Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 01.djvu/361

AS 289 ASBURY ward the N. W. The first swarm formed the Celts, who at one time occupied a great part of Europe; at a consider- ably later epoch came the ancestors of the Italians, the Greeks, and the Teu- tonic people. The stream that formed the Slavonic nations is thought to have taken the route by the N. of the Cas- pian. At a later period the remnant of the primitive stock would seem to have broken up. Part passed southward and became the dominant race in the valley of the Ganges, while the rest settled in Persia and became the Medes and Per- sians of history. It is from these east- ern members that the whole family takes its name. In the most ancient Sanskrit writings (the Veda), the Hin- dus style themselves Aryas, the word signifying " excellent," " honorable," priginally "lord of the soil." AS, among the Romans;, a weight, coin, or measure. (1) As a weight of 12 ounces, the same as a libra or pound, and divided into 12 parts called uncix or ounces. (2) As a coin, which, in the time of TuUus Hostilius, is said to have weighed 12 ounces. After the first Punic War had exhausted the treas- ury, it was reduced to two ounces. The second Punic War brought it to one ounce; and, finally, the Papirian law fixed it at half an ounce only. At first it was stamped with a sheep, an ox, a ram, or a sow, but under the empire it had on one side a two-faced Janus, and on the other the rostrum or prow of a ehip. ASA, son of Abijah, and third King of Judah, conspicuous for his earnest- ness in supporting the worship of God and rooting out idolatry, and for the vigor and wisdom of his government. He reigned from 955 to 914 B. C. ASABA (as-a-ba'), a town of southern Nigeria in west Africa, on the Niger river, 150 miles from the coast and 75 miles above the delta. It is a place of considerable commercial importance and the seat of the Supreme Court. ASAFETIDA, ASAFCETIDA, or AS- SAFCETIDA, the English name of two if not more, plants growing in Persia and the East Indies, the ferula asafce- tida and the F. persica. They belong to the order apiacex, or umbellifers. The word is also applied to the drug made from them. Old plants being cut across, juice exudes from the wound. This being scraped off, is exposed to the sun to harden it, and is sent in large irreg- ular masses to this country for sale. It is a useful medicine in hysteria, asthma, tympanites, dyspnoea, pertus- sus, and worms; it is sometimes given also as a clyster. ASAMA, an active volcano of Japan, about 50 miles N. W. of Tokio, 8,260 feet high. ASAPH, a Levite and psalmist ap- pointed by David as leading chorister in the divine services. His office became hereditary in his family, or he founded a school of poets and musicians, which were called after him, "the sons of Asaph." ASARABACCA, a small, hardy Euro- pean plant, natural order aristolochia- cese (asanim europaeum). Its leaves are acrid, bitter, and nauseous, and its root is extremely acrid. Both the leaves and root were formerly used as an emetic. The species A. canadense, the Canada snake-root, is found in the Western States. ASBESTOS, a variety of hornblende, Asbestos is exceedingly infusible, at least in a mass. It contains a consider- able percentage of magnesia in its com- position. It occurs mostly in serpentine districts. The varieties are: (a) Ami- anthus, in which the fibers are so exceed- ingly long, flexible, and elastic, that they may be woven into cloth, (b) Common asbestos, with the fibers much less flex- ible. It is heavier than the first variety. It is dull green, sometimes pearly in luster, and unctuous to the touch, (c) Mountain cork, light enough to float on water. (d) Mountain leather, also very light, but thinner and more flex- ible than the last, (e) Mountain paper, a designation formerly given to fine, thin specimens of mountain leather, (f) Mountain wood, which, in the ex- ternal aspect, resembles dry wood. In the United States it is found prin- cipally in California and Georgia. Manu- facturers draw their chief supply from Canada. ASBURY, FRANCIS, the first Metho- dist bishop consecrated in America, born at Handsworth, Staffordshire, Aug. 20, 1745. When 16 years old he became an itinerant Wesleyan preacher, and in 1771 he was sent as a missionary to America, where he was consecrated in 1784. During a long life of almost in- cessant labor it is estimated by his biog- rapher that he traveled about 270,000 miles (mostly on horseback), preached about 16,500 sermons, and ordained more than 4,000 preachers. Of great natural ability and indomitable energy, he ranks with Wesley, Whitefield, and Coke in the Methodist movement of his time. He died in Richmond, Va., March 31, 1816.