C L I
CLIMACTERIC, Annus CUmaBericus, a critical Tear, wherein, according to the Aftrologers, there is fome very notable Alteration in the Body to arife ; and a Perfon Hands in great danger of Death. See Critical.
The firft ClimaBeric is the feventh Year of a Man's Life • the reft are Multiples of the firft, as ax, 49, -j6, 63, and 81 • which two laft arc called the Grand ClimaBerics, and the Dangers here iuppos'd mote imminent.
The Opinion has a great deal of Antiquity on its fide. Julia Gellius fays, it was borrowed from the Chaldeans ; who might probably receive it from ^Pythagoras, whofe Philofo- phy tutn'd much on Numbers; and who imagin'd an extta- ordinary Virtue in the Number 7.
Marc. Ficinus gives us the Foundation of the Opinion : He tells us, there is a Year aflign'd for each Planet to rule over the Body of Man, each in his turn : now, Saturn being the moll malific Planet of all, every feventh Year, which falls to his Lot, becomes very dangerous ; efpecially thofe of 63 and Si, when the Perfon is already advane'd in Years.
Some hold, according to this Doclrine, every feventh Y'ear an eftablifh'd Climacteric ; but others only allow the Title to thofe ptodue'd by the Multiplication of the clima.Berical Space by an odd Number, 3, 5, 7, 9, &c. Others obierve every ninth Year as a ClimaBeric.
Hevelius has a Volume under the Title of Annus Climac- tericus ; describing the Lofs he futtain'd in the burning of his Obiervarory, iSc. which it feems happen'd in his firft grand ClimaBeric.
_ Suetonius fays, Ailguftils congratulated his Nephew upon his having pafs'd his firft grand ClimaBeric, whereof he was very apprehenfive.
Some pretend, that the ClimaBeric Years are alfo fatal to political Bodies.
Authors on the Subjeft, are c Plato,Cicero,Macrohius, Au- las Gellius, among the Antients ; Argol, MagimlS, and Sal- mafius among the Moderns. S. Aiiguftin, S. Ambrofe, Beda, and Boetius countenance the Opinion.
The Word ClimaBeric comes from the Greek »M'f<«J. xm'- (Micof, Scala; q. d. by a Scale, or Degrees.
CLIMATE, in Geography, a part of the Surface of the Earth, bounded by rwo Circles parallel to the Equator, and of fuch a Breadth, as that the longeft Day in the Parallel nearer the Pole, exceeds the longer! Day in that next the Equator by fome certain Space, viz. half an Hour. See Earth, Pa- rallel, ££c.
The Beginning of tie Climate, is the parallel Circle wherein the Day is the ihorreft.
The End of the Climate, is that wherein the Day is the longeft. See Day.
( 2 37 )
C L I
The Climates therefore are rcckon'd from the Equator ttf the Pole ; and are (0 many Bands, or Zones, terminated bv Lines parallel to the Equator : tho, in ftriSnefs, there are ieveral Climates in the Breadth of one Zone. See Zone
Each Climate only differs from its contiguous ones in that the longeft Day in Summer is longer or fhorter by half an Hour m the one Place than in the other.
As the Climates commence from the Equator, the firft Cli- mate, at its Beginning, has its longeft Day precifely 1. Hours- long ; at its End, 12 Hours and an half: The fecond, which begins where the firft ends, viz. at 12 Hours and an half, ends at 13 Hours; and fo of the reft, as far as the Polar Circles. See Hour,
Here, what the Geographers call Hour-Climates terminate; and Month-Climates commence.
As an Hour-Climate is a Space compriz'd between two Pa- rallels of rlie Equator, in the fitft of which, the longeft Day exceeds that in the latter by half an Hour; fo theMonth- Climaten a Space terminated between two Circles parallel to the lolar Circles whofe longeft Day is longer or fhorter than that of its contiguous one by a Month, or 30 Days. See Month.
The Antients, who confin'd the Climates to what they ima- gin d the habitable Parts of the Earth, only allow'd of feven. ihehrft they made to pals thro* Meroe; the fecond thro"' Sienna; the third thro' Alexandria ; the fourth thro' Rhodes; the fifth thro Rome ; the fixth thro' •Pontus ; and the fe- venth thro the Mouth of the Borifihenes.
The Moderns, who have fail'd further roward the Poles, make thirty Climates on each fide : and in regard the Obli- quity of the Sphere makes a little difference in the lenpth of the longeft [Day ; inftead of half an Hour, fome of 'em only make the difference of Climates a quarter.
In fixing the Climates, there ordinarily is no regard had to the Refraction. See Refraction.
Vulgarly, the Term Climate is beftow'd on any Country or Region differing from another, either in refpea of the Sca- fons, the Quality of the Soil, or even the Manners of the Inhabitants; without any regard to the Length of the longeft
Albufeda, an Arabic Author, diftinguifhes the firft kind of Climates by the Term real Climates ; and the latter by that of apparent Climates.
The Word comes from the Greek M</ia, hiclinamentum , an Inclination.
Varenius gives us a Table of thirty Climates ; but with- out any regard to the Refraction. Ricciolus furnifhes a mors accurate one, wherein the Refraflions are allow'd for : An Abftract of which follows.
A Table of Climates
Middle
Longeft
Latit.
Cli-
Longefti Latit.
Middle
Latit. Cont. North
of Clim.
Day.
mates.
Day. | i6 h - C/J48 15'
of Clim.
Lax.
Night
Lax.
Nighr. 28*
I
12A 30'
7 U i
VIII
XV
66° 53
,,d.
t.7 d -
2nd.
II
13
15 3S
IX
17 053 4<f
XVI
69 30
6z
58
(So
59
III
13 30
23 a
X
18 o|j7 44
XVII
73
93
87
80
88
IV
14. 29 49
XI
19 o'tfo 39
XVIII
78 6
124 117
120
118
V
14 3°,35 35
XII
20 o.tfz 44
XIX
84
1515" 148
150
149
VI
15 040 31
X11I
22 65 10
XX
90
188 180
ryR
VII
15 3° 44 4=-
XIV '24 ol« 54
1
-CLIMAX, or Gradation, in Rhetorick, a Figure, where by we afcend or defcend, as it were by degrees.
Such is that of Cicero to Catiline, Nihil agis, nihil moli- ris, nihil cogitas ; quod ego ntm audiam, quod ctiam non vi- deam, flaneque fentiam : Thou doft nothing, moveft nothing, thinkft nothing ; but I hear it, nay fee it, and perfectly un- derstand it. Thus, the fame Cicero to Aniens ; Si dermis exfergifcere ; fi ftas, ingredere; fi ingrederis, cum; fi cur- ris advola. Thus, Tertulliaa de Sfac. ' Who ever found ' the Truth without God ? Who ever found God without ' Chrift f who Chrift without the HolySpirit? who the Ho-
- ly Spirit without Faith ?
CLINIC, CLINICUS, a Term apply'd by fome Church- Hiftorians to thofe among the Antients, who receiv'd Bap- tifm on their Death-Bed. See Baptism.
It was the Doctrine of many of the Fathers, that Baptifm abfolutely wafti'd away all previous Sins, and that there was no Attonement for Sins committed after Baptifm. On this account, many defer'd that Sacrament till they were arriv'd at the laft Stage of Life, and were pretty fafe from the dan- ger of finning any more ; and fuch were call'd Clinici.
Magnus, in the Hid Century, made a Doubt whether or no Clinics were truly baptiz'd, in regard the Ceremony was only perform'd by Afperfion, inftead of Immerfion. He con- futed S. Chryfoflom on the Point, who made him anfwer, that the Sacrament does not waili away Sin after the man- ner of a corporal Bath ; and Ihews from Scripture that Afper- fion is fufficient.
The Word comes from the Greek XKivi, a Bed.
Clinic is alio us'd in Antiquity in two other Senfes : tft,
for a Patient, or Perfon merely fick, even without keeping his Bed ; as appears from the Life of Charlemaigne, mCtmifiuSi zdly. For a 'Phyfician ; in regard, Phyficians are much converfant about the Beds of the Sick.
It was, however, principally the Phyficians of Emperors that were call'd by this Title. (Radcrus on Martial, Rof- tceid, and Hoffman.)
Medicina Clinica, was particularly us'd for the Method of vifiting and treating fick Perfons abed, for the more exafl Difcovery of all the Symptoms of the Difeafe. See Medi- cine.
Le Clerc obferves, that JEfiulafius was the firft who exer- cis'd the Medicina Clinica.
Clinic is now feldom us'd but for a ^liack ; or rather for an empyrical Nurfe, who pretends ro have learnt the Att of curing Difeafes by attending on the Sick. See Physician."
CLINOIDES, in Anatomy, an Epithet given to three internal Apophyfes of the Os Sphenoides, one of the Bones of the Cranium ; fo ca led, fay fome, from their refembling the Feet of a Bed. See Sr henoides.
Two of thefe are anterior, or before j the third pofterior, behind : The three together form a little Cavity, from its Shape call'd Sella ^Turcica, or Equina; wherein is piae'd the Pituitary Gland. See Sella, and Pituitary Gland. .
The Word is form'd of the Greek xJibn, a Bed, and t/JV, form; either from rhe three Bones which referable the Feet ol a Bed ; or from the Cavity they form, which refembles a Bed it felf.
CLITORIDIS Mufculi, in Anatomy. See Erector Clitoridis.
Ill CXI-
