ASS 
the organs produce. The stomach converts 
food into chyme, and the intestines change 
chyme into chyle ; and the substances that 
have not been converted into chyle fire, 
thrown out of the body. If there should be 
present in the stomach and intestines any 
substance which, though incapable of un- 
dergoing these changes, at least by the 
action of the stomach and intestines yet has 
a strong affinity either for the whole chyme 
and chyle, or for some particular part of it ; 
and no affinity for the substances which are 
thrown out, that substance passes with the 
chyle, and in many cases continues to re- 
main chemically combined with the sub- 
stance to which it is united in tiie stomach, 
even after the substance has been com- 
pletely assimilated, and made a part of the 
body of the animal. Tims there is an af- 
finity between the colouring matter of mad- 
der and phosphate of lime ; and when mad- 
der is taken into the stomach, it combines 
with tiie phosphate of lime of the food, 
passes with it through the lacteals and blood 
vessels, and is deposited with it in the bones. 
In the same way musk, indigo, &c. when 
taken into the stomach make their way into 
many of the secretions. These facts prove 
that assimilation is a chemical process ; that 
all the changes are produced according to 
the laws of chemistry; and Dr. Thomson 
adds, that we can derange tiie regularity of 
the process by introducing substances whose 
mutual affinities are too strong for the or- 
gans to overcome. See Physiology. 
ASSISE, in old law-books, is defined to 
be an assembly of knights and other sub- 
stantial men, with the justice, in a certain 
place, and at a certain time; but the word, 
in its present acceptation, is used for the 
court, place, or time, when and where the 
writs and processes, whether civil or crimi- 
nal, are decided by judges and jury. In this 
signification, assise is either general, when 
judges make their respective circuits, with 
commission to take all assise ; or special, 
where a commission is granted to particular 
persons for taking an assise upon one or 
two disseisins only. By magna charta, jus- 
tices shall be sent through every county, 
once a year, who, with the knights of the 
several shires, shall take assise of novel dis- 
seisin ; and as to the general assise, ail the 
counties of England are divided into six cir- 
cuits, and two judges are assigned by the 
king’s commission to every circuit, who 
now hold tiie assises twice a year, in every 
county, except Middlesex, where the courts 
of record sit, and the counties palatine. 
ASS 
These judges have five several commis- 
sions. 1. Of oyer and terminer, by which 
they are empowered to try treasons, felo- 
nies, &c. 2. Of gaol-delivery, which em- 
powers them to try every prisoner in gaol, 
for whatever offence lie be committed. 3. 
Of assise, which gives them power to do 
right upon writs brought by persons wrong- 
fully thrust out of their lands and posses- 
sions. 4. Of nisi-prius, by which civil causes 
come to issue in the courts above, are tried 
in the vacation by a jury of twelve men, in 
the county where the cause of action arises. 
5. A commission of the peace in every coun- 
ty of the circuit ; and all justices of peace 
of the county, and sheriffs, are to attend 
upon the judges, otherwise they shall be 
fined. 
ASSOCIATION of ideas is where two or 
more ideas constantly and immediately fol- 
low one another, so that the one shall almost 
infallibly produce the other, whether there 
be any natural relation between them or 
not. 
When our ideas have a natural corres- 
pondence and connection one with another, 
it is the office and excellency of our reason 
to trace these, and hold them together, in 
that union and correspondence, which is 
founded in their peculiar beings. But when 
there is no affinity between them, nor any 
cause to be assigned for their accompanying 
each other, but what is owing to mere acci- 
dent or custom ; this unnatural association 
becomes a great imperfection, and is, gene- 
rally speaking, a main cause of error, or 
wrong deductions in reasoning. 
To this wrong association of ideas, made 
in our minds by custom, Mr. Locke attri- 
butes most of the sympathies and antipa- 
thies observable in men, which work as 
strongly, and produce as regular effects, as if 
they were natural, though they at first had 
no other original than the accidental con- 
nection of two ideas, which either by the 
strength of the first impression, or future in- 
dulgence, are so united, that they ever after 
keep company together in that man’s mind, 
as if they were but one idea. 
The ideas of goblins and spirits have really 
no more to do with darkness than light ; yet 
let but these be inculcated often in the mind 
of a child, and there raised together, possibly 
he shall never be able to separate them 
again as long as he lives, but darkness shall 
ever afterwards bring with it these frightful 
ideas. 
So if a man receive an injury from an- 
other, and think on the man and that action 
