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Lens will be requir'd to fupply its Place. To this it is anfwer'd, that there have been Inflances of Perfons who have feen, after Couching, without any Lens ; at leait, 'tis oranted, that immediately after the Operation, feveral Perfons have feen very diftinflly : And tho Lens's foon become neceffary, yet the firil Moment wherein they fa* without, l'eems to be a Proof that the Cryflalline was not
couch'd. ■'••■. „ o
M. de la Hire, in Confirmation of the antient Syftcm, afli'ns this Reafon fot the Ncceflity of a Lens, after the Operation, viz. that the Vice which produe'd the Cata- rafl is (till fubfilling in the aqueous Humour ; which being too thick and muddy, lets too few Rays pafs : a Failing to be repair'd by a Lens, which throws a greater Quantity of Rays on the Retina. He adds fome Expe- riments made on the Eyes of Oxen ; the Refult of which was, that the Cryflalline could never be laid perfectly in the Bottom of the Eye, but there ftill fluck up, fo as to flop up part of the Paffage of the Rays; partlyon account of its Bulk, and partly on that of its being fuftain'd by the aqueous and vitreous Humour : He adds, that in the Operation of Couching, the Needle is apt to fcratch the anterior Surface of the Cryflalline, and open the Mem- brane wherewith it is invclop'd; the Confequence of which will be Wrinkles, which will render the Refractions irre- gular, and change the Dircfticn of the Rays which Ihould all meet in the fame Point; fo as to fpoil thcReprefentation of Objects. Laftly, 'tis infilled, that if the Cryflalline be couch'd, the Patient wou'd not fee at all, for want of the neceffary Refractions. See Crystalline.
M. Antoine, on the other hand, relates, that upon opening a Perfon whom he had couch'd on both Eyes, he found the two Cryftallines actually couch'd, and lodg'd at the Bot- tom, between the vitreous Humour and the Uvea, where they were left by the Needle ; and yet the Perfon faw without either : which (hews, both that the Operation of Couching the Cryflalline is practicable, and that Virion may be perform'd without it. In effect, the vitreous and aque- ous Humour, upon removing the Cryflalline, may be iup- pos'd to run into the Cavity, to affume the Figure of its Mould, and perform the Refractions and Offices of tho Cryflalline ; it being found, by Experiment, that the Re- fraction is the fame in each Humour. Sec Eye.
To Ihew, however, that there are Cataraffs diffinct from Glaucomas, M. Lijtre produe'd before the Society an Eye of a Man blind 21 Years ; wherein was a diftinct Ca- taraB, or Pellicle, which clos'd the Aperture of the Pupil. See Pupil, Vision, f$c.
CATARRH, in Medicine, a Flux, or Defluxion of a iharp ferous Humourfrom the Glands about the Head and Throat, upon the Parts adjacent. See Fluxion.
Catarrhs are, generally, occafion'd by a Diminution of infenfible Perfpiration on taking cold ; the Effect whereof is, that the Lymph, that (hould pafs by the Skin, ouzes out upon thofe Glands ; and being thus extravafated, occa- fions l.ritations, Coughs, and all the ufual Symptoms. SeeTussis. Degory deduces all Difeafes from Catarrhs; which he looks upon as the Seminary of moil Diforders of the Body. Etmutler dillingui flies a hot and a cold Catarrh ; the firfl attended with an unnatural Heat and Pain, and a Phlogofis of the whole Body ; the excreted Lymph being exceeding thin and fharp : In the cold, all the Symptoms are more remifs.
There is alfo nfuffocative Catarrh, feated in the Larynx, and Epiglottis, which it conftringes ; and thus, obllructing Refpiration, endangers Strangling.
Catarrhs are cured by foitning the Serofities, and aug- menting Tranfpiration, by means of Diaphoreticks, fopori- ferous Medicines, and Diurericks. Smoaking of Tobacco is recommended as excellent in all catarrhal Affections : In olifiiaate Catarrhs, recourfe is fometimes had to Iffues and Blifters.
Catarrhs don't arife from the Head only, but fometimes alio from other Parts of the Body ; the lymphatic Vcffels, wherein the Serofities are contain'd, as well as the Glands that feparate them, being diftibuted all over the Body.
The Word comes from the Greek KaT*ffs<», defluo, I flow down.
CATASTASIS, in Poetry, the thitd part of the antient Drama ; being that wherein the Intrigue, or Action fet on foot in the Epitafis, isfupported, carried on, andheightned, till it be ripe for the unta veiling in the Cataflrophe. See Epitasis and Catastrophe.
The Word comes from the Greek K<ti*mis, Con fit tut ton, this being as it were, the Mean, Tenor, State, or Conltitu- tion of the Piece. See Drama and Tragedy.
CATASTROPHE, in Poetry, the Change or Revolution of a dramatic Poem, or the Turn which unravels the Intrigue, and terminates the Piece. See Drama, Tragedy, (Sc.
The Cataftrophch either Simple or Implex ; whence alfo the Fable and Action arc denominated. Sec Fable. In the firfl there is no change in the State of the principal
Perfons, nor any difcovery or unravelling ; the Plot being on- ly a mere Paffage out of Agitation, to Quiet and Repofe.
- Xh\s Cataflrophe is rather accommodated to the Nature of
the Epopea, than of Tragedy. Indeed we meet with it in fome of the Antients, but it is out of doors among the Mo- derns, In the fecond, the principal Perfon undergoes a Change of Fortune ; fometimes by means of a Difcovery, and fometimes without.
The Qualifications of this Change are, that it be proba- ble, and neceffary : in order to be probable 'tis requir'd it be the natural Refult or Effect of the foregoing Actions, /. e. it mud fpring from the Subject it fell, or take its Rife from the Incidents; and not be introdue'd merely to ferve a Turn. The Difcovery in the Cataflrophe, mull have the fame Qualifications as the Cataflrophe it felf, whereof it is a principal Part : It mull be both probable and neceffary. To be probable, it mull fpring out of the Subject it felf; not effected by means of Marks or Tokens, Rings, Brace- lets, or by a mere Recollection, as is frequently done both by the Antients and Moderns. To be neceffary, it mull never leave the Perfons it concerns in the fame Sentiments they had before, but ftill produce either Love or Hatred, &c. Sometimes the Change confills in the Difcovery; fometimes it follows at a diftance, and fometimes refults immediately from it, which is the moil beautiful Kind : and thus it is in OEdipus. See Discovery.
Mr. ihyden thinks a Cataflrophe refuhing from a mere Change in the Sentiments and Relolutions of a Petfon, without any further Machinery, may be fo manag'd as to be- come exceedingly beautiful, nay preferable to any other. 'TisaDifputeamong the Criticks, Whether the Catajlrophe /hould always fall out happily, and favourably on the fide of Virtue, or not ? ;'. e. Whether Virtue is always to be re- warded, and Vice punifh'd, in the Cataflrophe : But the Rcafons on the Negative fide feem the Arongeil. Ariflotle prefers a fliocking Cataflrophe, to a happy one ; in regard, the moving of Terror and Pity, which is the Aim of Trage- dy, is better effected by the former than the latter.
Sojftt divides the Cataflrophe, at leatt, with regard to the Epopea, into the Unravelling, or ^Denouement, and the Achevement, or Finifliing ; the lail of which he makes the Refult of the firfl, and to confift in the Hero's Paffage out of a State of Trouble and Agitation, to Reft and Quiet. This Period is but a Point, without Extent, or Duration ; in which it differs from the firll, which comprehends every thing after the Knot, or Plot laid. He adds, that there are feveral Unravcllings in the Piece, in regard there are feveral Knots, which beget one another : The FiniJJmig, is the End of the laft Untavelling. See Knot, Tragedy, Comety, Fable, Sffc.
The Cataflrophe made rhe fourth and laft Part in the antient Drama ; or that immediately fucceeding the Cata- Jiajis. See Catastasis.
CATCH-Z«< is fuch Land, particulatly in Norfolk, which is not certainly known to what Parilfi it belongs ; fo that the Parfon who firll gets the Tithes there, enjoys it for that Year.
CATCH-POL, a Term now us'd, by way of Reproach, for a Bailiff's Follower, or Afliftant ; fee Bailiff. An- tiently, it was a Term of Credit, apply 'd to thole we now call Serjeants of the Mace, Bailiffs, or any other that ufe to arrefl Men on any Aclion. See Sergeant, &c.
CATECHU, in Medicine, a fort of medicinal Earth, call'd alfo Cachou, and Japan Earth. See Cachou, and Japan Earth.
CATECHUMEN, a Candidate of Baptifm ; or a Per- fon who prepares himfelf for the receiving thereof: See Baptism.
Authors diflinguilh three Kinds of Catechumens, among the Antients, viz. thofe who were only Hearers, diftin- guifh'd by the Name Audientes ; thofe who bowed, Genu HeSentes ; and thofe qualify'd for Baptifm, call'd Compe- tentes ; who were alfo Genu fletlentes, becaufe of their bowing at the Rehearfal of certain Prayers over them. Others make but two Orders, viz. the Genu feSentes as the firll ; and the Audientes, or Hearers, call'd ImperfeBi : The ImperfeBi were thofe of the Heathens, who pre- fented themfelves for Baptifm. 'PerfeBi, were thofe fuf- ficiently inftrucled in the Faith. Some add another Kind of Catechumens, call'd EleBi ; as being chofen and nomi- nated for that End : Others, laflly, diflinguilh the three Orders into Audientes, or thofe admitted to the hearing the Catechifm, and other Inllruftions ; the ElcBi, thofe fuffi- ciently inilrucled, and chofen to receive Baptifm ; and Competentes, who were in a State and Difpofition for its Reception.
The Catechumens were not onlv diftinguilh'd by Name, but alfo by Place: They were'difpos'd, with the Peni- tents, in the 'Portico, at the Extremity of the Church, op- pofite to the Choir. They were not allow'd to affift at the Celebration of the Eucharill ; but after Sermon, the Deacon dilmifs'd them with this Form, he Catechumeni, miffa efl.
The
