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OBGANZINE 45 ORINOCO that the glands of the body furnish the blood with useful principles. From that time almost every gland and tissue in the body has been investigated, and in recent years the grafting of glands from animals into the human body has been accompanied by enthusiastic claims. While progress in the study has added substances of value to our therapeutic re- sources — thyroid extract and adrenaline, for example — the differences and antag- onisms between animal and human tis- sues, and similar elusive principles have kept organotherapy still in the experi- mental stage. OBGANZINE, a silk thread of several singles twisted together; thrown silk. OBIEL, or OBIOL, a projecting win- dow, mostly of a triagonal or pentagonal form, and divided by mullions and tran- soms into different bays and other pro- portions. OBIENTAL SOCIETY, AMERICAN. A learned society formed in 1842 for the purpose of promoting Oriental research in America. The society is chartered under the laws of Massachusetts and its constitution provides that one meeting in every three years must be held within the confines of that state. The meetings are held annually and are featured by discussions on Oriental history and philology. The "Journal" published by the Society contains much valuable ma- terial for the student of the Orient. The library of the society is at Yale University. Some of the leading educa- tors of America have been presidents of this society, among them being Theo- dore Dwight Woolsey, W. D. Whitney, President Hadley of Yale University, Daniel Coit Oilman, and Crawford H. Toy. In 1920 the enrollment of the so- ciety numbered about 350 members. OBIENTATION, in anthropology, practices concerning the posture of the dead in their graves, and the living in their temples. In architecture, the plac- ing or building of a church so that its chancel is toward the E., or that part of the E. in which the sun rises on the day of the patron saint. In biology, a term applied to the means by which animals, when taken from home, are able to trace their way back. In surveying, the act of determining the direction of the side of a triangle, or the direction of a chain of triangles. OBIENTE, a province of Cuba. It has an area of 15,227 square miles. Pop. about 625,000. ORIFLAMME, or OBIFLAMB, the ancient royal banner of France; origi- Vol. VII — Cyc nally the banner of the abbey of St. Denis, near Paris, which received many important grants from the early French kings. Its color was purple with a tinge of azure, and gold. It became the ban- ner of the monarchy in the reigrn of Philip I. OBIGEN, a father of the Church, and one of the most learned ecclesiastical writers; was born in Alexandria, 185 A. D., of Christian parents, who instructed him in religious knowledge and in the sciences. He became catechist, or head of the Christian school of Alexandria. From Alexandria he went to Rome, where he began his famous "Hexapla," an edi- tion of the Hebrew Bible with five Greek versions of it. He returned to Alexan- dria, and was ordained. Soon after this, he began his "Commentaries on the Scriptures." His great talents and pop- ularity exposed him to the jealousy of the bishop, whose persecutions at length drove him from his native country, and made him a wanderer. Origen is sup- posed to have died in Tyre about the year 254. ORIHTJELA, a city of Spain in the province of Alicante. It is_ on the Se- gura River. The city contains a cathe- dral and a bishop's palace. It is the center of an important agricultural re- gion. There are also manufactories of silk, linen goods, hats, flour, and oil. Pop. about 35,000. OBILLON, a curved projection formed by the face of a bastion overlapping the end of the flank, intended to protect it from oblique fire. Also an earthen mound faced with brick. ORINOCO, one of the great rivers of South America, has its origin on the slopes of the Sierra Parima, in the ex- treme S. E. of Venezuela ;_ its exact sources were only discovered in 1886 by Chaffanjon. It flows at first W. by N.^, a mountain-stream, as far as Ion. 67° W. A little below Esmeralda (Ion. 65" 50' W.) it divides and sends off to the S. an arm, the Cassiquiare, which, after a course of 180 miles, enters the Rio Negro, a tributary of the Amazon. The other branch on reaching San Fernando (Ion. 68° 10' and lat. 4° 2' N.) is met by the strong current of the Guaviare; the united stream then turns due N., and after passing over the magnificent cata- racts of Maypures and Atures and pick- ing up the Meta on the left, meets the Apure. Below the confluence with the Apure the Orinoco turns E. and trav- erses the llanos of Venezuela, its waters, with an average breadth of 4 miles, being augmented from the right by the Caura 4