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well in the common Opinion for PhyficianSj who could not do extraordinary Things in their Profeffion with a Metal, which had fuch a prodigious Influence on other Accounts. Many, indeed, there have been, who have honeftlyoppofed this Artifice; but the contrary Sides have a long Time pre- vailed, and to fueh a Degree, that this Metal itfelf has not only been transformed into all the Shapes imaginable fox medicinal Purpofes; but even its Name has been transferr'd to do Honour to, and enhance the Price of many other worth- left Preparations, that bore any Refemblance to its fenfible Qualities,

Hence many Tinctures of a yellow Colour, are prefentty the Golden Tintlure of fome thing or other.

Moft, indeed, acknowledge, that Gold in Subftance, or reduced into the fmalleft Particles by the Hammer, as in the Leaf-Gold, is not digeftible in the Stomach, fo as to be tranfmitted into the Blood, and be of any Efficacy there. But there are, nevertheless, many, who are confident of its doing extraordinary Matters, if reduced into a Powder, by Amalgamation with Mercury, and by evaporating the Mer- cury afterwards.

Zacutus Lufitanus, is one of the fmarteft Pleaders on this fide the Controversy, againft Mufa, PicuS Mirandola and 'PlateruS; who, befides many Inftances of its Efficacy, urges the Authority of Avken, Serapion, Geber and many of the Arabian Phyficians, with thofe of other Countries, and of later Date. ghmcetan, Schroder, Zwelfer and Etmuller, with many other more modern, practical Phyficians, fell into the fame Opinion. But which fide fbever is in the right, the prefent Practice rejects all Pretentions to Medicine from it.

Sol, in Heraldry, the Gold Colour in the Arms of Sove- reign Princes. See Metal.

SOLAR, fomething belonging to the Sun. See Sun.

Thus we fay, Solas. Firs, in contradistinction to Culinary Fire. See Fire.

The Solar Tear, which confifts of 365 Days, 5 Hours, 49 Minutes j in Oppofition to the Lunar Tear, which only confifts of 354 Days. See Year.

The Solar Tear, is either Tropical, or Siderial.

'Tropical Tear, is that Space of Time, wherein the Sun returns again to the fame equinoctial or fblftitial Point ; which is always equal to 365 Days, 5 Hours, and about 49 Minutes. The Siderial Year, is the Space wherein the Sun comes back to any particular, fixed Star ; which is about 365 Days, 8 Hours, and 9 Minutes. See Siderial, &c.

Solar Syfiem, the Order and Difpofition of the feveral heavenly Bodies, which revolve round the Sun as the Centre of their Motion, viz. the 'Planets, Primary and Secundary, and the Cometi. For a Scheme of the Solar Syftem, fee System.

Solar Fclipje, is a Privation of the Light of the Sun, by the Interpofition of the opake Body of the Moon. See Eclipse.

Solar Spots, Solar Cycle, Solar Month,

SOLDER, popularly called Svdder, a metallic or mineral Compofition, ufed in Soldering or joyning together other Metals.

Solders are made of Gold, Silver, Copper, Tin, Glafs of Tin, and Lead ; always observing, that in the Compofi- tion, there be fome of the Metal to be Soldered, mix'd with ibme higher and finer Metals.

Goldfmiths make four Kinds of Solder, viz. Solder of Eight ; where, to feven Parts of Silver there is one of Brafs or Copper. Solder of Six, where only a iixth Part is Copper. Solder of Four : and Solder of Three. 'Tis the Mixture of Copper in the Solder that makes raifed Plate always come cheaper than flat.

The Solder ufed by Plumbers, is made of two Pounds of Lead to one of Tin. Its Goodnefs is tried by melting it, and pouring the bignefsof a Crown-piece on a Table ;for, if good, there will ari'fe little, bright, mining Stars therein. See Plumbery.

The Solder for Copper is made like that of the Plumbers 5 only, with Copper and Tin : For very nice Works, inftead of Tin, they fometimes ufe a Quantity of Silver. See Copper.

Solder for Tin, is made of two Thirds of Tin, and one of Lead ; but where the Work is any thing delicate, as in Organ-pipes, where the Juncture is fearce defcernible, 'tis made of one Part of Tin of Glafs, and three Parts of Pewter. Sec Tin.

The Duke of Florence's Nail, anciently fo much admired, as being half Iron and half Gold, when as thofe Two Metals were deem'd irreconcileabte ; was joyn'd by a kind of Solder, made by Tiirneifjer, an ingenious Chymift of Venice ; The Secret whereof, was never difcover'd till publifh'd by Tache- nins. The Solder is nothing but a little Copper or Cyprus Vitriol put between the Gold and the Iron. For, naturally, the greatAcidity of theGjld, reduces the Iron into a Scoria

or Riift, when the Two are applied immediately over One another; but this Difficulty is removed, by the Interpofition of a little Copper, be it in the fmalleft Quantity imaginable.

The Word is form'd from the Latin, Solidare, to itrength- en.

SOLDERING, or Sodderhtg, among Mechanicks, the joyning and faftening together of two Pieces of the fame Metal, or of two different Metals, by the Fufion and Appli- cation of fome metallic Compofition on the Extremities ot the Metals tobejoyn'd. See Solder.

Goldfmiths Solder with Gold, Silver and Copper mix'd together: Plumbers with Lead and Tin. See Plumbery, &c,

Copper isufually Solder d with Tin; fometimes, according to the Work, with a Mixture of Copper and Silver. In the Soldering of all thefe Metals, they generally ufe Borax in Powder, and fometimes Rofin. As to Iron, 'tis fufficient that it be heated red-hot 5 and the two Extremities, in this State, hammer'd together. By this means they become incorporated together. See Brazing.

, SOLDIER, a military Man, ferving a Prince in War, in Confideration of acertain Solde or daily Pay. See Military.

The Soldier is he who takes Pay ; the Vaffal he who ferves at his own Expences. See Vassal and Service. . T)it Cange obferves, that the ancient Soldiers were not to be fhort of Five Foot and a Half; and that this Meafure was called Incoma.

The Word is form'd from the Italian, Soldato of the Latin Soli da- or Solidus, the Solde or Pay. Pafqzder derives it from the old Gaulip Soal doyer. And Nicod from Soldurius. See

SoLDURII.

SOLDURII, in Antiquity, a kind of Clients or Re- tainers to the great Men in Gaul, particularly Aquitaniatj mentioned by Ctefar.

The Soldurii were People, who fhared all the good and all the ill Fortune of their Patrons ; To whom, if any Dif- after happened, they either underwent the very fame, or kill'd themfelves ; and Ctefar affures us, that no one had ever been known to refufe the Alternative, Lib. III. de Bel. Gal. Vige- nerius takes them to have been more than common Soldiers, and even Gentlemen in Penfion, or Appointment. Athenetis calls them "SJjveM&ywKomi, q. d. who die with their Mailers.

SOLECISM, orSolcecifm, in Grammar, a grofs Impropriety hi Speech, contrary to the Ufe of the Language, and the Rules of Grammar, either in refpectofDeclenfion.Conjugation or Syntax.

An Actor on the Roman Theatre having made a wrong Gefture ; the Audience immediately cried out he had com- mitted a Solecifm with his Hand. Ablanc.

Solecisms, on fome Occafions, are pardonable. Tmpetra- titm ejl a ratione ut peccare fuavitatis caufa liccret. Vavgelas is frequently repeating that of giiintillian: Aliud ejl Latins , aliud Grammatics loqui. Baltafar Stolberg has a Latin Treatife of the Solecifms and Barbarifms falfely attributed to theNe-tv Tefament. See Barbarism.

The Word is Greek, sahoiy.nTjj.^, derived from the Soli, a People of Attica, who being tranfplanted to Cilicia, loft the Purity of their ancient Tongue, and became ridiculous to the Athenians for their Improprieties therein.

SOLEMN, fomething perform'd with much Pomp, Cere- mony and Expence.

Thus we fay, Solemn Feafts, Solemn Funerals, Solemn Games, Sec. See Feast, Game, &c.

Solemn, in Law, fignifies fomething Authentic, or that is cloath'd in all its Formalities. A Solemn Teftament, in the Civil Law, is to be attefted by feven Perfons, and feal'd with their Seals.

A Solemn Marriage, is that perform'd in one's own Parifli Church, after Publication of the Bans, and in Prefence of WitnefTes.

SOLET and "Debet. See Debet and Sol et.

SOLE-T'enant, in Law, is he or fhe, who holds only in his or her own Right, without any other Perfon joyn'd. See Tenant.

E.gr. If a Man and his Wife hold Land for their Lives, the Remainder to their Son ; Here, the Man dying, the Lord fhall not have Heriot, becaufe he dies not Sole Tenant,

SOLEUS, in Anatomy, a Mufcle called alfo Gajlrocnemius Internus. See Gastrocnemius.

SOL-FA-ING, inMufic, the naming and pronouncing ot the feveral Notes of a Song, by the Syllables Sol, Fa, La, &c, in learning to fing it. See Note.

Of the Seven Notes in the Scale, ut, re, mi, fa, fol, la, ft $ only Four are in Ufe among us, viz. fa, fol, la, mi. Their Office is principally in Singing : that by applying them to every Note of the Scale, it may not only be pronounced more eafily ; but chiefly, that by them, the Tones and Semi-tones of the natural Scale, may be better mark'd out and diftin- guifh'd.

This Defign is obtained by the Four Syllables,/?, fol, M*

mi ; thus, ivomfa to fol is aTone ; alfo from/o/ to la, and

from la to mi, without diftinguifhing the greater or lefTer

Tone ; but from la to fa, alfo from mi to fa, is a Semi-tone.

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