ALA
ALB
againft a {linking breath. Avian, ap. Caft. Lex. Med P- »7- ALAPOULI, in natural hiltory, the name of an Eaft-Indiai tree, a fpecies of the bilimbi, which is ufed in medicine as a purge and vomit, mixt with the feeds of muftard. Bout. Med. Ind. ALAQUECA, a medicinal ftone brought from the Indies, in fmall glofly fragments ; much praifed by fome for its efficacy in flopping hemorrhages, when applied externally. Lemer. Difi. des Drog. in voc. and Boyle's Works Abr. Vol. I. p. 79. ALARAF, in the Mahometan theology, the partition wall that feparates heaven from hell.
The word is plural, and properly written AlAraf; in thefingular it is written Al Arf. It is derived from the Arabic verb Arafa, todiftinguilh. Sale, Prelim. Difc. to Koran. Sea. 4. p. 94. Al Araf gives the denomination to the feventh chapter of the al- coran, wherein mention is made of this wall ; Mahomet fcems to have copied his Al Araf, either from the great gulf of repa- ration mentioned in the newteftament, or from the Jewifh writ- ers, who alfo fpeak of a thin wall dividing heaven from hell. Mahometan writers differ extreamly, as to the perfons who are to be found on Al Araf. Some take it for a fort of Limbus for the patriarchs, prophets, &c, others place here fuch whofe good and evil works fo exactly balance each other, that they neither deferve reward nor punifhment. Others imagine this intermediate fpace poflefied bythofe, who going to war without their parents leave, and fuffering mar- tyrdom there, are excluded paradife for their difobedience, yet efcape hell becaufe they are martyrs. Id. ibid. p. 95.
ALARM (Cycl.)— Alarms are either true, that is, founded on juft notice, or falfe.
Falfe Alarms are frequently given by an enemy, either to fa- tigue the other's army, or by way of diverfion ; to keep them- felves fafe and quiet from attacks. To remedy the inconve- niences of formal Alarms, and prevent the horror, and con- fufion of trumpets, and noife of warlike cries, the captains ufually give the Alarm, by filent advice, without noife. Cruf. Milit. Inftruc. for Cavair. P. 3. c. 8. Falfe Alarms are fometimes occasioned by fearful or negligent centinels; and fometimes defignedly by diligent officers, to try the difpofition and readinefs of the guards. In war the piquet guard
. has been often called out haftily, by way of trial, what might be expected from them , in cafe of real danger. Guill. Gent. Dia. Falfe Alarms have been fometimes, for reafons of ftate, propa gated defignedly through a whole nation; fuch was the Alarm of the Irifh invafion in 1688, which in one night fpread thro' the whole ifland : fuch alfo was that of the Morefcoes in Spain, which in one day run thro' that vaft kingdom, tho' founded on nothing : one city or town gave the Alarm to another, all were deceived and deceivers in their turn. Gtdd. Mifcell. Traa. T.i. p. 155.
The Alarm-phce, in a camp, garrifon, or the like, is alfo called the Rendezvous. V. Cruf. Milit. Inftrua. Caval. P. 3. c. 5. p. 32. See Rendezvous, Cycl.
Alarm, in fencing, denotes a ftep, or ftamp made on the ground with the advancing foot.
'I his coincides with what is otherwife called an appel, or chal- lenge.
In praaice, the Alarm is frequently difadvantageous, as it retards the motion of the feint, and gives the adverfary a bet- ter opportunity to parry it. When only a flow feint is intended to lift, and try the adverfary how it will take with him, the motion of the fword hand, may in this cafe, be attended with the appel, or Alarm of the advanced foot ; but for a feint, where execution is really intended to follow, the Alarm is beft let alone. Hope, New Meth.of Fenc. c. 4. p. 102.
Alarm is alfo ufed for an instrument to awaken perfons at a cer- tain hour: one very fimple contrivance of this kind, is that ufed by weavers. See Weaveh's Alarm.
ALARM-Bell, that which is rung to call the people together on fome fuch occafion as a fire, mutiny, or the appearance of an e " e ™y- This is what the French call Toe/in.
ALASCANI, in church hiftory, a f e a of Antilutherans, whofe diftingusining tenet, befides their denying baptifm, is faid to have been this, that the words, This Is my body, in the inftitution of theeucharift, are not to be underftood of the bread, but of the whole aaion, or celebration of the fupper.
pT-(L re fa ' d t0 have taken the name from one J oannes a I-afco, a Polslh baron, fuperintendent of the church of that country, in
JiJK™ Fra " oL £lench - HiEret - !• '■ P- * 8 '
ALAo 1 K.UB, among alchemifts, denotes lead • ; tho' fome will
have it to figmfy calx '.— [■ Rul. Lex. Alch. p. 25. " Johnf.
Lex. Chem. p. 12.]
at' A?f?i3r a ?' l ' peds - See the anicIe Quadruped.
u a ' ln botan y> the nan >e of a genus of trees, the
characters of which are thefe. The flower confifts only of one teat, and is of a funnel like fltape, divided into four fegments, and ot a fort of ftellar form ; from the bottom of this flower there arifes a piftil, which finally becomes a fruit or berry, ufually
containing three feeds, which are gibbofe on one fide, and an- gular on the other.
The fpecies of Alaternus enumerated by Mr. Tournefort are the e. I. I he common tall Alaternus. 2. The Alaternus with fmaller leaves. 3. The golden Alaternus, or Alaternus With leaves variegated with a bright yellow. 4. The filvery
Alaternus, or Alaternus with leaves variegated with white.
5. The Montpelier Alaternus, with deeply divided leaves.
6. The fmall box-leaved Alaternus. 7. The broad leaved Spanilh Alaternus. 8. The thorny box-leaved American Alaternus. Tournef. Inft. p. 595.
ALAUDA, in zoology, the name of a genus of birds, called in Englifli larks, and diftinguilhed from others of the flender beaked fmall birds, by having the claw of their hinder toe of a very remarkable length, and by finging very fweetly at they fly to vaft heights in the air. We have in England, four fpecies of this bird.
1. The common Lark. 2. The wood Lark. 3. The tit- Lark. And 4. The fmall crefted Lark. And befide thefe there are feveral exotic fpecies of birds, properly reducible to this genus as the Locujlella, Calandra, Spipola, Spipoletta. Sec Locustella, &fc.
The common lark is well known, and not lefs efteemed for its delicacy at table, than for its finging. It is very fat in winter, and taken in prodigious numbers ; it builds on the ground, and lays four or five eggs.
The wood lark is fmaller than the common lark, and is Ihorter bodied ; it generally flies in large flocks, and as it is in the air fings with a voice more like that of the blackbird, than of the common lark. It has a circle of white feathers like a crown, reaching from one eye to the other acrofs the head ; the tip of its tail is white ; and it fits on trees. Thefe are its diftinaions from the common lark. The tit-lark is called by authors the Alauda pratorum : this fits upon trees like the wood lark, is fmaller than the common lark, and has more of a dusky greenifh hue, and is lefs beautiful in its co- lour than the common lark. It is thought that we have in En- gland, befide the common fpecies of tit-lark, another kind, which differs from the common kind, in that it is larger, has lefs green- nefs in its colouring, has paler coloured feet and fhorter heels. The laft or crefted lark, is the Alauda criflata minor of au- thors : this is like the large foreign crefted larks, but is much fmaller ; its creft is very long in proportion to its fize, and its feet are red. It is ail over of a pale brown colour, and is feen in flocks in the northern parts of England. Ray, Orni- thol. p. 149 — 152. SeeLARK.
In the Linnxan fyftem of zoology, the Alauda, or lark, makes a diftina genus of birds, of the order of the Pafferes ; the charaaers of which are, that the tongue has a rim or margin round it, and is membranaceous and pointed ; the beak is ftrait and pointed ; the maxillse equal in fize ; and the claw of the hinder toe is longer than any of the other toes. Linntsus, Syftem. Nat. p. 49.
Alauda non criflata, a name by which fome of the authors in ichthyography have called the Galletto, commonly called in Engliih the bullard. Rondelet, De'Pifc.
Alauda marina, the fea lark, in zoology, a name by which French authors ufually call the bird, known in Engliih by the name of the ftint. See Stint.
ALB ( Cycl. ) — Albs were not only worn by priefts, but even by lay- men living in monafteries. DuCunge, GlofLLat. invoc.^tf. The Alb is otherwife called Camifla Poderis Talaris, and Subit- cula. — In the Roman order it is denominated Lined dabnatica. The facerdotal Albs were fometimes varioufly enriched with embroidery, C3V.
Pafcbal Alb, Alba Pafchalis, that wherein the bilhop antiently appeared during the folemnities of Eafter, and even of other holy days. Id. Ibid.
Alb is alfo ufed for the white garment, worn in the antient church by thofe newly baptized, as a mark of the innocence and purity which they profeffed. Du Cange, in voc. The wearing a garment of this colour was to denote their having palled out of darknefs into light; the catechumens were plunged naked into the font, and at their emerging were habited in Albs at the expence of the church. Thefe they wore for eight days, during which time they were called Al- bati, and in Albis poftti — The laying down the Alb on the eighth day, was performed with fome ceremony. Clem. Alex~ and. Pasdag. 1. 1. c. 6.
Albs, Alba, is fometimes ufed in ecclefiaftical writers for what we call Eafter-week.
It takes the name hence, that the antient Neophytes, bap- tized on Eafter-day, wore Albs this week ; the Sunday en- fuing is ftill called in divers liturgies, Dominica in Albis. The distribution of Agnus Pei's is performed with great ce- remony on the Sunday in Albis. Du Pin, Bibl. Ecclef, T. 18. p. 68. feq. See Agnus.lV.
Al b is alfo ufed to denote a Turkiflr coin, otherwife called Afper. Bobov. on Turk. Liturg. Sea. 3. p. 123. Hyde, Not. ad Eund. See Asper, Cycl.
ALBA Terra, among alchemifts, denotes the philofopher's ftone, compounded of mercury and fulphur. Theat. Chem. T. 4. p. 721, 727. feq. ap. Caft. Lex. Med. p. 28.
ALBAHURIM, in the Arabian aftrology, a figure of fixteen fides, anfwering to the moons courfe,"from the beginning of a difeafe to its end. Vital. Lex. Math. p. 16. feq. This is otherwife called by Latin writers, Figura fexdecim Laterum.
The Albaburim is a matter of capital consideration among the aftrological phyficians, who, on this, ground their cri- tical
