ALC 
Its uses are many and important : it is 
employed as a solvent for those resinous 
gums which form the basis of numerous 
varnishes : it is employed also as the basis 
of artificial cordials and liquors, to which a 
flavour and additional taste are given by 
particular admixtures : it serves as a solvent 
for the more active parts of vegetables, un- 
der the form of tinctures. The antiseptic 
power of alcohol renders it particularly 
valuable in preserving particular parts of 
the body as anatomical preparations. The 
steady and uniform heat which it gives 
during combustion, makes it a valuable 
material for burning in lamps. 
ALCORAN, or Alkoran, the name of a 
book held equally sacred among the Maho- 
metans as the bible is among Christians. 
The word alcoran properly signifies read- 
ing ; a title given it by way of eminence, 
just as we call the Old and New Testament 
Scriptures. 
That Mahomet was the author of the Al- 
coran is allowed both by Christians and 
the Mahometans themselves ; only the latter 
are fully persuaded that it was revealed to 
him by the ministry of the angel Gabriel ; 
whereas the former, with more reason, think 
it all his own invention, assisted by one Ser- 
gius, a Christian monk. The Alcoran is held 
not only of divine original, but eternal and 
uncreated, remaining, as some express it, in 
the very essence of God. The first trans- 
cript has been from everlasting by God's 
throne, written on a table of vast bigness, in 
which are also recorded the divine decrees, 
past and future. A copy from this table, in 
onb volume, on paper, was sent down to the 
lowest heaven, in the month of Ramadan, on 
the night of power. From whence it was 
delivered out to Mahomet by parcels, some 
at Mecca, and some at Medina. Though he 
had the consolation of seeing the whole once 
a year, and in the last part of his life twice. 
Ten new chapters were delivered entire, the 
greater part only in separate periods, which 
were written down from time to time by the 
prophet’s amanuensis, in this or that part, of 
this or the other chapter, as he directed. 
The first parcel that was revealed, was the 
five first verses of the ninety-sixth chapter, 
w hich the prophet received in a cave of 
Mount Harali, near Mecca. 
The general aim of the Alcoran was, to 
unite the professors of the three different 
religions then followed in Arabia, Idolaters, 
Jews, and Christians, in the knowledge and 
worship of one God, under the sanction of 
certain laws, and the outward signs of cere- 
monies, partly of ancient, and partly of novel 
ALC 
institution, enforced by the consideration of 
rewards and punishments, both temporal and 
eternal, and to bring all to the obedience of 
Mahomet, as the prophet and ambassador of 
God, who was to establish the true religion 
on earth, and be acknowledged chief pon- 
tiff in spiritual matters. The chief point 
therefore inculcated in the Alcoran is the 
unity of God, to restore which, the prophet 
confessed was the chief end of his mission. 
The rest is taken up in prescribing necessary 
laws and directions, 'frequent admonitions 
to moral and divine virtues, the worship and 
reverence of the Supreme Being, and resi°-. 
nation to his will. 
As to the book itself, as it now stands, it 
is divided into 114 Suras, or chapters, which 
are again divided into smaller portions or 
verses. But besides these divisions, Maho- 
metan writers farther divide it into 60 equal 
portions, called hiz, or hazah ; each of which 
they subdivide into four parts. 
After the title at the head of each chapter, 
except the. ninth, is prefixed the formula, 
“ In the name of the most merciful God,” 
called by the Mahometans Bismallah, where- 
with they constantly begin all their books 
and writings, as the distinguishing mark of 
their religion. 
Twenly-nine of the chapters of the Alco- 
ran have this further peculiarity, that there 
are certain letters of the alphabet prefixed 
to them. In some a single letter ; in others, 
two or more. These letters are supposed, 
by the ti-ue believers, to conceal divers pro- 
found mysteries, the understanding whereof 
has been communicated to no man, their 
prophet excepted. Yet some have pie- 
tended to find their meaning, by supposing 
the letters to stand for so many words, ex- 
pressing the names, attributes, and works of 
God; others explain these letters from the 
organ made use of in their pronunciation - 
others from their value in numbers. 
There are seven principal editions of the 
Koran, two at Medina, one at Mecca, one 
at Cufa, one at Bassora, one in Syria, and 
the common or vulgate edition. The first 
contains 6000 verses; the second and fifth, 
6214; the third, 6219; the fourth, 6236; 
the sixth, 6226; and the last, 6225; but the 
number of words and letters is the same in 
all, viz. 77,639 words, and 323,015 letters, i 
The Alcoran is allowed to be written with 
the utmost elegance and purity of language, 
in the dialect of the Koreishites, the most 
noble and polite of all the Arabians, but 
with some mixture of other dialects. It is 
the standard of the Arabic tongue, and as 
the orthodox believe, and are taught by the 
