Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 01.djvu/277

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marinus), which is the largest toad known, being sometimes eight inches long. It became a pest a few years ago in Jamaica, where it was intro- duced in 1844 as an enemy to the rats, which were devouring the sugar-cane. It multiplied excessively, and although it destroyed young rats, became a nuisance by its numbers, noctur- nal bellowings, and destruction of ground-birds, chickens, and eggs. It has since become less numerous and troublesome. See illustration on Colored Plate accompanying Toad.


AGUA, Volcán de, viM-kan' da ii'gwa. A conical volcanic mountain in Guatemala, Central America (Map: Central America, B 3). It is over 15,000 feet high, and has a crater about 100 feet in diameter, from which streams of hot water are occasionally ejected. Northwest of Agua are situated the volcanoes of I'acoya and Fuego. The old town of Guatemala was de- stroyed in 1541 by the hot water eruption of Agua.


AGUADILLA, a'gwa-De'l.ya. The chief town of the department of the same name (230 square miles, pop., 99,645), situated on the western coast of Porto Rico (Map: Porto Rico, A 2). It has a fine bay and contains an old church and a fort. It was founded in 1775 and unsuccess- fully attacked by the British in 1797. Pop., 1899, 6425.


AGUADO, a-gwa'no, Alejandro Maria, Marquis de las Marismas del Guadalquivir (1784-1842 ). A celebrated Spanish financier of Jewish descent. He was born in Seville, and in Paris became one of the wealthiest bankers of modern times. During the Spanish War of Independence he fought with distinction with those who supported Joseph Bonaparte. Exiled in 1815, he went to Paris and engaged in the Cuban and Mexican trade and in banking. Beginning in 1823, he negotiated four Spanish loans, thus saving Spain from bankruptcy. In return, Ferdinand VII. ennobled him and gave him mining and other concessions. He was naturalized in France in 1828, and at his death left a fortune of more than sixty million francs and a splendid collection of pictures.


AGUARÁ, ii'gwiVra'. or GUARÁ, gwa-rii' (native name). A Brazilian native name confusingly applied in books to various South American animals, perhaps most strictly to the crab-eating dog (Canis cancrivorus) of Guiana. In the valley of the Rio de la Plata Azara's fox- dog is called "Aguará chay," and the maned wolf "Aguará guazu." See Fox Dog, and Maned Wolf.


AGUAS CALIENTES, ii'gw;-is kii'h'-on'tAs. An inland State of Mexico, with an area of 2950 square miles and a population (1900) of 101,910.


AGUAS CALIENTES (Sp.. Hot Springs). The capital of the State of Aguas Calientes, 300 miles northeast of Mexico City (Map: Mexico, H 7). It is situated on a plateau 6000 feet above sea level, and is the point of intersection of the roads from Mexico to Sonora and Durango, and that from San Luis Potosí to Guadalajara. Besides the cultivation of fields and gardens, the manufacture of cloth is very considerable, and is carried on by the factory system. It is the scene of a great fair, held at Christmas time each year, and lasting two weeks. The numerous hot springs of the surrounding district give the town its name. Pop., 1890, 32,400; 1895, 30,900.


A'GUE ( Fr. aigu, from Lat. acuta febris, acute, violent fever), Febris intermittens. The common name for intermittent, or malarial, fever, and characterized by certain paroxysms. Each parox- ysm is composed of three stages. In the first, a cold sensation creeps up the back, and spreads over the body; the patient shivers, his teeth chat- ter, his knees knock together; his face, lips, ears, and nails turn blue; he has pains in his head, back, and loins. During this stage the tempera- ture rises to 102° or even to 105° F. This con- dition is succeeded by Hushes of heat, the coldness gives place to warmth, and the surface regains its natural appearance. The warmth continues to increase, the face becomes red and turgid, the head aches, the breathing is deep and oppressed, the pulse full and strong. The temperature ranges from 103° to 105° F. The third stage now comes on; the skin becomes soft and moist, the pulse resumes its natural force and frequen- cy, and a copious sweat breaks from the whole body, the temperature falls to the normal, and the patient generally sleeps.

These paroxysms occur at regular intervals. The interval between them is called "an intermission." When they occur every day, the patient has quotidian ague: every second day, tertian; and when they are absent for two days, quartan. There is a double quotation form, in which there are two complete paroxysms in every twenty-four hours. All ages are liable to this disease. For the cause of this disease, see Malaria and Malarial Fever. See Intermittent Fever.


AGUESSEAU, a'gc-so'. Henri Francois d' (1668-1751). A distinguished lawyer and chancellor of France, pronounced by Voltaire the most learned magistrate that France ever possessed. He was born at Limoges, in the department of Haute-Vienne. He received his earliest education from his father, and devoting himself to the study of law, became avocat-générale at Paris in 1690, and at the age of thirty-two, procureur-général of the parlement. While holding this office he effected many improvements in the laws and the administration of justice. A steady defender of the rights of the people and of the Gallican Church, he successfully opposed the decrees of Louis XIV. and the Chancellor Voisin in favor of the papal bull Unigetnitus (q.v.). During the regency, he became chancellor, but after a year (1718) fell into disgrace through opposing Law's system of finance, and retired to his country seat at Fresnes, Returning to office in 1720, he was exiled a second time for his opposition to Cardinal Dubois. In 1727, he obtained from Cardinal Fleury permission to return, and in 1737 he resumed the office of chancellor, in which he remained till 1750. His works have been published in thirteen volumes (Paris, 1759-89, 1819); Lettres inédités (Paris, 1823). Consult Monnier, Le Chancelier d'Aguesseau (Paris, 1864).


AGUILAR, ii'gMiir'. Grace (1816-47). An English writer of Jewish parentage. She was born at Hackney, and first became known by two works on her own religion, The Spirit of Judaism (first published in America, 1842), and The Jewish Faith (1846), in the former of which she attacked the formalism and traditionalism of Judaism, and insisted on its spiritual and moral aspects. She also wrote much fiction, more or less of a religious character, of which