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OOLBY 62 COLD him a member of the American mission to the inter-allied conference in Paris in November of 1917. When Secretary Lansing resigned in the spring of 1920 the President appointed Colby Secretary of State. During his term many im- portant documents laying down the principles of American diplomacy with relation to the peace settlement with Germany and Russia were issued by his department. COLBY, FRANK MOORE, an Ameri- can editor and essayist; born in Wash- ington, D. C, in 1865. He graduated from Columbia University in 1888. For several years he was acting professor of history at Amherst College and was lec- turer in history in Columbia University from 1891 to 1895. From 1895 to 1900 he was professor of economics at the New York University. He was editor of the "New International Encyclopedia" in 1898 and of the "New International Year Book," 1898-1902. He contributed essays and reviews to many periodicals. His published writings include: "Out- lines of General History" (1900) ; "Imaginary Obligations" (1904) ; "Con- strained Attitudes" (1910). COLBY COLLEGE, a coeducational institution in Waterville, Me.; founded in 1818, under the auspices of the Bap- tist Church; reported at the end of 1919: Professors and instructors, 25; students, 360. President, A. J. Roberts. COLCHESTER, a borough, and sea- port of England, 50 miles N. E. of Lon- don. It has a large oyster-fishing trade, and exports of corn and malt. In 1648 Colchester stood a memorable siege of 11 weeks against the Parliamentary forces, who eventually starved out the royalist garrison, and hung the leaders. COLCHICTJM, a genus of plants, order Melanthacese. C. autuirmale, the mead- ow saffron, is found in meadows and pastures of the north temperate regions. To a superficial observer the plant looks like a crocus, and in fact it has received the erroneous name of autumnal crocus; but it has six stamens, while the crocus genus has but three. The corms of the meadow saffron are poisonous, but much use has been made of them in medicine. COLCHICUM CORM, the fresh corm of C. autumnale, or common meadow saffron, which is collected about the end of June, and stripped of its coat, sliced transversely, and dried at 150° F. Used to make extract, an acetic extract, and Vinum colchici. According to Garrod, Colchicum increases the flow of the bile, and diminishes the heart's action; it possesses the power of c-nntroHing the pain and inflammation in cases of gout and inflammatory rheumatism. The seeds, Colchici semina, are used to form a tincture which has the same medicinal properties. COLCHIS, or COLCHOS. a former country of Asia, to the S. of Asiatic Sarmatia, E. of the Euxine Sea, N. of Armenia, and W. of Iberia. In ancient history it is famous for the expedition of the Argonauts, and for being the birth-place of Medea. In the 15th cen- tury it was sub-divided into several prin- cipalities, and is now comprised in the Russian government of Trans-Caucasus. COLCOTHAR, red oxide of iron, ferric oxide, FeaOa. A reddish-brown powder obtained when ferrous sulphate is dis- tilled for Nordhausen sulphuric acid; it remains in the retorts. It is used as a red pigment, and is employed to polish glass, and, when finely divided, by jew- elers is known under the name of rouge. It is sometimes called crocus martis, and was called caput mortuuTn vitrioli by the alchemists. COLD, the term by which is signified a relative want of sensible heat. When the atmosphere, or any substance which comes in contact with our body, is at a lower temperature than the skin, it ab- sorbs heat from it, and we call it cold. The physiological action of cold on the animal organism requires a brief notice. All animals (the warm-blooded animals to the greatest extent) have a certain power of maintaining the heat of the body, in defiance of external cold. This power is mainly due to a process analo- gous to combustion, in which carbon and hydrogen taken into the system in food are made to unite with oxygen derived from the air by respiration. If the com- bustible materials are not duly fur- nished, or if the supply of oxygen be deficient (as in various diseased condi- tions), there must be a depression of temperature. Now, if the temperatui-e of a bird or mammal (except in the case of hibernating animals) be lowered about 30° below its normal standard (which in birds ranges from 100° to 112°, and in mammals from 96° to 102°), the death of the animal is the result. In hibernating animals (the marmot, dormouse, bat, e"tc.) the power of gen- erating heat within their own bodies is very slight. Cold is applied in various ways in the treatment of disease. In some forms of fever, a cold bath, or cold wet pack, is the best means of reducing a very high temperature which of itself threatens life.