Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 07.djvu/332

PIZABRO 266 PLAICE his half-brother, Atahualpa, or Atabal- ipa, as he is variously called, the reign- ing inca. Pizarro, by pretending to take the part of the latter, was permitted to march into the interior, where he made the unsuspecting king his prisoner, while partaking of a friendly banquet to which he had invited him and his whole court; then extorting from him, as it is said, a house full of the precious metals by way of ransom, he had him tried for a pretended conspiracy, and condemned him to be burned, allowing Aim first to be strangled, as a reward for becoming a Christian. In 1533 the conqueror laid the foundation of Lima; FRANCISCO PIZARRO but, in 1537, a contest arose between him and Almagro, who was defeated and executed. Pizarro was murdered by Almagro's followers, June 26, 1541. PIZARRO, GONZALO, half brother of the preceding; bom in 1502. His brother appointed him governor of Quito in 1540, and after the assassination of Francisco, he raised an army against the new viceroy, Blasco Nunez, and the latter was defeated and slain near Quito in 1546. But Pizarro did not long en- joy his success, being beaten, taken pris- oner, and beheaded in 1548. PLACENTA, in anatomy, the organ by which the foetus is connected with the mother, and vascular connection be- tween the two maintained. It ultimately comes away as the afterbirth. Called also uterine cake. In botany, the part of the ovary from which the ovules arise. It generally occupies the whole or a portion of an angle of each cell. When elongated so as to constitute a lit- tle cord it is called the umbilical cord. PLACOID, a term used to designate a variety of scales covering the bodies of the elasmobranchiate fishes (sharks, skates, rays, etc.) , the Placoidei of Agas- siz. These structures consist of de- tached bony grains, tubercles, or plates, of which the latter are not uncommonly armed with spines. PLAGUE, a peculiarly malignant fever of the continued and contagious type, now believed to be almost identi- cal with the worst kinds of typhus fever. It is produced by the absorption of a poison generated by decaying animal matter combined with heat, moisture, and bad ventilation. At first there is great restlessness, followed ultimately by cor- responding exhaustion, and death super- venes in two or three days. Grand Cairo is the chief known focus of the plague, the spread of which, in different directions, is at least attempted to be checked by quarantine. The plague seems to have been the black death of the 14th century. It was known by the name of plague when, in 1665, it slew in_ London 68,596 people, about one- third of the population. In the summer of 1896 a very malig- nant form of disease, known as the "bu- bonic" plague, made its appearance in Bombay, India, and spread with great rapidity. The number of cases and deaths finally became so large that more than 450,000 people — one-half of the population, fled from the city. The bu- bonic plague receives its name from the fact that it attacks the Ijrmphatic glands in the neck, armpits, groin, and other parts of the body. In general, the disease is spread in the same manner as cholera, except that the cholera germ must enter the intestinal tract, while the germ of the plague may attack any part of the mucous membrane, or be attended by even the minutest abrasion of the skin. But while this germ is so virile and so easily taken into the system, it is one of the most easily killed by disinfec- tion. One per cent, of quicklime will destroy it. The Ten Plagues of Egypt were 10 inflictions divinely sent upon the Egyp- tians to compel them to emancipate the Israelites from bondage and allow them to quit the land. (Exod. vii: 14, xii: 30. For the use of the word plague see ix: 14, xi: 1.) PLAICE, Pleuronectes platessa, a fish well known in northern Europe. It