A L M
A L M
?t may be obferved, that fome fufpeft whether this be the true reading ; fince, in an antient MS. Hoffman found lum- bricis, inftead of vulpibus, which transfers the mortality from foxes to worms. — Some imagine the poifonous virtue here to refide chiefly in the rind ; for when this is peeled off, they do not prove fo mortal d .—[ c Diofcor. 1. i. c. 176. d IVepf. de Cicut. Aquat. p. 248. De Medic. Offic. 1. 2. 162. §. 42.] See Lauro-Cerasus.
Almond bloffoms are often brought to market inftead of thofe of peaches. — The kernels of bitter Almonds give much the fame relifh in diftillation, as the kernel of the cherry : on which account, fome pra&ife the making a counterfeit cherry brandy with them. They are alfo frequently ufed inftead of apricoc kernels, in ratafia. §uinc, Difpenf. P. 2. fee. 4. §. 19. p. 106.
Blanched Almonds are thofe which, having been put a while in warm water, have flipped out of their (hells. — Thefe are ufed with the cold feeds in emulfions, ptifans, &c. Hougbt. loc. cit.
Almond milk is a preparation made of fweet blanched Al- monds and water, of fome ufe in medicine, as an emollient, cooler, &c. Hougbt. ubi fupra.
Almond butter is a preparation made of cream and whites of eggs boiled; to which is afterwards added, blanched Almonds ; the whole fet over a flow fire, till it become thick. Hougbt. T. r. N°. 168. p. 438.
Several have publiihed pieces and obfervations exprefly on Almonds ; Schelhammer % on the germination of Almonds ; Breynius, on the Almonds of the Cape of Good Hope f . — [ c Gunth. Chriji. Schelhammer, Amygdalarum Germinatio in Ephem. Acad. N. C. dec. 2. an. 8- obf. 32. f Jac. Breynii, Obferv. de Amygdalo Holoferico Capitis Bonee Spei. Ephem. Acad. N. C. dec. 1. an 3. obf. 292.]
Durrius s, and the academifts Naturae Curiofi h , have written on the poifonous effects of Almonds on brutes. — Many parti- culars relating to Almonds are alfo occasionally given by the botanifts, phyflcians, Sec K — [« Durrii, Obferv. de Morte Subitanea in Volucribus Canarienfibus ex efu Amygdalarum Amararum, in Ephem. Acad. N. C. dec. 3. an. 1. obf. 156. h Obferv. de Amygdala Amara quibufdam Animalibus No- civa ac Lethali. in Ephem. dec. 1. an. 8- obf. 99. l See particulars concerning the Almond tree, Tournef. Inft. cl. 2i. iec. 7. gen. 5. p. 627. Burggr. Lex. Med. T. 1. p. 618. fcq. in voc. Amygdala. Zwing. diff. 4. deAmygdal. p. 112. Ruel. de Nat. Stirp. 1. 1. c. 51. Ray, Hift. Plant. 1. 2. c. 7. Anatomy of the Almond fruit, Malpig. Anat. Plant, de Ulteror. Augment, p. 69, Burggr. loc. cit. Its impor- tation into England, Hougbt. lib. cit. p. 75. Sweet Almonds, their qualities and ufe againft coftivenefs, afthma, ftone, &c. Burggr. ubi fupra. Their oil, if hurtful or beneficial in fevers, Giorn. de Letter, d'ltal. T. 14. p. 213, 217, 229. fcq. It. T. 15. p. 410. Good againft worms, A£t. Erud. Lipf. 1720. p. 409. Againft colic, Aft. Erud. Lipf. Supp. T. 2. p. 14. Bitter Almonds, whether endowed with an opening or aftringent quality, Ephem. Acad. N. C. dec. 1. an. 8. p. 185. feq. Whether they be a prefervative from drunkennefs, Brovon, Vul. Err. 1. 2. c. 6. p. 80. Camerar. Memor. Cent. 3. P. 1. p. 88. Whence their power againft intoxication, Ephem. Acad. loc. cit. Whence their mortality to hens, &c. Ephem. Acad. N. C. dec. 1. an. 8- p. 184. feq. Their diuretic and vermifuge quality, Ephem. Acad. N. C. dec. 2. an. 1. p. 184. feq. Cofmetic ufe, Hought. Colled:. T. 3. N°. 434. p. 75.]
Almond furnace, in metallurgy, the furnace in which the refiners of filver out of lead melt the flags of the litharge left in this operation, and reduce them into lead again, with the help of charcoal. Ray's Engl. Words, p. 116.
ALMONER, (Cycl.) in its primitive fenfe, denotes an officer in religious houfes, to whom belonged the management and diftribution of the alms of the houfe.
We find many things in writers on the monaftic ftate, con- cerning the qualities, conduft, &c. of the Almoner. Vid. Lanfranc. in Decret. pro Ord, S. Benedict, c. 8. fee. 3. XJdalric. Confuetud. CSuniac. 1. 3. c. 24. By the antient canons, all monafteries were to fpend at leaff. a tenth part of their income in alms to the poor. The Almoner of St. Paul's is to difpofe of the monies left for charity, according to the appointment of the donors, to bury the poor who die in the neighbourhood, and to breed up eight boys to ringing, for the ufe of the choir. Dugd. Monaft. abridged, p. 325.
By an antient canon, all bifhops are required to keep Almo- ners. Jobnf. Ecclef. Law. 1222. §. 2. The French kings have their great Almoners, firft Almoners, ordinary or quarterly Almoners, &c.
Great Almoner, grand Aumonier, is the higheft ecclefiaftical dignity in that kingdom. To him belongs the fuperinten- dency of all hofpitals, and houfes of lepers. The king re- ceives the facrament from his hand. He fays mafs before the king, in all grand ceremonies and folemnities. This office was firft erefted, under this denomination, by Charles VIII. before whofe time, he had only the title of king's Almoner. Du Cange contends for a difference between
king's Almoner and chaplain. Roulliard afferts them to have been the fame. According to this writer, the office of great Almoner had fubfifted, though under fome diverfity of names, in all ages of the monarchy.
Under the firft race, he was called Apocrifiarlus ; under the fecond, Archicapellanus j and under the third, grand Almo- ner. Under the firft race, the office was ferved by bifhops, who came to court for it by turns ; under the fecond, by priefts, that the bifhops might not be obliged to non-refidence ; under the third, it lias been ufually fupplied by archbifhops, or even cardinals. On this footing, grand Almoner is the fame with what, in fome antient writers, we find called cujlos facri palatii, antijles facri palatii, or bifhop of the court ; fometimes prefbyter de palatio, or prieft of the court.
His office anfwered to that of proto papas, in the court of the Greek emperors.
Frizon, Chevillard, and St. Marthe % have publifhed lifts and genealogies of the great Almoners. Seb. Roulliard, a treatife of the antiquity of the office of great Almoner b .— [ a Le Long, Bibl. Hift. de la Franc, p. 705. b Seb. Roul- liard, le Grand Aumonier, Par. 1607. 8vo. An extract of it is given in Trev. Dift. Univ. T. 1. p. 734.] Firft Almoner, premier Aumonier, fupplies all offices which the great Almoner cannot attend, either by reafon of his ab- fence, or multiplicity of bufinefs. Raf. Etat de la Franc. 1. 1. c. r. Mem. deTrev. 1723. p. 1019. The Almoners in ordinary take their turn in waiting, to affifi the king in his prayers, fay grace, &c.
Almoner is alfo applied, in ecclefiaftical writers, to the dea- cons of churches. Suic. Thef. T. 1. p. 870. See Dea- con, Cycl.
Almoner, is alfo ufed, in hiftorlans of the middle age, for him appointed by a perfon to diftribute his alms to the poor. In this fenfe, Almoner amounts to much the fame with what has been fincc denominated executor.
Almoner is alfo fometimes ufed for a perfon who left alms to the poor, by his laff. will.
Almoner is fometimes alfo ufed for a legatee.
In this fenfe, it is the rule that the fame perfon could not both be Almoner and heir. Trev. Diet. Univ. in voc. Au- monier.
Almoner is alfo a more fafhionable title given, by fome wri- ters, to chaplains.
In this fenfe, we meet with Almoner of a {hip, Almoner of a regiment. Jour, des Scav. T. 36. p. 480.
ALMONRY (Cycl.) — The word is otherwife written Almnery, Auhnry, Aumry, Almry, and even Amhry. — By Latin writers Almonaria, Almoneria, Almonerium, Eleemofynaria, Eleemo- fyna, or Hofpitale pauperum j fometimes Eleemofyna pauperum, or Damns Eleemofynaria.
The Almonry is one of the clauftral offices belonging to a re- ligious houfe. It is found in the molt antient abbys and con- ventual priories, and is reputed among the number of bene- fices. To this office were particular revenues given by be- nefactors, or affigned by the houfe, out of the common ftock, to fupply the charge of alms. In the reformed congregations, the Almonry is fuppreffed, and its revenues united to the con- ventual manfe. Trev. Diet. Univ. T. 1. p. 733.
Almonry is alfo ufed, in antient writers, for a purfe, out of which the alms ufed to be taken. Du Cange, Gloff. Lat. in voc. Eleemofynaria.
In this fenfe, we read of filk Almonries, embroidered Almon- ries, &cc.
ALMS (Cycl.) — Pafchal Alms, Eleemofyna: Pafchales, were thofe diftributed at the folemnity of Eafter, attended, in fome places, with other afts of humility, as wafhing of feet, &c_ Du Cange, Gloff Lat. in voc. Eleeviofyna. Alms are divided by Mahometans, into voluntary and legal.
Voluntary Alms are thofe left to every man's difcretion, to give more or lefs, as he fees fit.
The voluntary Alms are properly denominated, by the Arabs, Serdeckad.
No religious fyftem is more frequent or warm in its exhorta- tions to Abns-gw'mg, than the Mahometan. The Alcoran reprefents Alms as a neceffary means to make prayer be heard. Hence that faying of one of their califs, " Prayer carries us " half-way to God, falling brings us to the door of his pa- " lace, and Alms introduces us into the prefence-chamber." Hence many illuftrious examples of this virtue among the Mahometans. Hafan, the foil of Ali, and grandfon of Mo- hammed, in particular, is related to have thrice in his life divided his fubftance equally between himfelf and the poor, and twice to have given away all he had. And the gene- rality are fo addicted to the doing of good, that they ex- tend their charity even to brutes.
Legal Alms, thofe of indifpenfible obligation, as being com- manded by the law, which directs and determines both the portion to be given, and the kind of things it is"to be gi- ven of.
The legal Alms are properly called, by the Mahometans, Zacat, cither on account of their increafing a man's ftore, or of their purifying the remaining part of his fubftance.
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