CAS 
was succeeded in the Academy and Obser- 
vatory by his second son, Cesar Francois de 
Thnry ; who also distinguished himself in 
the sciences connected with astronomy ; 
and as well as his father and grandfather, 
published many valuable works. He died 
in 1784, of the small-pox, and was suc- 
ceeded by his only son count John Dominic 
Cassini. 
CASSIOPEIA, in astronomy, a constel- 
lation of the norti'Crn hemisphere, situated 
epposite to the Great Bear on the other 
side of the pole. See Astronomy. 
In the year 1572, a remarkable new stor 
appeared in this constellation, surpassing 
.Sirius ‘or Lyra in brightness and magnitude. 
It appeared even bigger than Jupiter which, 
at that time, was near his perigee, and by 
some was thought equal to Venus, when she 
is in her greatest lustre ; but in a month it 
began to diminish in lustre, and in about 
eighteen months entirely disappeared. 
It alarmed all the astronomers of that 
age, many of whom wrote dissertations on 
it ; among the rest Tycho Brahe, Kepler, 
Maurolycus, Lycetus, Gramineus, &c. Beza, 
the Landgrave of Hesse, Rosa, &c. wrote 
to prove it a comet, and the same which ap- 
peared to the Magi, at the birth of Jesus 
Christ, and that it came to declare his se- 
cond coining : they were answered on this 
subject by Tycho. Several astronomers 
are of opinion that this star has a periodi- 
cal return, which Keill and others have con- 
jectured to happen every 150 years, Mr. 
Pigott adopts the same opinion ; and he 
accounts for its not being noticed at the 
completion of every term, by its variable 
lustre at different periods, so ihat it may 
sometimes increase only to the 9th magni- 
tude ; and if this be the case, its period is 
probably much shorter. 
CASSIUS, pneipitate of, obtained from 
the muriate of gold by the means of tin. 
It is highly valued for the beauty of the 
colour which it gives to glass or enamel. 
It may be obtained by simply immersing 
a plate of tin in a dilute solution of muriate 
of gold : but the usual mode is to dissolve 
pure gold in a nitro-muriatic acid, com- 
possed of three parts of nitric acid, and one 
of the muriatic. The tin is prepared by 
dissolving it, without heat, in an acid com- 
posed of two parts of nitric, and one of 
muriatic acid, previously diluted with an 
equal weight of water. This solution being 
saturated, is diluted with one hundred parts 
of water, to which the solution of gold in 
quantity equal to half the quantity of solu- 
CAS 
tion of tin is added: the liquor becomes 
of a beautiful purplish red colour, and a 
precipitate subsides which is to be washed 
and dried. This is the only preparation 
capable of giving a red colour to glass : 
which then serves as an imitation of the 
ruby. 
CASSYTA, in botany, a genus of the 
Enueandria Monogynia class an I order. 
Essential character: corol calycine, sex- 
partite ; nectary of tliree truncate glands, 
surroimding the receptacle ; interior fila- 
ments glanduliferous ; drupe monospermous. 
Tiiere are but two species, of which C. fili- 
formis is a plant which rises with taper suc- 
culent stalks, dividing into many slender 
succulent branches ; these come out fre- 
quently by threes or fours at the same joint, 
afterward they send out side branches 
singly without order, and become very, 
bushy ; the flowers come out on the side of 
the branches, having no calyx ; the corolla 
is oval, white, with a small tincture of red, 
opening like a navel at the top, including 
tlie germ, stamina, style, and nectareous 
glands so closely, as not to be discovered 
till the corolla is cut open. This plant 
grows naturally in both Indies. 
CAST, among the Hindoos, denotes a 
tribe or number of families of the same rank 
and profession. There are in India four 
principal casts : the first is called the cast 
of “ Brahmins,” from the mouth or wisdom, 
and deemed the most sacred. These are 
to teach the principles of religion, to per- 
form its functions, and to cultivate the 
sciences. They are the priests, the instruc- 
tors, and philosophers of the nation. The 
second order called “ Chehteree,” from 
arms or strength ; to draw the bow, to 
fight, to govern : these are entrusted with 
the government and defence of the state. 
The third order, called “ Bice,” from the 
belly, or nourishment, are to provide the 
necessaries of life by agriculture and traf- 
fic ; these are composed of husbandmen 
and merchants. The fourth class denomi- 
nated “ Sooder,” from the feet, or sub- 
jection ; to labour, or serve, consisting of 
artisans, labourers, and servants. Besides 
these, there is a fifth class denominated 
“ Burrun Sunker,” supposed to be the illi- 
cit union between persons of different casts : 
they are most dealers in petty articles of 
retail trade. 
Cast iron. See Iron. 
CASTILLEIA, in botany, so named in 
memory of Castilleius, a botanist of Cadiz, 
a genus of the Didynamia Angiospermia 
