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ASP
Befide there two extreme JfpeBs, Conjunction, and Op- pofition, the Antients reckon'd three other, viz. Trigou or •Trine, the Angle mealiired by A B. Tab. Aflron. Fig. 3. Tetragon or Quadrate, the Angle meafurcd by the Qua- drant A D ; and Sex-tile, which is the Angle meafured by the Sextant A G. See Trigon, Tetragon, Quadrate and Sextile.
The DocVmeof4//S(?$.i was introduced by the Aftrolo- gers, as the Foundation of their Predictions.— Hence Kepler defines AfteB by an Angle form'd by the Rays of two Planets meeting on the Earth, able to excite fome natural Power or Influence. Accordingly, we read much of benign AfpeBs, malign AfpeBs, &c— But this Motion is long ago exploded. See Astrology.
To the antient Affects, the modern Writers have added feveral more; as Decile, containing the tenth Fart of a Cir- cle • Tridecile, three tenths ; and Biquinti/e, four tenths, or two fifths. — Kepler adds others, as he tells us, from me- teorological Obfervations ; as, the Semi -Sextile, containing the twelfth part of a Circle; and Quincunx, containing five twelfths. — Laftly, to the aftrologica'l Phyficians we owe Oc- tile, containing one eighth ; and TrioBile, containing three eighths.
The Angle intercepted between two Planets in the JfpeB of Conjunction is o ; in the Semi-Sextile AfpeB, 30* ; in Decile, 3<f° ; in OBile, 45 ; in Sextile, 6a" ; in Qitin- tile, 72° ; in Quartilc, 90 ; in Tridecile, 108" ; in Trine, no ; in TrioBile, 155° ; in Biquintile, 144.° ; in Quin- cunx, 150 ; in Oppofition, 180.
Thefe Angles or Intervals are reckoned on the fecon- dary Circles ; for the manner whereof, fee Secondary Circle.
The AfpeBs are ufually divided into c Partile and Platic.
c Partile Aspects, are when the Planets are juft fo many Degrees diftant, as is above expreffed. —
'Platic Aspects, are when the Planets do not regard each other from thefe very Degrees ; but the one exceeds as much as the other comes fhort. —
Double Aspect, is ufed in Painting, where a tingle Fi- gure is fo contrived, as to reprefent two or more different Objects, either by changing the Pofition of the Eye, or by means of angular Glaffes.—
Inftances hereof fee under the Articles Mirror, Catop- trick Cistula, Anamorphosis, £J?c.
ASPER, in Grammar. — Spiritus Asper, a Character or Accent, in form of ac; placed over certain Letters, in the Greek Tongue, to ftiew they are to be ftrongly afpirated, and to fupply the Place of an h. See Aspirate.
Asper alio fignifies a little Turkifh Silver Coin, wherein moft of the Grand Signior's Revenues are paid. See Coin and Money.
The Afper is worth fomething more than an Englifh Half- penny. — The only Impreffion it bears, is that of the Prince's Head under whom it was {truck— 'The Pay of thejanizaries, is from twelve to fifteen Afpers per Diem. See Janizary.
ASPERA Arteria, in Anatomy, the Wind-pipe ; other- wife called the Trachea. See Trachea and Artery.
The Afpera Arteria, is a Canal fituate in the Fore-part of the Neck, before the Oefophagus : Its upper End is called the Larynx ; from whence it defcends to the fourth Vertebra of the Back, where it divides and enters the Lungs. See Oesophagus, Larynx, Vertebra, &c.
It is form'd of annular Cartilages ranged at fmall and equal Diftanccs from one another, growing fmaller and fmaller, as they approach the Lungs ; and thofe of the Bronchia fo dole to one another, that, in Expiration, the fecond enters within the firft, and the third within the fe- cond, and the following always enters the preceding. See Respiration, tSc.
Betwixt the Larynx and the Lungs, thefe Cartilages make not complete Rings; but their hind Part, which is conti- guous to the Oefophagus, is membranous, that they may better contract and dilate, and give way to the Food as it paries down the Gullet. See Deglutition.
The Cartilages of the Bronchia are completely annular, yer their capillary Branches have no Cartilages, but inftead of them fmall circular Ligaments, which are at pretty large Diftances from one another. — The Ufe of the Cartilages, is to keep the Paffags for the Air open ; but in the capillary Bronchia, they would hinder the fubfiding of the Veffels. See Bronchia.
Thefe Cartilages are tied together by two Membranes, external and internal: the external is compofed of circular Fibres, and covers the whole Trachea externally ; the in- ternal is of an exquifite Senfe, and covers the Cartilages in- ternally : it is compofed of three diflinct Membranes ; the firft woven of two Orders of Fibres ; thofe of the firft Or- der being longitudinal, for the fhortening the Trachea ; thefe make the Cartilages approach and enter one another : the other Order is of circular Fibres, for the contracting the Cartilages.
When thefe two Orders of Fibres afl, they affile, together with the external Membrane, in Expiration, in Coughing, and in Altering the Tone of the Voice. See Expiration, Voice, life.
The fecond Membrane is altogether glandulous ; and the excretory Veffels of its Glands opening into the Cavity of the Trachea, feparate a Liquor tor moirtening the fame, and defending it from the Acrimony of the Air..— The lati is a Net of Veins, Nerves, and Arteries; the Veins are Branches of the Vena Cava, the Nerves of the Recurrent ; and the Arteries, Sprigs of the Carotides. See further un- der the Article Trachea.
ASPERIFOLIiE, in Botany, one of the Divifions or Kinds of Plants. See Plant.
The Characters of the Afperifolious Kind, are, that the Leaves ftand alternately, or without any certain Order on the Stalks : The Flowers are monopctalous, but have the Margin cut into five Divifions, fometimes deep, fometimes fhallow ; and the upper Spike or Top of rhe Plant, is of- ten curved back, fomething like a Scorpion's Tail.
They are called Afpenfolite , becaule they are ufually rough-leaved, but not always fo.
After each Flower there ufually fucceed four Seeds ; Mr. Ray reckoning the Cerinthe the only Plant fof this Genus, that hath lefs than four Seeds at the Root of each Flower ; this, indeed, hath but two.
The Herbie Jlfferifolite, are the Pulmonaria Maculofa, Cynogloffh, Sorago, Sugloffa, Anchufa, Ecbimim, Linmn Umbilicatum, Heliotropium majus, sparine major, Con- folida major, Lithofpcrmum, Eehium Scorpoides, and Ce- rinthe.
ASPERITY, Asperitas, implies the Inequality, or Roughnefs of the Surface of any Body ; whereby fome Parts of it do fo ftick out beyond the reft, as to hinder the Hand, &c. from paffing over it eafily and freely. See Particle. Afperity, or Roughnefs, Hands oppofed to Smoothnefs, Politure, &c. See Polishinc, &c.
From the Jfperity of the Surfaces of contiguous Surfaces, arifes FriBion. See Surface and Friction.
According to the Relations of Vermuafen, the blind Man fo famous for diftinguiihing Colours by the Touch, it lliould appear that every Colour has its patticular Degree and Kind of Afperity. He makes Black the rougheft, as it is the darkeft of Colours ; but the others are not fmoother in proportion as they are lighter ; i. e. the rougheft do not al- ways reflect the leaft Light: For, according to him, yellow is two Degrees rougher than blue, and as much fmoother than green. Boyle of Colours. See Colour, Light, (gc.
ASPERSION, the Aflof fprinkling with Water, or fome other Fluid. See Water.
Some contend for Baptifm by Afperjion, others by Im- merfion. See Baptism, Immersion, &c.
The Word is form'd of the Latin ajpergere, to iprinkle 5 of ad, to, andfpargo, I fcatter.
ASPHALITES, in Anatomy, the fifth Vertebra of the Loins. See Vertebra.
It is thus called becaule conceived as the Support of the whole Spine of the Loins; from the Privative a and CQaWa, I fupplant.
ASPHALTOS, or Asphaltum, a folid, brittle, black, inflammable, bituminous Subftance , refembling Pitch, brought from India ; whence it is alfo called Jeixifh 'Pitch. See Pitch.
The Afphaltos belongs to the Clals of Bitumens ; and is the furtheft maturated and concocted of the whole Tribe; but confifts of the fame Ample Principles as the reft. See Bitumen and Sulphur.
It is found fwimming on the Surface of the Lacus Afphal- t'ltes, or Dead Sea, where antiently flood the Cities of So-- dom and Gomorrah. — It is caft up from time to time, in the Nature of a liquid Pitch, from the Earth which lies under this Sea ; and being thrown upon the Water, fwims like other fat Bodies, and condenfes by little and little, thro the Heat of the Sun, and the Salt that is in it.
The Arabs ufe it to pitch their Ships withal, as we do common Pitch.— Befides, there was a deal of it imploy'd in the embalming of the Antients. See Emealming, gfc.
It is fuppofed to fortify, and refift Putrifaflion ; refolve, attenuate, cleanfe and cicatrize Wounds; But is little ufed among us either externally or internally.
'Tis ufual to fophifticate the Afphaltos, by mixing com- mon Pitch along with it; the Refult whereof makes the Pifafphaltum, which the Coarfenefs of the black Colour, and the fetid Smell eafily difcover. — Others, however, will have its pitchy Quality natural to it, and fuppofe 'Pifaf- phaltum to be the native Afphaltum. See Pisasphaltum. Asphaltum is alfo a kind of bituminous Stone, found near the antient Babylon, and lately in the Province ofNeu- chatel; which, mix'd with other Matters, makes an excel- lent Cement, incorruptible by Air, and impenetrable by Water; fuppofed to be the Mortar fo much celebrated
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