This page needs to be proofread.
352
RINGWOOD—RIO CUARTO

the receiver can catch it between the creases, which are lines drawn across the court 6 ft. from the goal-lines, or the ring be driven out of court. Eleven points constitute a game. Ring-goal was invented by an under-graduate of Keble College, Oxford, about 1885, and was played at Oxford, but without attracting any wide popularity.


RINGWOOD, a market town in the New Forest parliamentary division of Hampshire, England, 103½ m. S.W. by W. from London by the London & South-Western railway. Pop. (1901) 4629. It lies pleasantly on the river Avon, which here divides into numerous branches, flowing through flat meadow land. The church of SS. Peter and Paul, which was almost entirely reconstructed in 1854, the town hall and corn exchange are the chief buildings. A large agricultural trade and manufactures of agricultural implements, linen goods and woollen gloves are carried on.


RINGWORM (or Tinea Tonsurans), a disease of the scalp (especially common within the tropics); it consists of bald patches, usually round, and varying in diameter from half an inch up to several inches, the surface showing the broken stumps of hairs and a iine whitish powdering of desquamated epidermic scales. In scrofulous subjects matter is sometimes produced, which forms crusts, or glues the hair together, or otherwise obscures the characteristic appearance. The disease is due to a parasite, Trichophyton tonsurans, which exists mostly in the form of innumerable spores (with hardly any mycelium), and is most abundant within the substance of the hairs, especially at their roots. If a piece of the hair near the root be soaked for a time in dilute liquor potassae and pressed flat under a cover-glass, the microscope will show it to be occupied by long rows of minute oval spores, very uniform in size, and each bearing a nucleus.

The same fungus sometimes attacks the hairs of the -beard, producing a disease called “ sycosis.” Sometimes it invades the hairless regions of skin, forming “ tinea circinata ”; circular patches of skin disease, if they be sharply defined by a margin of papules or vesicles, may be suspected of depending on the tinea-fungus. Interesting varieties of tinea are found in some of the Pacific and East Indian islands, Among the best remedial agents are various mercurial preparations. But in modern practice much success has been found in X-raying the patch in order to remove the dead and diseased hairs, thus leaving a free channel for the passage of antiseptic applications to the follicles. The exposures are followed by in unction of a mercurial preparation or of a lotion of tincture of iodine with methylated spirit.

See also Favus.


RINTOUL, ROBERT STEPHEN (1787–1858), British journalist, was born at Tibbermore, Perthshire, in 1787, and educated at the Aberdalgie parish school. After serving his apprenticeship to, the printing trade he became the printer and subsequently the editor of the Dundee Advertiser. In 1826 he came to London, and in July 1828, with the assistance of friends, founded The Spectator. In it Rintoul strongly supported the Reform Bill, and to him was due the catch-phrase “ The bill, the whole bill, and nothing but the bill.” After conducting The Spectator for more than thirty years, he sold it shortly before his death, which occurred on'the 22nd of April 1858.


RINUCCINI, GIOVANNI BATTISTA (1592–1653), archbishop of Fermo, was born in Rome on the 15th of September 1592, being the son of a senator. He studied at several Italian universities, became chamberlain to Pope Gregory XV., and in 1625 was made archbishop of Fermo. His participation in Irish politics, which is his chief title to fame, began during the later stages of the Civil War when Ireland was the scene of universal disorder. In 1645 Pope Innocent X. dispatched him to that country as papal nuncio; he landed at Kenmare with arms and money in October 1645, and took up his residence at Kilkenny. Before this time the Roman Catholics had banded themselves together for defence. Called the Confederate Catholics, they had set up a provisional government, and when the nuncio reached Kilkenny they were engaged in negotiating for peace with the lord lieutenant, the marquess, afterwards duke, of Ormonde. Rinuccini took part in the proceedings, but as his demands were ignored he refused to recognize the peace which was concluded in March 1646, and gaining the support of the Irish general, Owen Roe O'Neiil, he used all his influence, both ecclesiastical and political, to prevent its acceptance by others. To a large extent he succeeded. Meeting at Waterford, the clergy condemned the treaty and several towns took up the same attitude. The nuncio's most pliant helper was now Edward Somerset, earl of Glamorgan, afterwards marquess of Worcester, who had been sent to Ireland by Charles I., and who had entered into communication with Rinuccini when the latter first arrived in that country. Glamorgan bound himself to carry out all the wishes of the nuncio, who intended that he should supplant Ormonde. In September 1646 Rinuccini took over the conduct of affairs. He imprisoned his opponents on the council and tried to arrange for an attack on Dublin. But there was no harmony, among his subordinates, his military, plans failed and soon all parties were tacitly ignoring him. Leaving Kilkenny he stayed for some time in Galway, and in February 1649 he left Ireland. After visiting Rome he returned to Fermo in 1650 and died on the 5th of December 1653.

See G. Aiazzi, La Nunziatura in Irlanda (Florence 1844), English translation as The Embassy in Ireland, by A. Hutton (Dublin, 1873); and S. R. Gardiner, History of the 'Great Civil War, vols. iii. and iv. (1905).

RIOBAMBA or Royabamba, a town of Ecuador, capital of the province of Chimborazo, on the railway between Guayaquil and Quito, about 85 m. E.N.E. of the former. Pop. (1900, estimate) 12,000. It standsin a barren, sandy basin of the great central plateau drained by the Chambo, a. tributary of the' Pastaza, on the old road running southward from Quito into Peru, 9039 ft. above sea-level, and in full view of the imposing heights of Chimborazo, Carahuairazo (Carguairazo), Tunguragua and Altar. Though 300 ft. lower than Quito, its climate is considerably colder, owing, perhaps, to its more exposed situation and the vicinity of so many snow-clad peaks. It is a town of unusually wide streets and one-storeyed adobe houses, being so laid out and built because of earthquakes. It has very little importance as a commercial or industrial centre, having only a small trade and a few unimportant industries; The present town dates from 1797, when the great earthquake of that year destroyed the old town then situated 12 m. W., near the existing village of Cajabamba. 1The ruins of the old town indicate that it was much larger and finer than its successor.


RIO CUARTO, a town of Argentina in the province of Cordoba, 119 m. S. 'of the city of that name, and -about 500 m. N.W. of Buenos Aires. Pop. (1904, estimate) 12,000. It stands 1440 ft. above sea-level and about half-way across the great Argentine pampas, on the banks of a river of the same name which finds an outlet through the Carcarañal into the Parana near Rosario. The town is built on the open plain and is surrounded with attractive suburbs. It is the commercial centre of a large district and has a large and lucrative trade. Its geographical position gives it great strategical importance, and the government maintains here a large arsenal and a garrison of the regular army. The surrounding country belongs to the partially arid pampa region and is devoted to stock raising-cattle, horses, sheep and goats. Irrigation is employed in its immediate vicinity. Previous to 1872 this region was overrun by the Ranqueles, a warlike tribe of Indians, but the vigorous reprisals of General Ivanovski in that year, supplemented by the tactful intervention of the Franciscan missionaries, who have a convent in this town, put an end to these hostile forays and gave full opportunity for the industrial development of the country. There are some manufacturing industries in the town. The National Andine railway passes through Rio Cuarto, and branch lines connect with the Buenos Aires and Pacific line—all of which give railway communication