A M M 
ter, and mixed with a vitriolic acid, eft'ervefces violently 
and produces a fenfe of cold ; the volatile fait treated in 
the fame manner eif'ervefces likewife, but produces heat. 
After folution in water, it flioots into cryftals, which 
refemble feathers, or into long (Inning fpicula. Mixed 
with a fixed alkaline fait, and then fublimed, it affords a 
dry volatile fait; but, mixed with quick-lime, its volatile 
parts are only to be obtained in a liquid form. When un¬ 
mixed with other matters, it may be fublimed with a con- 
liderable degree of heat, without, fuffering the lead change 
in its nature or properties ; but, if the fire is haftily railed 
during its fublimation, it remarkably volatilizes many 
kinds of bodies, if mixed with it. On account of its fea- 
falt, it turns acidum nitrofum dilutum imo aqua regia. 
Crude ammoniac fait does not curdle milk, nor alter the 
colour of an infufion of rofes. Rubbed with quick-lime, 
or with a fixed alkaline fait, it emits an urinous fmell. 
Dilfolved in lime-water, then a little hydrag. mur. being 
added, the mixture becomes of a yellow colour. 
In foldering, tinning, and carting (hot, the crude fait is 
much ttfed. It becomes volatile in a heat fomevvhat 
greater than that of boiling water. 
As a medicine, its effedts are to be ranked among the 
moft valuable of its tribe. Boerhaave fays, that it pre- 
ferves ail animal fubrtances From putrefaction ; that its 
brine penetrates their molt inward parts ; that it is the 
nobleft aperient, attenuant, refolvent, errhine, fternuta- 
torv, diaphoretic, fudorific, and diuretic. When ufed 
externally as a difcutient, or deterfive, it is mixed with 
feme proper fomentation in the proportion of 3 vi. or § i. 
to ft ij. of the liquid. It is more pungent to the talle than 
common fait, but is lefs antifpetic ; it partes off more 
freely through the pores than common fait, but does not 
move the belly fo freely. It is perfectly neutral ; attenu¬ 
ates vifeid juices ; promotes a dilcharge through the Ikin, 
or by urine, according as the patient is kept warmer or 
cooler, or according to the peculiar circumftances of the 
conftitution ; in larger dofes, as 5 ij- it opens the belly, 
and in yet larger it proves emetic ; it is an excellent fe¬ 
brifuge, and peculiarly affillant to the bark ; in many in- 
liances where the bark and emetics failed in agues, the 
crude fait given to 9 i. every four hours, with an infufion 
of camomile flowers, for fome days; then every fix, and 
at leaft every eight, hours, hath fucceeded ; it is ufed both 
as an antifpetic and a repellent in gargles ; when the throat 
is inflamed, or othenvife requires fiich remedies, it pow¬ 
erfully diffolves vifeid mucus in the mouth and fauces ; 
in violent hypochondriac cafes, it hath been of Angular effi¬ 
cacy by a daily ufe of it in dofes juft within what are re¬ 
quired to render the bowels lax ; after taking it lix, eight, 
and twelve, months, the cold bath hath completed the 
cure. From 3 i. to.3 ij- diffolved in 3 viij. c-f any (imple 
water, is a good fubrtitute for the common faline mixture, 
and may be given, as to quantity and time, in the fame 
manner. Great as are the powers attributed to this me¬ 
dicine, they are fome of them much doubted by practi¬ 
tioners of eminence, particularly by Dr. Cullen. He does 
not admit of its relblving powers by attenuating or 
diffolving the fluids ; but, like other faline matters, in 
parting by the excretions, they may be fuited to promote 
them. In being coupled with the Peruvian bark, it may¬ 
be of fome ufe as a diaphoretic ; but he doubts, that, in 
obviating the confequences apprehended from the ufe of 
the bark, it can be of any fervice ; nor does he allow that, 
externally applied, it has the power of difeuffing tumors, 
othenvife than by giving a moderate ftimulus to the vertels 
on the furface ; not by entering the pores, and by that 
means attenuating the vifeid fluids. However, there are 
fome compofitions in which this is a principal ingredient, 
and upon which furgeons have much dependence. Mr. 
Juftamond ftrongly recommends the following in the cure 
of the milk-breaft. ft. ammonias muviatae § j. fps. roris 
marini ftj. m. Linen rags (liould be dipped into this, 
and kept continually on the part atfetted. As a diicutient 
A M M 479 
this lotion is much employed. R. ammonlae muriabe 5 Is. 
aceti. fps. Viuoli reirtificati. ana ft i. m. 
AM MON FAC AL, adj. [from ammoniac .,] Having the 
properties of ammoniac; fait.—Human blood calcined, 
yields no fixed lalt ; nor is it a fal ammoniac ; for that 
remains immutable after repeated diftillations ; and diftil- 
lation dellroys the ammoniaral quality of animal 1’alts, and 
turns them alkaline : fo that it is a fait neither quite fixed, 
nor quite volatile, nor quite acid, nor quite alkaline, nor 
quite ammoniacal.\ but loft and benign, approaching neareft 
to the nature of fal ammoniac. Arbuthnot. 
AMMONFTyE f. in natural hiftory. See Cornu 
Ammonis. 
AM'MONITES, a people defeended from Ammon the 
fon of Lot. The Ainmoniies deftroyed thole giants which 
they called Zamzummims, Deut. ii. 19-21, and leized 
upon their country. God forbade Moles to attack the 
Ammonites ; becaufe he did not intend to give their lands 
unto the Hebrews. Before the Ifruelites entered the land 
of Canaan, the Amorites had by conqueit got great part 
of the countries belonging to the Ammonites and Moab¬ 
ites. This Moles retook from the Amorites, and divided 
between the tribes of Gad and Reuben. In the time of 
Jephtha, the Ammonites declared war againft. the Ifrael- 
ites, under pretence-that they had detained great part of 
the country which had formerly been theirs before the 
Amorites poffeffed it. Jephtha declared, that as this was-- 
an aquilition which the Ifraelites had made in a juft war, 
and what they had taken from the Amorites, who had 
long enjoyed it by right of conqueft, he was under no- 
obligation to reftore it. The Ammonites were not fatis- 
fied with this reafon; wherefore Jephtha gave them battle 
and defeated them. The Ammonites.and Moabites gene¬ 
rally united whenever there was any delign let on foot of 
attacking the Ifraelites. After tire death of Othniel, the 
Ammonites and Amalekites joined with Eglon king of 
Moab to opprefs the Hebrews ; whom they lu-bckied, and 
governed for the fpace of eighteen years, till they were 
delivered by Ehud the fon of Gera, who Hew Eglon king, 
of Moab. Some time after this, the Ammonites made war 
againft the Ifraelites, and greatly dirtreffed them. But 
thefe were at laft delivered by the hands of Jephtha; who 
having attacked the Ammonites, made a very great (laugh¬ 
ter among them. In the beginning of Saul’s reign, 1 Sam. 
xi. Naalh king of the Ammonites having fat down before 
Jabeth-gilead, reduced the inhabitants to the extremity 
of demanding a capitulation. Naalh anfwered, that he 
would capitulate with them on no other conditions than, 
their fubmitting to have every one his right eye plucked 
out, that fo they might be made a reproach to Efrael : but 
Saul, coming feafonably to the relief of Jabefli, delivered 
the city and people from the barbarity of the king of the 
Ammonites. After the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the 
half-tribe of Manaffeh, were carried into captivity by 
Tiglath-pilefer in the year 3264, the Ammonites and 
Moabites took poiiellion of the cities belonging to thefe 
tribes. Jeremiah reproaches them for it. The ambalTa- 
dors of the Ammonites were fome of thofe to whom this 
prophet, chap, xxvii. 2-4. prefented the cup of the Lord’s 
fury, and directed to make bonds and yokes for them- 
felves ; exhorting them to fulimit themfelves to Nebuchad¬ 
nezzar, and threatening them, if they did not, with capti¬ 
vity and flavery. Ezekiel denounces their entire dertruc- 
tion ; and tells them that God would give them up to the 
people of the eaft, who Ihor.ld fet their palaces in their 
country, fo that there lliould be no more mention of the 
Ammonites among the nations. It is believed that thefe 
misfortunes happened to the Ammonites in the fifth year 
after the taking of Jerufalem, when Nebuchadnezzar made 
war againft all the people that dwelt upon the confines of 
Judea, in the year of the world 3420. During the perfe- 
cutions of Antiochus Epiphanes, Jofephus Informs, that 
the Ammonites (hewed their hatred to the Jew’s, and exer- 
cifed great cruelties againft fuch of them as lived about 
3 iheiit 
