OXY 
jYicnts, supportiii" at their points the an- 
thers. This slirab is a native of the torests 
of Guiana, flowering in February. 
OXYDATION/ ? sometimes spelt 
OXYGENATION, S Oxidation, &c. 
See Oxide. See also Murray’s “ Chemis- 
try,” vol. ii. for the proper use of the seve- 
ral terms. 
OXYDIZEMENT, ? terms used by 
OXYGENIZE, J some author.? for 
OxYDATioN, Oxygenation, &c. which 
see. 
OXYGEN, in chemistry, is one of the 
most important agents in nature ; there is 
scarcely a single process, either natural or 
artificial in which oxygen has not a share, 
but it is known only in combination with 
other bodies. “ Oxygen,” says Mr. Mur- 
ray, “ denotes the solid base or gravitating 
matter, and oxygen gas is the name given 
to it, when it exists in the serial form.” 
There are two vast sources whence oxygen 
is derived, viz. water and air ; in the former 
it is condensed into the liquid form, and 
combined vvith about one-third of its weight 
of hydrogen ; in tlie latter it is united with 
an azote, and forms about one-fifth of the at- 
mosphere. Besides these, there are a multi- 
tude of other sources, such as many parts 
of the organized world, vegetable or animal, 
mineral acids and metallic oxides. Oxygen 
has a greater tendency to combination, 
than any other chemical agent. It is ne- 
cessary to support combustion, and during 
the process it combines with the com- 
bustible body. The products are compounds 
of oxygen, and are both numerous and im- 
portant agents in chemistry. The acids are 
of this kind, and their activity is principally 
dependent on their oxygen, which they yield 
readily to other bodies, and which by the 
dense state in which it exists, is often capa- 
ble of exerting powerful affinities. All the 
metals, likewise, are capable of combining 
with this principle, from which a number of 
compounds are formed. See Gas, oxygen. 
OXYGENATED muriatic acid, in che- 
mistry, is prepared in the following man- 
ner ; take equal parts of the oxide of man- 
ganese, and the red oxide of mercury or 
lead ; put fnem into a glass retort, and add 
four parts of concentrated muriatic acid. 
This, on distillation, affords a quantily of 
yellow aeriform fluid, which is oxygenated 
muriatic gas ; this being agitated witli 
water combines with it and forms oxyge- 
nated muriatic acid. The gas is yellow 
and transparent, and possesses a most suf- 
focating smell, It instantly extinguishes 
OZA 
flame, and animal life ; but has beep long 
used for bleaching. 
OXYGONE, in geometry, is an acute 
angled figure, or such, each of the angles of 
which is less than 90°. The term is chiefly 
applied to triangles, where the angles arc 
all acute. 
OYER of a deed, in law, is when a man 
brings an action upon a deed, bond, &c. and 
the defendant appears and prays that he 
may hear the bond, &c. wherewith he is 
charged ; and the same shall be allowed 
him. And he is not bound to plead till he 
has it, paying for the copy of the instru- 
ment. It is then set forth upon the plead- 
ings. 
Oyer and Terminer, in law, is a court 
by virtue of the King’s commission, to hear 
and determine all treasons, felonies, and 
misdemeanors. This commission is usually 
directed to two of the judges of the circuit, 
and several gentlemen of the county ; but 
the judges only are of the quorum, so that 
the rest cannot act without them. 
Oyer of the records, in law, is a petition 
made in court, that the judges for more sa- 
tisfactory proof, will be pleased to hear or 
look upon any record. 
O YES, corrupted from the French oi/rz, 
hear ye, is an expres.sion used by the crier 
of a court, in order to enjoin silence, when 
any proclamation is made. 
OYSTER. SeeOsTREA. 
OZANAM (James), in biography, an 
eminent French mathematician, was de- 
scended from a family of Jewish extraction, 
but which had long been converts to the 
Romish faith ; and shme of whom had con- 
siderable places in the parliament of Pro- 
vence. He was born at Boligneaux, in 
Bressia, in the year 1640; and being a 
younger son, though his father had a good 
estate, it was thought proper to breed him 
to the church, that he might enjoy some 
small benefices which belonged to the family, 
to serve as a provision for him. Accord- 
ingly he studied divinity four years; but 
then, on the death of his father, he devoted 
himself entirely to the mathematics, to 
which he had always been strongly attached. 
Some mathematical books which fell into 
his hands first excited his curiosity ; and by 
his extraordinary genius, witliout the aid of 
a master, he made so great a progress, that 
at the age of fifteen he wrote a treatise of 
that kind. 
For a maintenance, he first went to 
Lyons to teach the mathematics, which an- 
swered very well there; and after some 
