ATR 
close ou the ground, and between them the 
flower is situated ; it is a native of Italy and 
the islands of the Archipelago. It flowers 
in July, but the seeds never come to per- 
fection in England. 
ATRAGENE, in botany, a genus of the 
Polyandria Polygynia class of plants, the 
flower of which consists of twelve petals, 
and its seeds are caudated. There are five 
species. This genus is allied to Ranunculus, 
but has a double row of petals, in the outer 
row four large ones, in the inner many small 
ones, which are properly nectaries. The A, 
alpina may be increased by cuttings or 
layers, in the same manner as clematis ; in a 
strong soil, and trained against a wall it will 
rise to the height of six or eight feet. The 
flowers appear early, and if the season prove 
favourable they make a handsome figure; 
but as this plant is apt to put out leaves 
very early in the spring it is frequently nip- 
ped by the frosts ; as are many plants and 
trees of Siberia and Tartary of which this is 
a native. 
ATRAPHAXIS, in botany, a genus of 
the Hexandria Digynia class of plants, the 
flower of which consists of two roundish, 
sinuated, and permanent petals ; and its cup 
incloses a single, roundish, and compressed 
seed. There are ttvo species : 1. thespinosa, 
a shrub that rises four or five feet high, send- 
ing out many weak lateral branches, armed 
with spines, and garnished with small ash- 
coloured leaves. The flowers come out at 
the ends of the shoots in clusters, each con- 
sisting of two white petals tinged with pur- 
ple, included in a two-leaved calyx of a 
white herbaceous colour. 2. A. undulata, 
which sends out many slender branches, 
trailing on the ground ; leaves about the size 
of those of knot-grass, waved and curled on 
their edges, embracing the stalk half round 
at their base. This is a native of the 
Cape. 
ATRIPLEX, orach, in botany, a genus 
of the Polygamia Monoecia class of plants, 
without any flower petals ; the cup of the 
female flower is composed of two leaves, 
inclosing a single and compressed seed ; 
whereas that of the hermaphrodite flower is 
composed of five leaves, and incloses a 
single, roundish, and depressed seed. There 
are fourteen species. 
ATROPA, in botany, a genus of the 
Pentandria Monogynia class of plants, the 
flower of which consists of a single funnel- 
fashioned petal; the fruit is a globose berry 
containing two cells, wherein the seeds in- 
closed are numerous and kidney-shaped. 
ATT 
There are eight species, of which we no- 
tice in this place the A. belladonna, deadly 
night-shade, which has a perennial, thick, 
long, and branching root, sending out 
strong, herbaceous, upright, branching 
stems ; the root-leaves are often a foot long, 
and five inches broad ; peduncles axillary, 
one-flowered ; flowers large, nodding, void 
of scent ; calyx green ; berry large, at first 
green, but when ripe of a beautiful shining 
black colour, full of purple juice; with 
roundish, dotted, channelled seeds, immers- 
ed in the pulp, and a glandular ring sur- 
rounding it. It is a native of Europe, par- 
ticularly of Austria and England, in church- 
yards and on dunghills, skulking in gloomy 
lanes and uncultivated places ; in other 
countries it is said to be common in woods 
and hedges. The qualities of this plant are 
malignant, and it is extremely poisonous in 
all its parts. Numerous instances have oc- 
curred of the berries proving fatal after 
causing convulsions and delirium. Bucha- 
nan relates the destruction of the army of 
Sweno the Dane, when he invaded Scot- 
land, by the berries of this plant, which 
were mixed with the drink with which the 
Scots had engaged to supply the Danes, 
The invaders became so inebriated that the 
Scottish army fell on them in their sleep 
and slew such numbers that scarcely enough 
were left to carry off their king. To chil- 
dren the berries have often been fatal. The 
symptoms occur in half an hour, and consist 
of vertigo, great thirst, delirium, swelling, 
and redness of face. Vinegar liberally 
drank has been found efficacious in obviat- 
ing the effects of the poison. See Man- 
drake. 
ATROPHY, in medicine, a disease 
wherein the body or some of its parts do 
not receive the necessary nutriment, but 
waste and decay incessantly. See Medi- 
cine. 
ATTACHING, or Attachment, in law, 
the taking or apprehending of a person by 
virtue of a writ or precept. 
It is distinguished from an arrest in this 
respect, that whereas an arrest lies only on 
the body of a man, an attachment is often- 
times on the goods only, and sometimes on 
the body and goods; there is this farther 
difference, that an arrest proceeds out of an 
inferior court by precept only, and an 
attachment out of a higher court, either by 
precept or writ. 
An attachment by writ differs from dis- 
tress, insomuch that an attachment does not 
extend to lands, as a distress does ; and a 
