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Medicine in the Hands of any European who underftands Pharmacy, if he had but a fufficient Quantity of it to make fuch Trials as are neceffary to examine the Nature of it chymically, and to apply it in a proper Quantity, according to the Nature of the Difeafe for which it may be beneficial.
It is certain that it fubtilifes, increafes the Motion of, and warms, the Blood; that it helps Digeliion, and invigorates in a very fenfible manner.
After I had defigned the Root, I obferved the State of my Pulfe, and then took half of the Root, raw as it was, and unprepar'd; in an Hour after, I found my Pulfe much fuller and quicker : I had an Appetite, and found myfelf much more vigorous, and could bear Labour better and eafier than before. Four Days after, finding myfelf fo fa- tigued and weary, that I could fcarce fit on Horfeback, a Mandarin who was in Company with us, perceiving it, gave me one of thefe Roots : I took half of it immediately, and an Hour after I was not in the leaft fenfible of any Weari- nels. I have often made ufe of it fince, and always with the fameSuccefs: I have obferv'd alfo, that the green Leaves, and cfpecially the fibrous Part of them, chewed, would pro- duce nearly the fame Effect. The 'tartars often bring us the Leaves of Giu-feng, inflead of Tea ; and I always find myfelf fo well afterwards, that I (hould readily prefer them before the belt Tea. Their Decoction is of a grateful Co- lour ; and when one has taken it twice, or thrice, its Tafte and Smell become very agreeable.
As for the Root, it is neceffary to boil it a little more than Tea, to allow time for extracting its Virtue ; as is practis'd by the Chinefe, when they give it to fick Perfons ; on which occafion they feldom ufe more than the fifth Part of an Ounce of the dried Root.
To prepare the Root for Exhibition, cit it into thin Slices, and put it into an earthen Pot well glazed, with about half a Pint of Water ; the Pot to be well cover'd, and fet to boil over a gentle Fire ; and when the Water is confumed to the Quantity of a Cup full, a little Sugar to bemix'd with it, and to be drank : Immediately after this as much more Wa- ter to be put on the Remainder, and to be boiled as be- fore, to extract, all the Juice, and what remains of the fpiri- tuous Part of the Root. Thefe two Dofes to be taken, the one in the Morning, and the other in the Evening.
GIRDERS, in Architecture, the largeft Pieces of Timber in a Floor — Their Ends are ufually fallcn'd into the Sum- mers, or Brcil-Summers, and the Joifts are framed in at one End to the Girders. See Joist.
By the Statute for rebuilding London, no Girder is to lie lefs than ten Inches into the Wall5 and their Ends to be always laid in Lome, &c.
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GiRvmG-Beams, in Building, the fame as Girders. See Girder.
GIRDLE, Cingulus, or Zona, a Belt, or Band, of Leather, or other Matter, tied about the Reins; to keep the Part more firm, and tight.
It was antiently the Cullom for Bankrupts, and other Cef- fionaries, to put off, and furrender their Girdle, in open Court — -The Rcafon hereof, was, that our Ancestors ufed to carry all their neceffary Utenfils, as Purfe, Keys. f$c. tied to the Girdle ; whence the Girdle became a Symbol of the Eftate. Hiftory relates, that the Widow of 'Philip I. Duke of Burgundy , renounced her Right of Succcflion, and put off her Girdle on the Duke's Tomb. See Investi- ture.
The Romans always wore a Girdle, to tuck up the Gown when they had occafion to do any thing. This Cuftom was fo general, that 'uch as went without Girdles, and let their Gowns hang loofe, were reputed idle, diffolute Perfons.
Maidens or Virgins Girdle— It was the Cuftom among the Greeks, and Romans, for the Husband to untie his Bride's Girdle.
Homer, lib. it. of the Odyfiey, calls this Girdle •eet^'ma Zem. Maid's Girdle. Feft'ts relares, that this Girdle was made of Sheep's Wool; and that the Husband untied it in Bed. He adds, that it was tied in the Hereulian Knot 5 and that the Husband untied it, as a happy Prefage of his having as many Children as Hercules, who at his Death left feventy behind him;
The Poets attribute to Venus.!, particular kind of Girdle, called Ccftlls ; to which they annex a Faculty of infpirine the PaffionofLove.. See Cestus.
. Quickfilver Girdle, in Medicine, is a fort of Girdle fmcered over with Mercury, or having Mercury inclofed within it. See Mercury.
It is made of Leather, Linen, Cloth, Cotton, Stuff, or the like, and the Mercury prepared or killed various ways ; as with falling Spittle, Fat, or the like.
It is applied as a Topical Medicine about the WafteJ fometimes with good Effect, but frequently proves danger^ ous, principally in weak Conftitutions, and thofe fubject to Convulfions.
Its Intention is, the Cure of the Itch, driving away Ver- min, killing Lice, gfc.
_£{ueens Girdle, is an antient Duty, or Tax, rais'd at 'pans every three Years, at the rate of three Denjers upon each Muid of Wine, and fix for each Queue. It was intended for the Maintenance of the Queen's Houfhold : Afterwards they augmented and extended it to other Commodities, as Coals, &c.
Vigenere fuppofes it to have been originally thus called, by reafon the Girdle antiently ferved for a Purfe; but he adds, that a like Tax had been raifed in Perfia, and under the fame Name, above two thoufand Years ago; as appears from Plato, in his Scibiades, Cicero, Atbeneus, &c.
Chriftians of the Girdle. Motavackkel, tenth Calif of the Family of the Abajfides, enjoin'd the Chriftians, and y^rof in the Year oftheHegira, 235- of Jefus Chrill, 8,6, to wear a large leathern Girdle, as a Badge of their .Profef- fion ; which they bear to this Day throughout the Eaft : From which time the Chriftians of Afia, and particularly thole of Syria and Mefopotamta, who are almolt all Nefto- rians, or Jacobites, have been called Chriftians of the Girdle.
Order of the Girdle, the Order of Cordeliers-, fee Cord, and Cordelier.
Girdle, in Architecture; fee Cincture.
GIRLE, among Hunters, is a Roe buck of two Years.
GIRON, or Guiron, in Heraldry, a Gore, or triangu- lar Figure, having a long, lharp Point, like the Step of a fpiral Stair Cafe, and ending in the Centre of the Efcutcheon."
When a Coat has fix, eight, or ten of thefe Girons, meet- ing or centring in the Middle of the Coat, it is faid to bo Gironne, or Gironny. SeeGiRONNE.
The Word is French, and literally fignifics the Grertiium, or Lap; by reafon, in fitting, the Knees being fuppofed fomewhat afunder, the two Thighs, together with a Line imagjn'd to pals from one Knee to the other, forms a Fi- gure fomewhat fimular hereto.
GIRONNE, Gironny, in Heraldry,, is when a Shield or Coat is divided into feveral Girons, which are alternately Co- lour and Metal ; as in the adjoining Fi- gute, which we Blazon, Gironne of fix Ar- gent and Sable.
When there are eight pieces or Girons, it is abfolutely faid to be Gironne ; when there are more, or fewer, the Number
is to be exprefs'd — Gironne of four, of* fourteen^ %g Ct r
Some, inftead of Gironne, fay, Parti, Couppi Trench,', and Faille, by reafon the Girons are form'd by fuch Divi- fions of the Field.
Four Girons form a Salteer, and eight, a Crofs, SeeSAL- teer, etc.
GIVEN, 2)atus, a Term frequently ufed in Mathema- ticks, fignifying fomething which is fuppofed to be known. See Data.
Thus, if a Magnitude be known, or we can find another equal to it, we fay, it is a given Magnitude, or that fuch a Thing is gwetrin Magnitude. See Magnitude.
If the Pofition of any thing be fuppofed as known, we fay, Given in Pofition. See Position.
Thus, if a Circle be actually defcribed on a Plain, its Centre is Given in Pofition; its Circumference Given in. Magnitude ; and the Circle is Given both in Pofition, and Magnitude.
A Circle may be given in Magnitude only, as when only its Diameter is given, and the Circle not actually defcribed.
If the Kind, or Species of any Figure be given, they fay, given in Specie.— If the Ratio between any two Quantities i»' known, they are faid to be given in Proportion.
GLACIALIS, Icy, fomething relating to Ice ; and par- ticularly, a Place that abounds in Ice.
Thus, we fay, the Mare Glaciate, or Congelatum, that is, the Icy, or Frozen Sea ; call'd alfo Cbronian Sea, or Sarma- tian Sea. See Sea.
The Word is form'd of the Latin Glades, Ice. See Ice,
GLACIS, in Building, iic. is an eafy, infenfible Slope, or Declivity. See Declivity.
TheDefcent, or Inclination of the Glacis is lefs Seep than that of the Tate. SeeT.Ai.uT.
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