S P I
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S P I
Sphincter Vagina, a conftriclory Mufcle, ferving to hinder the Reflux of the Blood from the Clitoris^ &c. in Coition. See Vagina.
Sphincter Gitl<e 7 g ee
Sphincter Labior-um 5
f Oesophagjeus, \ Constrictor.
SPHINX, in Sculpture, &c. a Figure or Reprefentation of a Monger of that Name, famed among the Ancients 5 now moftly ufed as an Ornament in Gardens, Terrafles, £=?c.
'Tis reprefented with the Head and Breafts of a Woman, the Wings of a Bird, the Claws of a Lion, and the reft of the Body like a Dog.
'It is tuppoied to have been engender 'd by Typfcon, and ient by Jum, to be revenged on the I'heb&ns. Its Office was to propofe dark, enigmatical Queftions to all PafTers-by, and if they did not give the Explication thereof, to devour them.
It made horrible Ravages on Mount Sphingion, and could not by any means be deltroyed, till after Oedipus had foived the following Riddle ; What Animal is it, that in the Morn- ing walks on four Legs 5 at Noon on Two, and at Night on Three ?
Among the Egyptians, the Sphinx was the Symbol of Re- ligion, by reafon of the Obfcurity of its Myfterks. And on the fame account, the Romans placed a Sphinx in the <Pronao$ or Porch of their Temples.
SPICA-Nardi, Spike-nard, a kind of Ear growing even with the Ground, and fometimes in the Ground 5 ufed in the Compofition of Treacle. See Treacle.
It likewise fhould be ufed in the Compound-Syrop of Chicory, in lieu of Cinnamon, which the Apothecaries gene- rally put for it, becaufe cheaper.
The Ear or Spied, is about the Length and Thicknefs of a Finger; very light, covered with long, reddifii Hairs, of a ftrong Smell, and a bitterifh, fharp Tafte. There rife feveral of tricfe Ears from the fame Root. The Stem is fmall, and the Root the Thicknefs of a Quill.
The Spica-Nardi, is ufually reckoned in the Number of Roots. 'Tis alfo call'd Nardus Indicus ; becaufe brought from the Eafi-Indies.
'Tis accounted a Stomachic and Nephritic, proper to ftrengthen the Stomach, and promote the Difcharge of Urine-
There is alfo another Kind, call'd Spica-Celtica, growing in the TyreneanS, and the Mountains of T'iroL
SPICA Virginis, a Star of the firft: Magnitude in the Con- ftellation Virgo. See Virgo.
Its Place is in the more fouthcrlyHand. Its Longitude, according to Mr. Flamjlead, is iq u 31' 22"; its Latitude 2° 1' ?9 r South.
SPICE, any kind of aromatic Drug, that has hot and pungent Qualities 5 fuch are 'Pepper, Nutmeg, Ginger, Cin- namon and Cloves. See Pepper, Nutmeg, &c.
Some alfo apply the Word to medicinal Drugs brought from the Eaft, as Senna, CaJJia, Frankincense, &c See each under its proper Article, Senna, Cassia, &c.
SPIDERS-^. See Silk.
SPIKING up the Ordnance 5 a Sea Phrafe, for the fattening a Quoin with Spikes to the Deck, clofe to the Breech of the Carriages of great Guns 5 that they may keep clofe and firm to the Ship's Sides, and not get loofe when the Ship rolls, and by that means endanger the breaking out of the Butt-head of a Plank.
SPINA Ventofa, in Medicine, $c. an Ulceration, wherein the Bones are eaten by a malignant Tumour, without any Pain of the Teriofieum, or Membrane that covers the Bone. After which, an indolent Swelling being rifen, the Part afFecfed is quite eat out with the Ulcer ; whence frequently follows a neceffity of Amputation.
SPINAL Mxrrow7 c cMEDVttA. Spinalis. S i See l Nerve.
Spinal Hemes
In the Hiftory of the French Academy of Sciences, for the Year 17 14, we have an Inftance of a Fcetus born without either Brain, Ccrebcl, or Spinal Marrow, though perfectly well form'd in other refpefls. It had gone its natural Time ; lived two Hours ; and even gave Signs of Life, upon fprinkling the Baptifmal Water on its Head.
Inftances of this Kind, as this is not the only one we meet .withal, furnifh a terrible ObjeSion againft the Exiftence of the animal Spirits, which fhould be generated in the Brain, or at leaft in the Cercbel or Spinal Marrow ; and which are ge- nerally allowed of fuch abfolute Neceffity in the Animal Oeconomy. See Spirit.
SPINALIS, in Anatomy, a Mufcle on the Side of the Neck, arifing from the Five fuperior Proceffes of the Verte- 1 bra: of the Thorax, and inferior of the Neck ; and in its Afcent, becomes more flefhy, and is laftly inferted into the inferior Part of the Vertebra; of the Neck, laterally. It ferves
- o draw the Neck backwards.
SPINDLE, in the Sea Language, is the fmallcft Part of
a Ship's Capflan, which is betwixt the two Decks • Th Spindle of the Jeer Capflan hath Whelps to heave the \r 1
Viol.
> s calka
Alfo the Axis of the Wheel of a Watch or Clock, the Spindle, andits Ends the Pevets. See Clock, fjV
SPINE, or SPINA Dorfi, in Anatomy, the Series Aflemblage of Vertebra:, or Bones of the Back, which fuftai the reft of the Body, and to which are connected the Bjb" See Vertebra.
The Spine is ufually divided into four Parts ; the Neck which contains Seven Vertebra: ; the Back, Twelve; the Loins Five ; and the Osfacrum, Four. The Spine includes a kind of Medulla, much refembling that of the Brain, hence call'd Medulla Spinalis, or Spinal Marrow ; which fee.
It has its Name Spine, by reafon the hind Part thereof is Edg'd, or Spiny. Some call it the CanalisSacer.
SPINET, a Mufical Inftrument, rank'd in the Second or Third Place among harmonious Inflruments. See Music.
It confifls of a Cheft or Belly, made of the moft porous and refmous Wood to be found ; and a Table of Firr faflen'd on Rods, call'd Sound-boards, which bear on the Sides. On the Table is railed a little Prominence, wherein are placed as many Pins as there are Chords to the Inftrument.
The Inflrument is played by two Ranges of continued Keys the foremoft Range being in the Order of theDiatonick Scale • and the other Range fet backwards in the Order of the Arti-' ficial Notes or Semi-tones. See Scale.
The Keys are fo many long, flat Pieces of Wood r which when touched and prefs'd down at one End, make the other raife a Jack, which founds the Strings by means of the End of a Crow's Quill, wherewith 'tis armed. The 30 firft Strings are of Brafs, the other more delicate ones of Steel or Iron Wiar. They are all ftretch'd over Two Bridges glued to the Table.
The Figure of the Spinet is a long Square, or Parallelogram a Foot and Half broad ; fome call it a Harp CoucVd, and the Harp, an Inverted Spinet.
The Spinet is generally tuned by the Ear ; which Method of the practical Muficians, is founded on this Suppofition, That the Ear is a perfect. Judge of an Oftave and Fifth. The general Rule, is to begin at a certain Note, as c, taken towards the middle of the Inftrument, and tuning all the Oflaves up and down, and alfo the Fifth's, reckoning Seven Semi-tones to each Fifth, by which means the whole is tuned.
Sometimes to the common or fundamental Play of the Spinet, is added another fimilar one in Unifon, and a Third in O&ave to the firft ; to make the Harmony the fuller. They are played either feparately or together, which is call'd the double or triple Spinet. Sometimes a Play of Violins is added, by means of a Bow, or a few Wheels parallel to the Keys, which prefs the Strings, and make the Sounds laft as long as the Mufician pleafes; and heighten and foften them, as they are more or left prefs'd. The Harpfichord is a kind of Spinet, only with another Difpofition of the Keys. See Harpsichord.
The Inftrument takes its Name from the little Quills Ends, wherewith the Strings are drawn, which are fuppofed to refemble Spince, Thorns.
SPINNING, in Commerce, the reducing of Silk, Line, Hemp, Wooll, Hair or other Matters into Thread. See Thread.
Spinning, is either perform'd on the Wheel, or with a Diftaff or Spindle, or with other Machines proper for the feveral kinds of Working. Hemp, Line, Nettles and other like Plants are to be wet in Spinning-. Silks, Woolls, Cottons, gfo arejpun dry, and don't need Water ; yet there is a Way of Spinning Silk as it comes off the Cafes or Balls, where hot, and even boiling Water is to be ufed. See Silk 5 fee alfo Wheel, Distaff, &c.
SPINOSISM, the Doarine of Spinofa; or, Atheifm pro- pofed after the Manner of Spinofa. The Retainers whereto, are called Spinoflfls.
The great Principle of Spinofifm is, That there is nothing properly and abfolutely exifting, but Matter, and the Modi- fications of Matter 5 among which are even comprehended, Thought, abftracf and general Ideas, Comparifons, Relations, Combinations of Relations, Properties, &c See Matter, Substance, &g.
Spinofa or Efpinofa, was a Man well known in Holland- He was born a few ; but did not make Profeffion of any Religion, either the Jewifh or Chriftian. He compofed fe- veral Books in Latin, the moft celebrated whereof, is his T'raclaws 'fheolcgico Toliticus, wherein he overturns the Foun- dation of all Religion : The Book, accordingly, was con- demn 'd by a publick Decree of the States ; though it has fince been fold publickly, and even reprinted, both in Latin and French, in that Country. *
Spinofa, here, maintains. That all Religions are only po- litical Engines, calculated for the publick Good ; to render the People' obedient to Magiftrates, and to make them practite Virtue and Morality.
He
