VERLAINE 193 VERMILIOIf break of the World War his fame was largely confined to his native land, where he was popular as a lyric poet and a dramatist. After the German invasion of Belgium he sought refuge in Eng- land, after which his works became wide- ly known throughout all the Allied coun- tries and the United States. He has vn-it- ten over forty volumes, mostly lyrical poetry, and four plays, as well as some monographs on painters. One of his best known prose works is "Toute la Flan- dre," a historical and legendary study of Flanders. Another of his well known works is "Les Aubes." VERLAINE, PAUL, a French poet; born in Metz, March 30, 1844. He led a life of vagabondage, vibrating between prison and hospital; but was the most potent factor in modern French poetry, PAUL VERLAINE He was the real founder and best ex- ponent of the Symbolic School. He wrote: "Saturnine Poems" (1866); "Gay Festivals" (1869) ; "Accursed Poets" (1884); "Of Old and of Late" (1885). Among his stories are: "Louise Le- clercq" (1886) ; "Memoirs of a Widower" (1887) ; "Stories Without Words" (1887) ; "Love" (1888) ; "Dedications" (1890) ; "Good Luck" (1891) ; "My Hos- pitals" (1891). He died in Paris, Jan. 8, 1896. VERMEJO, or RIO GRANDE, a river of the Argentine Republic, rises in the highlands of Bolivia, and flows in a general S. E. direction till it joins the Paraguay. It is 1,300 miles in length, and has a very tortuous course. VERMICELLI, an Italian mixture prepared of flour, cheese, yolks of eggs, sugar, and saffron, manufactured in the form of long slender tubes or threads, and so named from their worm-like ap- pearance. Vermicelli differs from maca- roni only in being made in smaller tubes. Both are prepared in pei^fection at Na- ples, where they are a favorite dish with all classes, and form a principal item in the food of the population. Vermicelli is used in soups, broths, etc. VERMIFORM APPENDAGE, or VERMIFORM APPENDIX, in compara- tive anatomy, appendix cseci vermifor- mis. So far as is known, this appendage is peculiar to man, certain of the higher apes, and the wombat. The vermiform appendage in the human species hangs from the caecum, which is the point of junction between the smaller intestines and the ascending colon. In size and shape it resembles a man's little finger. Its lining membrane secretes a mucus which in health constantly wells up into the lower end of the colon where the ileo- cjecal valve opens, and this mucus acts as a lubricant to the valve. Sometimes the api>endix becomes ingested with fas- cal matter and serious and even fatal in- flammation results. See Appendicitis. VERMIFUGES, VERMICIDES, or ANTHELMINTICS, remedies which possess the property of destroying intes- tinal worms, or of expelling them from the digestive canal. Those in most com- mon use at the present day are: For tapeworms, extract of malefern root, in doses of half to one teaspoonful, and tur- pentine in doses of one to two table- spoonfuls for round worms, santonin; and for thread worms santonin and saline cathai'tics by the mouth, but par- ticularly injections by the rectum of com- mon salt, strong green tea, infusion of quassia, or diluted steel drops. VERMILIA, in zoology, a genus of Serpulidce, in which the tortuous shell or sheath is attached to some foreign body by its whole length. Found in the seas of Europe. Fossil from the Lower Oolite onward. VERMILION (sulphide of mercury, formula, Hg, 87; S, 13); exists in the native state as cinnabar, from which this beautiful red pigment is obtained by se- lecting pure pieces and simply gi'inding them. It is, however, generally made ar- tificially. By one dry process the first step is to prepare an intimate mixture of 100 parts of mercury and 18 parts of sulphur, which are agitated together in revolving vessels till they have combined. The powder so obtained is afterv/ard sublimed in specially constructed retorts, and the purest portion condensed on the heads of the retorts is then treated with
