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MSemfi, and the other Mokel Judaicum, have indeed not made them the fame thing ; but they have told us, that the fruit Mokel is the nut of that tree, whofe exfudation is the gum Maid, or Bdellium.
The words of Avifenna, which they have wrefted into this falfity, are, however, guiltlefs of it ; what he fays, when truly tranflated, runs thus : the Bdellium Judaicum is of two kinds, the Selabic and the Arabian. Thefe are both called Mokel, and are both ufed in medicine ; but the fruit Mokel is a very different thing, produced by a different tree, and called Mokel Mectenfe.
Serapio fpeaks to the fame purpofe, arid tells us, that though the tfee which produced the Mokel Judaicum grew only in Arabia and the eaft, the tree which produced the Mokel Mec- cenfe was common in Spain, and many other parts of Europe ; that it was of the palm kind, and fomewhat more tender than the other fpecies, which are the natural produce of Europe, and never ripened its fruit in Spain, though about Mecca it produced them in great plenty. T he tranllators of this author into Latin have rendered the WOfd Alrum, by arbor junci, the rum tree : it does not appear what could have influenced them to do this, unlefs the mif- taklng the word for Aldis, which, in that language, is fome- times ufed to fignify a mlh ; but Alpagus explains it better, and proves it, by many paffages from the other Arabians, to be truly a palm tree.
ALSADAF, in the materia medica, a name given, by Avi- fenna and Serapio, to the unguis odoratus, and alfo to the murex, or purple fifh, of the (hell of which it was fuppofed to be a part.
The word Alfadaf fignifies properly, in Arabic, a (hell in general ; but it is applied peculiarly to the purpura, as the words cochlea and conchylium were among the Latins and Greeks, which properly fignify all forts of fhells, but are ufed for this particular kind by many authors.
ALSAHARATCIA, a name ufed in botany, by fome, to fig- nify the partbenium, or feverfew. Ger. Emac. Ind. 2.
ALSCNEFU, in botany, a name ufed, by fome authors, for wormwood. Ger. Emac. Ind. 2.
ALSCHARCUR, in the materia medica, a name given, by Rhafes and fome other of the old writers, to the Jiink, a fmall animal of the lizard kind, ufed in medicine as a cordial and provocative.
ALSEBON, a name given, by fome of the chemical writers, tofeafalt. '
ALSIMBEL, in the materia medica, a name given, by Avi- fenna and others, to the fpikcnard of India. It is thus called from its having the appearance of a fpike, or ear, and alfo pmbalath, a word which fignifies its being a congeries of many (pikes, or ears, and fuch is much of the nardus indica, or Indian fpikenard, that we receive at this day ; not that thefe fpikes are at all of the nature of the (pikes of corn, or any other flowers, or fruits of plants, but only the firft (hoots from the root of the plant, which are the mod fcented and fullcft of virtue, and are of the fhape of the fpikes of other plants.
ALSINASTRUM, in botany, the name of a genus of plants, fo called from their general rcfemblance to the alfines, or duckweeds. The charaflers of the Alfmaftra are thefe. The flower and fruit are the fame with thofe of the alfine ; but the flower-cup in thefe is compofed only of one leaf, whereas in thofe it is made up of feveral.
The fpecies of Alfmajlrum, enumerated by Mr. Tournefort, are only two.
1. The Alfmajlrum with leaves like the gratiola, or hedge- hyflop. And, 2. The Alfmajlrum with leaves like thofe of ladies-bedftraw. Tourn. Inft. p. 244.
Alsinastrum, in botany, is alfo a name given, by Vaillant, genus of plants, comprifed, by Linna=us, \r that of the ila-
ATCTMir Vai }¥ nt ^ Bot - Par - r - f°'- See Elatine.
ALSINE, duckweed, in botany, the name of a very large genus of plants, the charaaers of which are thefe. The flower is of the rofaceous kind, and confifts of feveral petals, fometimes whole, fometimes bifid at the ends, difpofed in a circular form. The piftil arifes from the cup of the flower, and finally becomes an unicapfular membranaceous fruit, of a roundilh, or conic figure, and containing many feeds affixed to a placenta.
The fpecies of Alfine, or chickweed, enumerated by Mr. Tour nefort, are thefe.
I. The ti]\ chickweed of the woods, or large perennial chick- meed 2. The great nightfhade leaved chickweed. 3. The broad leaved mountain chickweed, with herniated flowers. 4. I he common chickweed. 5. The plantain leaved chick- weed. ^ 6. The St. John's-wort leaved chickweed. 7. The American chickweed, with leaves like thofe of money-wort.
8. The perennial fea chickweed, with money-wort leaves.
9. The Sicilian chickweed, with a fpheroidal leaf. ro. The auricula leaved American chickweed. n. The purfelain leaved fea-fhore chickweed. 12. The fmooth fpring chick- weed, with white umbellated flowers. 13. The fpring fmooth, fmaller chickweed. 14. The meadow chickweed, with graffy leaves, and large flowers. 15. The meadow duckweed, with graffy leaves, and fmaller flowers. The
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four laft arc called holoflea, and Jiichworts, by authors. 16. The long leaved marfh, or water chickweed. 17. The ferpyllum leaved marlh chickweed. 18. The many ftalked, and many flowered, ferpyllum leaved alpine chickweed. 19. The common fmall, many (talked chickweed. 20. The fmooth Bononian chickweed. 21. The fine leaved chickweed. 22. The rufhy leaved alpine chickweed. 23. The fine leaved mofTy chichveed. 24. The greater larch leaved ftone chick- weed, with larger flowers. 25. The fmaller larch leaved ftone chickweed, with fmaller flowers. 26. The hair leaved, many flowered flone chickweed. 27. The leaft hair leaved marlh chickweed. 28. The hairy alpine chichveed, with toad-flax leaves. 29. The hairy ftalked alpine chickweed, with fmooth toad-flax leaves. 30. The long rooted fea chickzveed 9 with rupture-wort leaves. 31. The grafiy leaved lea chick- weed. 32. The little graffy chickweed, with four leaved flowers, called by authors graffy faxifrage, and the moffy mountain pink. 33. The fmall annual graffy chichueed, with four leaved flowers. 34. The fine leaved marfh chickweed, called by fome marfh faxifrage. 35. The hairy fine leaved chick* weed, with beautiful white flowers. 36. The fineft leaved, beautiful flowered chickweed, or caryphylloide faxifrage, as fome have called it. 37. The fmall Portugal fpring chick- weed, with echimted heads. 38. The fmalkft chickweed^ with quick fading flowers. 39. The hair leaved mountain chickweed. 40. The chickweed called the greater fpurry. 41. The chickweed called the middle fized fpurry. 42. Tho chickweed called the leffer fpurry, with blueifh flowers. 43. The chickweed called the fmallefl: fpurry, with margi- nated feeds. And, 44. The ch'-ckweed, called the fmallefl fpurry, with naked feeds. Tourn. Lift. p. 243. There have been numerous other plants confounded by fome writers, under the name Alfine ; which fee under the heads Cucubalus, Veronica, Androsace. The Alfine is a medicinal plant, called alfo ?norfus gallina, popularly chickweed) on account of its being much coveted by poultry.
The word is Greek, ato-un, formed of a^o?, a wood, or grove, on account of this plant's delighting chiefly to grow in fhady places. Diofcor. 1. 4. c. 87.
There are divers plants under the denomination of Alfine me- dica C. B.
It is held a cooler, calmer, thickner, &c. in moft refpecls refembling pellitory of the wall ; though now little ufed in medicine. New Difpenf. p. 48.
Some commend its diftiUed water againft fervours of the blood, and confumptions of the body, arifing from hectics, &c a . The herb fried in linfeed oil, and externally applied to the belly, is faid to relieve the iliac pain b . — [ a Zorn. Botanolog. p. 51. b Burggr. Lex. Med. T. 1. p. 473. fcq.]
Alfine is alfo called myofoton, q. d. moufe-ear, on account of the refemblance its leaves bear to the ears of that animal. Vid. Pljn. Nat. Hift. T. 2. 1. 27. c. 4. p. 422.
ALSIRAT, in the Mahometan theology, a bridge laid over the middle of hell, finer than a hair, and fharper than the edge of a fword, over which people are to pafs, after their trial, on the day of judgment.
To add to the difficulty of the paffage, Mahomet aflures, that the Alfirat, narrow as it is, is befet with briars and thorns ; none of which, however, will be any impediment to the good, who fhall fly over it like the wind ; Mahomet and his mufTelmen lead the way ; whereas the wicked, what with the narrownefs of the path, the entangling of the thorns, and extinction of the light, which directed the former to paradife, will foon mifs their footing, and tumble headlong into hell, which is gaping beneath to receive them. Vid. Sale, Pre- lim. Difc. to Koran, fee. 4. p. 90.
ALTAR, (Cycl.) in antiquity, made the principal part of a temple a . Whence the antient magians b , as well as the pri- mitive Chriftians, having no temples, are reprefented as with- out Altars'. — [* Mem. de Trev. an. 1717. p. 1281. b V. Jour, des Scav. T. 78. p. 113. c Minut. Felix, p. 91. Mem. de Trev. 1718. p. 145. Jour, des Scav. T. 20- p. 56.] See Temple, Cycl.
Altars were of divers kinds, with regard to their qualities, ufe, matter, form, accidents, and the like, and were facred to gods, heroes, virtues, vices, difeafes, &c. Thus we read of inner Altar, or that built under the roof or cover of fome temple, or other building j outer Altar, that fub d'to, or un- der the open air ; golden Altar, that which is covered ob adorned with plates, &c. of gold; brazen Altar, one deco- rated, or plated over with brafs ; fixed, or Jlationary Altars^ thofe built to remain conftantly in the fame place ; portable Altars, thofe contrived to be moved, or carried from place to place ; fimple Altars, thofe without ornament or decora- tion ; magnificent Altars, thofe varioufly inriched with metals', precious ftones, painting, fculpture, &c. Jlony Altars, are thofe made either of fimple ftones, or heaps of ftones, or of maffives bound, by mafonry ; earthy, or turfy Altars, thofe thrown up only of earth, or turf accumulated ; extempora- neous Altars, thofe made in hafte, on fome emergent occa- sion ; facrificing Altars, thofe ferving to hold victims, and offerings prefented to fome deity ; memorial Altars, thofe
ereae*
