off. Three ounces more 
of nitric acid are to be added, and the boil- 
ing continued till the fumes cease, and the 
colour of the liquor vanishes. Pour out the 
liquor into a wide shallow vessel, and, 
when it cools, crystals will be formed, 
which may be collected and dried on un- 
sized paper. The crystals thus obtained 
may be again dissolved in distilled water, 
and evaporated to obtain new crystals. In 
this way oxalic acid may be obtained from 
the substances above enumerated, and 
many others, as alcohol, gum, honey, &c. 
Prepared in this way, oxalic acid is in a 
concrete state, crystallized in four-sided 
prisms, terminated in two-sided summits. 
They are white and transparent, and have 
considerable lustre. They have a sharp 
taste, and change vegetable blues into a 
red colour, and produce the same effect on 
all vegetables, excepting indigo. The acid 
properties of this substance are So strong, 
that one part of concrete oxalic acid gives 
to 3,600 parts of water the property of red- 
dening paper stained with turnsole. AA^hen 
exposed to heat it is volatilized, partly in a 
liquid, and also in a cry staline form. It 
cannot be decomposed but by a very great 
heat. It is deliquescent in moist aii' ; and 
cold water dissolves about one-half its 
weight of the acid : boiling water dissolves 
