| September. 
796 CHILOCHLOA. 
weed ; several species of veronica are sometimes 
CHIMOPHILA. 
are liable to smoke, and fire-places in upper sto- 
called speedwell chickweed ; two species of are- | ries are, therefore, more apt to smoke than those 
naria are called respectively sea chickweed and 
plantain-leaved chickweed; the umbellated spe- 
cies of holosteum is called umbelliferous chick- 
weed ; and both of the species of montia are usu- 
ally called water chickweed. See the articles 
Sritcuwort, Atsrne, CAMPION, CatcHFriy, Mouss- 
Ear CHICKWEED, WINTER-GREEN, SPEEDWELL, 
Sanpwort, Horostrum, and Montta. 
CHILOCHLOA. A genus of hardy grasses, of 
the canary-grass tribe. The name is formed 
from two words which signify fodder-grass; but 
it is by no means appropriate. Boehmer’s species, 
C. Behmert, formerly called Phleum Behmeri, is an 
annual weed of the plains of England, grows 
about 20 inches high, and flowers from July till 
The rough species, C. aspera, for- 
merly called Phlewm paniculatum, is an annual 
weed of the heathy grounds of England, and 
grows to the height of 12 or 14 inches. The sand 
| species, C. arenaria, formerly called Phalaris are- 
| naria, is an annual weed of the sea-coasts of 
England, and grows to the height of 6 or 8 inches. 
Two species, the one perennial, the other annual, 
but neither of any moment, have been introduced 
from Austria and the Caucasian mountains. 
CHIMNEY. How far the Greek and Roman 
architects were acquainted with the construction 
of chimneys, is a matter of dispute. No traces 
of such works have been discovered in the houses 
of Pompeii, and Vitruvius gives no rules for 
erecting them. The first certain notice of chim- 
neys, as we now build them, is believed to be 
that contained in an inscription at Venice over 
the principal gate of the Scuola Grande di Sta. 
Maria della Carita, which states that, in 1347, a 
great many chimneys were thrown down by an 
earthquake. Chimneys require much attention, 
to make them secure and prevent their smoking, 
so great an annoyance to domestic comfort. It 
seems, at present, to be acknowledged, that it is 
much better to exclude the cold damp air from 
the flues, by narrowing the aperture at the top, 
than to give a larger vent to the smoke, at the 
risk of admitting a quantity of air to rush down 
the flue. For this reason, chimney-pots are of 
great use. In Prussia, where the architectural 
police is strict, great attention is paid to the 
erection of chimneys, and to the regular sweep- 
ing of them, the chimney-sweepers being bound 
to sweep the chimneys of a certain number of 
streets within a regular time; and, though the 
interference of a police in subjects of domestic 
economy is a delicate matter, the numerous fires 
which take place from the careless construction 
of chimneys, seem to make some public super- 
vision of their security desirable. The longer a 
chimney is, the more perfect is its draught, be- 
cause the tendency of the smoke to draw up- 
wards is in proportion to the different weight of 
‘| the column of air included in a chimney and an 
| equal column of external air. 
Short chimneys 
in the lower ones. Two flues in the same chim- 
ney should not communicate with each other 
short of the top. Some chimneys, in large estab- 
lishments, are very remarkable for their size. 
CHIMONANTHUS. A genus of ornamental 
shrubs, of the Calycanthus tribe. The fragrant spe- 
cies, Chimonanthus fragrans—formerly called Caly- 
canthus precozx—is a native of China and Japan, 
and was introduced to Britain in 1766. It isa 
deciduous shrub, of about 8 or 10 feet in height, 
and blooms from December till February. It is 
usually esteemed tender; but it has been found, 
on fair trial, to be at least as hardy as the peach- 
tree. It is one of the most fragrant and delight- 
ful of plants; and is trebly welcome in conse- 
quence of diffusing its odours during the coldest 
and gloomiest season of the year. It richly de- 
serves a place on any wall of sufficient warmth 
for the peach-tree, or in the conservatory or the 
greenhouse. A very elegant bouquet for the 
breakfast table in winter consists of a few flowers 
of chimonanthus, one or two camellias, and a few 
sprigs of myrtle.—Three varieties of it are in cul- | 
tivation, C. f. grandiflorus, C. f. luteus, and C. f.. 
parviflorus,—the first tall in the plant as well as 
large in the flower, and the second and third of 
comparatively recent introduction. Two other > 
species are known to botanists. The name Chi- 
monanthus signifies “ winter-flower.” 
CHIMOPHILA. A genus of hardy, evergreen, 
medicinal herbs, of the heath tribe. The corym- 
bose-flowered species, Chimophila corymbosa, for- 
merly called Pyrola umbellata, is a native of Si- 
beria, northern Europe, and most parts of North 
America, and was introduced to Britain about 
the middle of last century. It possesses consider- 
able relationship, both botanical and medicinal, 
to the bear’s grape or creeping arbutus, Arcto-— 
staphylos Uva Urst. Its root is woody and creep- 
ing; its stems are ascending, and grow to the 
height of 6 or 8 inches; its leaves are evergreen 
and coriaceous; and its flowers stand on small 
footstalks, and have a cream colour edged with 
purple, and appear in June. This plant has a 
pungently aromatic taste, and has diuretic, tonic, 
astringent, antiseptic, and antifebrile properties. 
It has long been in reputation among the Amer- 
ican Indians as a remedy for fever and rheuma- 
tism ; it was successfully used, during the revo- 
lutionary war of America, in cases of typhus 
fever; it has been used with good effect, by some - 
of our own most distinguished physicians, in 
cases of dropsy; and it was recently admitted to 
a recognised and established place among our ma- 
teria medica. “Pyrola umbellata,” says Dr. 
Thomson, “is diuretic and tonic. It has been 
given successfully in ascites, after digitalis and 
other diuretics had failed; and has also proved 
serviceable in acute rheumatism, intermittents, 
and other diseases assuming an intermittent type. 
It produces an agreeable sensation in the sto- 
