A M M
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AMP
AMITTERE Legem ferr£, a Law-Phrafe, fignifying, the Forfeiture of the Right of fwearing in any Court or Caufe ; or to become infamous. See Law. ;
This is the Punifhment of a Champion overcome, or yield- ing in the Combat ; of Jurors found guilty in a Writ or At- taint ; and of Ferfons outlaw'd. See Champion, Combat, Juror, Outlawry, lie.
AMMA, a Girdle, or Trufs ufed in Ruptures; to hinder the Inteftines from bearing down too much. See Rup- ture, Sic. , . 1 c j
AMMI, or Semen Ammeos, a kind of aromatick oeed, of confiderablc ufe in Medicine ; the Produce of a Plant oi the fame Name. . - ,
The Seed is brought from the Levant : It is found to contain a great deal of effential Oil, and volatile Salt ; and to be attenuating, aperitive, hyfterick, carminative, ce- phalick, and alexipharmick being, is one of the four leiler hot Seeds.— It expels Wind, provokes the Menfes, iic.
According loLemery, the Plant takes its Name Ammeos from «>(*»?, arena ; its Seed being very like Grains of Sand. —It is alfo called Ammi Crelicum, or Ethiopicttm, to dif- tinguilh it from the vulgar Ammi, or Biftiops-weed. It is fometimes alfo called Cuminum Ethioficum.
AMMON, or Hammon, in Antiquity, an Epithet given to Jupiter in Lybia ; where was the celebrated Temple of Jupiter Amnion.
There has been a great Difpute about the Origin of this Name. — Some derive it from the Greek <tw»'> Sand ; in regard the Temple was fituate in the burning Sands of Ly- bia : Others borrow it from the Egyptian Anam, a Ram ; as having been firft difcover'd by that Animal.' — Others will have Ammon to fignify the Sun ; and the Horns where- with he is reprefented, the Sun-beams.
However this be, Jupiter Ammon was ufually reprefent- ed under the Figure of a Ram 5 tho in fome Medals he appears of a human Shape, having only two Rams Horns growing out beneath his Ears.
AMMONIACK.— Gum Ammoniac ; or, as it is fome- times, tho improperly, called, ArmoniAc, is a kind of Gum, broughr from the Eaft Indies ; fuppofed to ooze ftom an umbelliferous Planr. See Gum.
It ought to be in dry Drops, white within, yellowifh with- out, eaiily fufible, refinous, fomewhat bitter, and of a very fhafp Talte and Smell, fomewhat like Garlick.
!l)icfccrides fays, it is the Juice of a kind of Ferula grow- ing in Sarbary ; and that the Plant that produces it, is cal- led Agafyllis.
The good Ammoniac is of a high Colour, and not mixed with any Scrapings of Wood, Stone, or Sand ; it is called esauo-fta, Fratlure.— The other, which is full of Stones or Sand, is called pv£?f/a, that is, Mixture.
'Pliny calls the Tree whence it flows, Metopion ; and fays, the Gum takes its Name from the Temple of Jupiter Am- mon, nigh which the Tree grows.
Some fay, this Gum fetved the Antients for Incenfe in their Sacrifices. See Incense.
It enters feveral medicinal Compofitions, as an Attenuant, and Detergent, againfl Diforders arifiog from Vifcidities, and Grumes. — Outwardly applied, it is refolutive and fuppura- tive ; and, as fome fay, will of it felf draw out Splinters, tic.
Some diffblve the Gum in Vinegar, and other Liquors, and call it Lac Ammoniacum ; much ufed in Aflhmas, and Obflruftions of the Lungs. — But the more ufual form of prefcribing it is in Pills.
Ammoniac. Sal Ammoniac, is alfo a kind of Salt j
more ufually wrote Armoniac. See Armoniac.
Cornu AMMONIS, in Natural Hiflory, See Cornu Ammonis.
AMMUNITION, in general, fignifies all forts of warlike Stores and Provifions, more efpecially Pouder and Ball. See Munition.
The Word is fortn'd of the Latin Amonitio, which, ac- cording to Uu Cange, was uled in the corrupt State of that Language for Subjijience.
AMMUNiTioN-Sra?^, is what is provided for, and diftri- buted daily to, the Soldiers of an Army or Garrifon.
Such an Officer has fo many Rations of Ammunition- ISread, &c. See Ration.
AMNESTY, or Amnisty, a General Pardon, which a Prince grants to his Subjects, by a Treaty, or Edict $ where- in he declares that he forgets and annuls all that is pall, and promifes not to make any farther Inquiry into the fame. See Pardon.
Such Amnefties are ufually practifed upon Reconciliations of the Sovereign towards his People, after Rebellions, gene- ral Dcfeflions, &C.
Such, e.g. was the A3 of Oblivion granted at King Charles's Refforation.
The Word is derived from the Greek J-imsU, Amneftia ; which was the Name of a Law of this kind, pafs'd by Thra- fibulus upon the Expulfion of the thirty Tyrants out of
Athens. — Andecides, an Athenian Orator, whofe Life is written by Plutarch, and of whom we have an Edition, of the Year 1575 ; gives us, in his Oration upon Myfleries, a Formula of the Amnijly, and the Oaths taken thereupon.
AMNIOS, or Amnion, in Anatomy, the innermofl Mem- brane, wherewith the Fcetus in the Womb is immediately inverted. See Foetus.
The Amnios is a white, foft, thin, tranfparent Membrane ; making part of the Secundines, and lying next under the Chorion. See Secundine, and Chorion.
It contains a limpid Liquor, like a thin Gelly-broth ; with which the Stomach of the Fcetus being always found full, it is fuppofed to be the Matter of its Nourifhmenr. See Nutrition.
On its outfide lies the Allantois, or Urinary Membrane. In fome Subjects, the Urinary Membrane, and Chorion, flick fo ciofe to one another, that they appear to be but one. —It hath all its Veflels from the fame Origin as the Cho- rion. See Allantois.
The Word is deriv'd from the Greek ctftpfc, a Lamb, q. d.' Pettis Agnim.
AMOMUM, a Medicinal Fruit, called alfo Amomum Racemofum, Amomum Verum, and Elaterii c Pomum.
It refembles the Mufcat Grape ; and grows, like it, in Clutters ; is about the bignefs of a Chich-Pea, round, mem- branous, and divided into three Cells, which contain feveral brown, angular Grains ; of a very ifrong aromatick Tafte, and Smell.
This Fruit is brought from the Eajl Indies ; and makes part of the Compofition of Treacle ; and is thought to be the Si/on, or Sinon of the Antients.
Befides this, there is likewife another paler Seed, which bears the Name, Amomium ; but neither of them are in much repute in Phyfick.
The Commentators on "Pliny, and Diofcorides, have ne- ver been able to agree upon the antient Amomum ; the ge- nerality of 'em pitch on Fruits different from this. — Some
will have the Rofe of Jericho pafs for it.- F. Camelli is
pofitive he has difcover'd the real Amomum of Diofcorides, and that it is the T'ugus, or Birao, or Caropi, growing in the 'Philippine Iflands 5 the Grains or Berries whereof, are worn by the Natives about their Necks ; both on account of their agreeable Odour, and of their fuppofed Virtue in preferving from Infection, curing the Sting of the Scolopen- dria, S$c. Phil. Tranf. N° 24.8.
Scaliger is confident, that the Amomum of the Antients was not a Fruit ; but the Wood it felf, which bore fome refemblance to a Bunch of Grapes, and was particularly ufed in embalming of Bodies : and hence, fays he, the Term Mummy was given to the Bodies of Egyptians era- balm'd with it. See Mummy.
AMORTIZATION, or Amortisement, in Law, the Act of turning Lands into Mortmain, i. e. of alienating or transferring 'em ro fome Corporation, Guild, or Fraternity, and their Succeffors. See Mortmain.
The Term is alfo ufed for the Licence or Privilege which the King or fuperior Lord grants, to enable fuch Corpora- tion, l$c. thus to receive Lands into Mortmain : which otherwife they cannot do. — There is fuppofed to be fome Fine, or Acknowledgment paid the King, or the Lord, in Confiderarion hereof ; ro make 'em Satisfaction for feveral incidental Dues and Profits, which would have fallen to them in the common way 5 which are hereby cut off.
This Practice was borrow'd from the Lex Papiria, where- by it was forbidden to confecrate any Land to Religious Ufes, without the Confent of the People.
The Word is form'd of the Ftench Amortir, to extin- guifh, put our, ££c. See Extinguishment.
AMPELITIS, in Natural Hiflory, a kind of Earth that diflblves in Oil ; ufed to blacken the Eyebrows, and the Hair withal. See Earth.
AMPHIARTHROSIS, in Anatomy, a neutral or dubious kind of Articulation, diflinguifti'd from the Diarthrofis, in that it has no apparent Motion ; and from the Synarthrofis, in its not being abfoiutely devoid of Motion. See Arti- culation, Diartiirosis, iSc.
Such is the Articulation of the Ribs, with the Verte- bra: ; and that of the Carpus with the Tarfus, i£c. See Vertebrae, Carpus, l$c.
The Word, according to Dionis, is deriv'd from apt", both, and H,?St°<ris, Articulation ; the Amphiarthrofis being compounded of both the other forts. — Whence fome alfo call ir, Diarthrofis-Synarthroidal.
AMPHIBIOUS, in Natural Hiflory, a Term appliedto a fort of Animals which live both on Land, and in the Wa- ter ; that is, which breathe the Air, but pafs part of their Time in the Water, as affording 'em their chief Food. Sec Animal.
Such are the Frog, Caffor, Otter, Tortoife, Sea-Calf, Cro- codile, tSc. . The Amphibious Kind have peculiar Provifions in their Structure, to fit 'em for fo various a way of Living ; parti- cularly
