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CHOLET CHOMEL 515 rine in the system. There is also a condition of the blood, which may or may not be attend- ed with jaundice, due to a gradual and undue accumulation of cholesterine in that fluid, and to which Prof. Flint applies the name " cho- lestersemia." This can only occur when, through some organic or structural change in the liver, and not merely of a small part, but of so much of it that the remaining healthy portion, if any, is insufficient for the depuration of the blood, the organ is in consequence inca- pable of performing duly its excretory office. CHOLET, or Chollet, a town of France, de- partment of Maine-et-Loire, on the Maine, 30 m. S. S. W. of Angers; pop. in 1866, 13,360. It is largely engaged in manufactures, having es- tablishments for the spinning of cotton and woollen goods, known as toiles de Chalet, or cholettes, paper mills, bleacheries, tanneries, and dye houses. It suffered greatly from civil war during the revolution, its manufactures being destroyed, and the workmen put to death or dispersed. Since then it has been entirely re- built. A number of bat- tles were fought here in 1792-'4 between the re- publicans and the Ven- deans, in most of which the latter were defeated. CHOLULA, a decayed town of Mexico, situated on the table land of Ana- huac, 6,912 ft. above the sea, in the state and 5 m. "W. N". W. of the city of Puebla; pop. 10,000, wholly Indians. It was formerly the capital of an independent state of the same name, but is now little more than a village rapidly sink- ing into insignificance. It has still some manufactures of coarse cotton goods, and is surrounded by well tilled gardens and plantations of corn and maguey. In its neighborhood stands the largest of the teocallis or pyramids of Mexico, consisting of an arti- ficial, or as some travellers have supposed a natural hill, cased with layers of adobe, stone, and plaster, and forming a truncated pyramid of four equal sides, facing the cardinal points and divided into the same number of terraces. According to Humboldt's measurement, it is about 160 ft. in perpendicular height, 1,400 ft. square at the base, and covers an area of 45 acres. Latrobe states its elevation to be 177 ft. and the length of its base 1,425 ft. It is accessible on all sides, though time has de- stroyed the regularity of its outline, and cov- ered its sides with trees and shrubs to the very summit. The platform on its top is more than an acre in extent, and is surrounded by a para- pet. In its centre stands a chapel to the Vir- gin, erected by the Spaniards, where masses are celebrated. A part of this pyramid has been laid open by the construction of a road across it, when a cavity was disclosed contain- ing a number of vases, idols in basalt, and two skeletons. It was built in honor of the deity Quetzalcoatl, but its precise age is un- known. The Aztecs found it here when they settled in Anahuac. Close by are two smaller pyramids. When the ancient empire of Mex- ico was in its glory, Cholula was the emporium of the plain, the seat of skilful manufactures, and a holy city where each race had its tem- ples and sacrifices, and whither pilgrims re- sorted from the most distant quarters. Its streets were gay with the pomp of frequent fes- tivals and processions, while on the summit of the great pyramid rose perpetual flames from the temple of Quetzalcoatl. This temple, a magnificent structure, and an object of profound national reverence, contained an image of the Teocalli of Cholula. god, wearing about his neck a golden collar, in his ears pendants of turquoise, and on his head a mitre with plumes. He bore a shield covered with emblems, and held in one hand a jewelled sceptre. It is related that at this and the numerous other shrines throughout the city 6,000 human beings were sacrificed every year. Cortes, who stopped at Cholula on his march to Mexico, described it as a beautiful and well fortified town, containing about 20,000 houses, besides which the suburbs were computed to embrace about as many more. He called it Churultecal. He was received by the inhabi- tants with apparent kindness, but learning that they were plotting against him he fell upon them unexpectedly, and gave the city up for several hours to massacre and pillage. In his letter to Charles V. he rates the loss of life at 3,000 ; but most accounts say 6,000. CHOMEL, August* Francois, a French physician, born April 13, 1788, died in Paris, April 10,