ART 
npral corolla is difform, and radiated ; the 
single flowers of the disk are all males, they 
consist each olfive erect inflexo-cordate pe- 
tals ; the single flowers of the radius are all 
hermaphrodites, they consist of the same 
number of petals, but in these the exterior 
one is larger than the rest, and is divided 
into two parts; the fruit is roundish, com- 
pressed, and divisible into two parts ; the 
seeds are two, oblong and elegantly ridged 
at the edges, with round squammas. 
ARTEL, in commerce, a name given to 
a commercial association, consisting of a 
certain number of labourers, who voluntari- 
ly become responsible as a body, for the ho- 
nesty of each individual. The separate 
earnings of each man are put into the com- 
mon stock ; a monthly allowance is made 
for his support : and at the end of the year 
the surplus is equally divided. The num- 
ber varies in different associations from 50 
to 100 ; and it is considered so beneficial to 
belong to one of these societies, that 500, 
and even 1000 roubles are paid for admis- 
sion. These societies are not bound by 
any law' of the empire, or even written 
agreement ; nor does the merchant restrain 
them under any legal obligation ; yet there 
has been no instance of their objecting to 
ar >y j ns t claim, or of protecting an indivi- 
dual whose conduct had brought a demand 
on the society. Hence arises the denomi- 
nation of Arfilschisks, who are persons em- 
ployed by the Russian merchants of St. Pe- 
tersburg!], to collect payment on bills, to re- 
ceive and pay money, and also to superin- 
tend the loading and unloading of the dif- 
ferent cargoes. These Russians are mostly 
natives of Archangel, and the adjacent go- 
vernments, of the lowest class ; they are fre- 
quently slaves, generally of the crown ; and 
yet the merchant has no reason to distrust 
their fidelity, partly from the nature of their 
association, and partly from the natural re- 
luctance of the Russian to betray the confi- 
dence that is reposed in him. 
ARTEMISIA, in botany, a genus of 
plants of the Syngenesia Superflua class and 
order. Essen, char, receptacle naked or 
villous ; calyx imbricate, with rounded con- 
nivent scales ; florets of the margin subu- 
late, very entire. This genus is separated 
into four divisions : A. shrubs or under- 
shrubs ; of these there are 14 species, the 
most remarkable is A. abrotanum, southern- 
wood, which seldom grows more than three 
or four feet high. In some gardens, where 
the soil is well adapted to its nature, it has 
been seen much higher ; but in mountainous 
ART 
situations, it is low and slender, with the 
stems lying on the ground. It is bitter and 
aromatic, with a very strong smell. It is 
rarely used in medicine but as an ingredient 
in discutient and antiseptic fomentations. 
The branches dye wool yellow. B. her- 
baceous, with the stem quite simple ; flow- 
ers racemed : of these there are ten species. 
C. herbaceous ; stem more or less branch- 
ed ; flowers panicled ; leaves compound : 
there are about forty species of this divi- 
sion, among which is 1. A. absinthium, com- 
mon wormwood, a plant well known in this 
country. It is found wild in almost every 
part of Europe, in rocky places, by the 
road-sides, among rubbish, about farm- 
yards ; flowering from July to October. 
The leaves and flowers are very bitter; the 
roots are warm and aromatic. A consi- 
derable quantity of oil rises from itin dis- 
tillation, which is used both externally and 
internally to destroy worms. The leaves 
put into sour beer destroy the acescency. 
They resist putrefaction, and are therefore 
a principal ingredient in antiseptic fomen- 
tations. An infusion of them is a good 
stomachic, and with the addition of a fixed 
alkali, a powerful diuretic in dropsical cases. 
The ashes afford a purer alkali than most 
other vegetables, excepting bean-stalks, 
broom, and the larger trees. g. A. vulgaris, 
mugwort, found wild over the greatest part 
ofEurope, China, Japan, &c. on the borders 
of fields and ditch-banks, by W'ay-sides, in 
waste places, and about farm-yards. It is 
used in some countries as a culinary aroma- 
tic. A decoction of it is taken by the com- 
mon people to cure the ague. The moxa 
of Japan is prepared from this species. The 
leaves are collected in June, dried in the 
shade, and beat in a mortar till they become 
like tow ; this substance is then rubbed be- 
tween the hands, till the harder fibres and 
membranes are separated, and there re- 
mains nothing but a very fine cotton. The 
Japanese use it for tinder, and twice in a 
year men and women, young and old, rich 
and poor, are indiscriminately burnt with 
the moxa, either to prevent disorders, or to 
cure the rheumatism. D. more or less 
shrubby ; stem branched ; leaves undivid- 
ed ; there are five species, of which one is 
A, caerulescens, tarragon, a capital addition 
to sallads, and much used in France. 
ARTERY, in anatomy, a conical tube 
or canal, which conveys the blood from the 
heart to all parts of the body. See Ana- 
tomy. 
ARTICHOKE, See Cyjjapa. 
