Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Volume 2.djvu/759

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.

S P E

vulfion 5 as a Spafmodic Medicine, Spasmodic %)ifeafe J £S?c„ See Spasma.

Hunger, according to M. Hecquet, is a Spasmodic Affeclion of the Fibres of the Stomach 5 unlefs it arifes from the Fibres being too much moiften'd by the Liquor thereof, fo as to in- capacitate them for their Office. See Hunger.

SPATULA, an Inftrument ufed by Surgeons and Apothe- caries ; made flat at one end, and round at the other. The Surgeons have little Silver or Steel Spatulas, to {bread their Plaifters and Unguents withal.

The Apothecaries have large 1 ones of Wood, to ftir their Drugs in diluting, tempering or boiling them.' The Word is form'd from the Latin, Spathus, of the Greek <nra&w.

SPAVIN, a Diieaie in a Horfe 5 being a Swelling or Stiffhefs in the Ham, that caufes him to halt.

There are two Kinds of Spavins, viz, the Ox-Spavin, which is a callous Tumour, at the Bottom of the Ham, on the Infide, hard as a Bone, and very painful. While 'tis yet young, fome Horfes only halt with it, at the firft coming out of the Stable.

The dry Spavin is more eafily perceived, by the Horfe's railing one of his hind Legs, with a Twitch, higher than the other. Sometimes 'tis fuund on both Legs. This Kind frequently degenerates into the Ox-Spavin, for which there is no Remedy, but to apply the Fire; which, however, is not always fuccefsfui.

The Word is form'd from the French-, Efparvin, which fignifies the fame thing.

There are two other Kinds of Spavin, which have their Seat in the Hoof, viz. the 'Blood Spavin^ and 'Bone Spavin - 7 which fee under their proper Articles.

SPAWS, are Springs of Water, ariflng out of Minerals in the Earth, or from Mines of Nitre, Sulphur, Allum, Bitumen, Copperas, &c. See Mineral and Water.

Spmvs are phyfical Waters, fome purging by Urine, others by Vomit, and Stool.

That in Torkfme is the moft noted of this Kind in Eng- land. See Bath.

SPAYING, the Operation of Gaftrating the Females of feveral Kinds of Animals, as Sows, Bitches, f£c. to prevent any further Conception, and promote their fattening. See Castration.

'Tis perform'd, by cutting them in the mid Flank, on the left Side, with a fharp Knife or Lancet, taking out the Birth- Bag and cutting it off* and lb ditching up the Wound, anoint- ing the Sore with Tar, and keeping the Animal warm for two or three Days.

The ufual Way, is to make the Incifion a-flope, two Inches and a Half long, that the Fore-finger may be put in towards the Back, to feel for Two Kernels, as big as Acorns on both Sides the Birth, one of which is drawn to the Wound, the String thereof cut, and thus both taken out.

SPEAKER, a Member of the Houfe of Commons, elected by a Majority of the Votes thereof, to a£l as Chair-man, or President, in putting Queftions, reading Briefs or Bills, keep- ing Order, reprimanding the Refractory, adjourning the Houfe, gfe,

The firft Thing done upon the firft Meeting of a Parlia- ment, is to chule a Speaker ; who is to be approved of by the King; and who upon his Admiftion, begs his Majefly, That the Commons, during their Sitting, may have free Accefs to his Majefy ; Freedom of Speech in their 01x171 Houfe, and Security from Arrefts.

The Speaker is not allowed to perfuade or diffuade, in batting of a Bill 5 but only to make a fhort and plain Narra- tive ;nor to Vote, unlefs the Houfe be equally divided. See Parliament.

The Lord Chancellor is ufually Speaker of the Houfe of Lords. See Chancellor.

The, Speaker of the Convocation, is called the Prolocutor. See Prolocutor-

SPEAKING, the Art or Aft of expreffing one's Thoughts in articulate Sounds or Words, See Word and Voice 5 fee alio Speech and Grammar.

Pliny, JElian, Plutarch and other Authors, make mention of ieveral Beafts that have Spoke : And Pliny himfelf, fpeaks with Aflurance, in his Hiftory, of an Ox that Spoke. Phi- lofirates, in his Life of Apollonius, gives the like Privilege to an Elm, and even to Ships. Homer makes Xantbos, one of Achilles s Horfes, fpeak ; wherein he has been followed by Oppian. But theft are all fabulous : We have much better Authority for a Serpent, and an Afs's fpeaking. See Lan- guage.

SpEAKiNG-Tnw?/^. See Trumpet*

SPECIAL, iomething that has a particular Defignation ; from the Latin, Species; in Oppofition to general, of Genus. See Species and Genus.

The King in his Letters, frequently fays, of our Special Grace, full Power and royal Authority.

SPECIAL Matter, in Evidence, in Law. See General Jffue.

[ I0 3 ]

S P E

Special PerdiSfc, $$c. See Verdict, g?c.

SPECIALTY, in Law, is molt commonly taken for a Bond, Bill, or fuch like Inftrument. Sometimes it is alio ufed for Special or particular Acquaintance.

SPECIES, an Idea, which relates to fome other more general one 5 or is compriz'd under a more univerial Dlvifion of a Genus. See Genus.

Species is a mere Term of Relation : And the fame Idea may be a Species, when compared to another more general one ; and a Genus, with regard to a more particular one. Thus Body is a Genus, with regard to an animate and in- animate Body ; and a Species, with regard to Subllance.

The laft Species, is that which can only be divided into Individuals, See Individual.

Animal is a Species, with regard to Body ; and Man is a Species with regard to Animal. God deftroy'd Mankind by the Deluge ; but he preferv'd the Species. See Deluge.

Species, in Logic, is one of the Five Words, call'd by Porphyry, Univerfals. See Universal.

The Word is Latin, form'd from the ancient Verb, Specie, I iee; as if a Species of Things were a Collection of all the Things feen at one View.

Sfecies, in Rhetoric, is a particular Thing, contained under a more univerial one.

The Orators alio call it Hypothecs, E.gr. Virtue is to be loved, is the Genus or 'I'hefis. Temperance is to be preferved here, at this Time, is the Species or Hypothecs. See Thesis.

Species, in the ancient Mufic, a Sub-divifionof one of the Genera.

The Genera of Mufic were Three, the Enharmonic, Chro- matic and [Diatonic 5 the two laft of which were varioully fub-divjded into Species ; nor was the Firft without Species, though thofe had not particular Names as the Species of the other Two had.

Thefe Species were alfo called the Chroai, Colours of the Genera : The Constitution whereof, fee under the Article Genera.

Species, in Opticks, the Image painted on the Retina by the Rays of Light reflected from the ieveral Points of the Surface of Objects, received in at the Pupilla, and collected, in their Paffage through the Cryftallin, gfc See Vision.

The Philoibphers have been in great Doubt, whether the Species of Objects, which give the Soul an Occafion of Seeing^ are an Effufion of the Subllance of the Body ; ora mere Im preifion which they make on all ambient Bodies, and which they all reflect, when in a proper Diftance and Difpofition 5 or, Iaftly, whether they are not fome other more fubtile Body, as Light, which receives all thefe Impreflions from Bodies,and is continually fent and returned from one to other,) with the different Figures and Impreflions it had taken on all Sides : But the Moderns have decided this Point by their Invention of artificial Eyes, wherein the Species of Objects are received on a Paper or Linnen-cloth in the fame manner as they are received in the natural Eye. See Eye.

The Ancients have diftinguifhed the Species, whereby Objects become vifible, into Imprejfe and Expreffe.

Imprefs'd Species are fuch, as come from without ; or are fent from the Object to the Organ ; fuch are thole we have already been fpeaking of,

Exprefid Species, are thofe, on the contrary, from within; or that are lent from the Organ to the Qbjeft.

Le Clerc, in his Syftem of Vifion, by one of thofe Revo- lutions very frequent in philofophical Opinions, has call'd. upon the Stage again the Species exprejpe, of the ancient Philofophers. For, according to him, 'tis not by Species or Images imprefs'd on the Optic Nerve, that the Soul fees Objects 5 but by Rays, which me herlelf directs to them s and which fhe ufes as a Blind Man does his Staff, to grope out Objecls.

ThePeripateticks account for Vifion, from a kind oflptm- tional Species, thus; Every Object, fay they, expreffes a perfect Image of itfelf on the Air next to it. This exprefl.es another IefTer one on the Air next to that ; and this a Third ilill lefs. Thus are the Images continued from the Object to the Cryftallin, which thefe Philofophers hold the principal Organ of Seeing. Thefe they call Species Intmtionales ; and to account the better for their Generation, affirrn,ThatObjec~ts exhibit them in the fame Manner, as Mirrors do a Man's Face^

Species, in Theology, the Appearances of the Bread and Wine in the Sacrament, after Conftcration : Or, as the ~R.oma.nifs call them, the Accidents remaining in the Bread, ££fc. whereby they become ienfible to us, after their Subftance is deftroy'd.

The Species of the Bread, &c. are its Whitenefs, Quan- tity, Figure, Friablenefs, &c. Of Wine, itsFlavour, Quick- nefs, fpeciflc Gravity, &c.

The Generality of the Rcmijh Divines, hold, That the Species are abfolute Accidents : And the Cartefians, who are bound to deny any fuch Things as abfolute Accidents, are greatly puzzled to explain the Species, without incurring the Cenfure of Herefy. F. Magnan is forced to aflerr, That

the