AST


( I


The Al?    is ufually divided into A   And Dry., or NMoW
and       or    :    and Codvu    : The firil attended with
an ThrpE~tration- of purulent matOer; the latter without.
We true Aft Mais occafioned by an abundance of Seroties,
or of grofs vifcous or pirulent Humours, colleded in the Ca-
vities of the Lungs, which flop up or fr, ten the  allages of
the Air, and comprefs the Broxchia. See BloNCHIA.
It is alfo owing to Empyema's, Phthifs's  Crudiies in the
Stomach, Cachexies, &c. See EMPYEMA, P    nTHIISIS, eac.
The convulfive A4fhma is fuppofed to be occafioned by an ir-
regular Motion of the Animal Spirits; and' happens when the
Spirits' do not flow faft enough, or in fufficient Qpantimy, into
the Mufcles of the Breaft, either by reafon of an Obftrudtion,
or of foome other Obftaclc: The neceffary Confequence where-
of is a violent and painful Refpiration.-The Afthma, again, is
either continual, or periodical, and intermitting; which laft returns
chiefly where a fober Regimen is not obfeqved.
The Afbma is found to be the moft violent when the Patient is in
Bed, and in a prone Poffure; the Contents of the lower Belly, in
that cafe, bearing againrf the Diaphragm, fIo as toleflen theCapacity
of the Breaft, and to leave the Lungs lefs room to move.
The Cure of the true or pneumonic A/I hma, is by bleeding;
after which Emeticks may'be ufed; and if the Paroxyfm returns,
Epifpafticks, with Glyflers inftead of Purges.-Infufions of Fim.
Equin. or the Juice thereof, being deterfive and attenuating, are
reputed excellent. Linis's alfio contribute to the Cure, Mille-
pecks, Spirit of Gum Armoniac, with Sal Armoniac, Coffee, Tin-
rure of Sulphuwr, &c. are commended in Aft hmatick Cafes.
For the convulfive Kind, the Cure is attempted by Antiepi-
lepticks, Antihyflericks, Antpafmodcks, Opiats, &c.
ASTRAGAL, ASTRAGALUS, in Anatomy, a Bone of the Heel,
having a convex Head, articulated with the two Focils of the
Leg, by Ginglymus. See HEEL and FOOT.
The Af ragalus call'd Talus, and Os BaliJfl, is the firft Bone
of the Tarfus. See TALUS and TARSUS.
Some alfo apply the Name to the Vertebra of the Neck.-
Homer, in his Odyff'ee, ufes the Term on this Occafion. See VER-
TEBRE.
ASTRAGAL, in Architedure, is a little round Member, in
form of a Ring, or Bracelet; ferving as an Ornament on the
Tops and at the Bottoms of Columns. See MOULDING, CO-
LUMN, &c.
The AfJragal is fometimes alto ufed to Separate the Fafda of
the Architrave; in which cafe it is wrought in Chaplets, or
Beads and Berries,
It is alfo ufed both above and below the Lifts, adjoining im-
mediately to the Square, or Die of the Pedeftal. See DYE and
PEDESTAL.
The Word is derived from the Greek afc4y'Aes, which figni-
fies the Ankle or Ankle-Bone.
ASTRAGAL, in Gunnery, is a Kind of Ring or Moulding on
a piece of 'Ordnance, at about half a Foot's Diftance from the
Mouth; ferving as an Ornament to the Piece, as the former does
to a Column. See ORDNANCE, CANON, &C.
ASTRAL, fornething belonging to the Stars, or depending
of the Stars. See STAR.
The Word comes from the Latin aftrum, of the Greek d-af,
Star.                                      a
ASTRAL, or Siderial rear. See SIDERIAL and YEAR.
ASTRINGENTS, ASTRINGENTIA, in Medicine, binding
Remedies; or fuch as have the Power of contrading the Parts,
and dirninifhing the Pores thereof. See MEDICINE.
Aftringents a& either by the Afiperity of their Particles, where-
by they corrugate the Membranes, and make them draw up
clofer; or by thickening the Fluids, whereby they cannot run off
fo fil as before.
AjIringents therefore fland oppofed to Laxatives.  See LAX-
ATIVE, PURGATIVE, &c.
Hence, 4flringents are of the Clafs of Strengtheners, or Cor-
roborants; the Nature and Operation whereof, fee under the Ar-
ticle STRENGTHENER.
./iiringents only differ from Stypticks, in Degree of Efficacy.
See STYPTICK.
The Word is compounded of the Latin ad and firingo, I
bind.
Among Simples, Mint, red Rofes, Nettles, Sanicle, Barba-
ries, Qutnces, Pomegranates, Sloes, Cinnamon, Blood-7ione,
Alum, Chalk, Boles, Coral, Tutty, &c. are principal Aftr i-
gents.
ASTROITES, or Lapis ASTROITES, in Natural Hiftory, a
Kind of figured Stone, found in divers Parts and 'partculrly
the North of Englwd   See FIGuRED-Stow.
The Form thereof is very I uniform and regular; confifting of
feveral td* pentagonal Joints fet one over another, So as to forn
a   ind       angled Colunn.-.The ufial Figures a given by
Dr. Li! , are represented in Tab. Nat. Hilfory, Ft. 14.
There &~pea, as ~x)w found, are all Fragments, confi inof
B y.~ x to  Joar.-   h  M  ate  or Sulbitance  thereo  wiea
brc*en, is~Ij~r-1ike,. of a darkc flu   Po}liure, but much 9ew,
anid  eaiy  corroal  by  an  Evd  M cnfr uum .- T h>   ce e , lke
di Q     4mas , ,     Vin.ar; W~    *    .   I.rng  M.r .


6~)                    AST
agitates tbem with, fome Violnce.  See CEim  4uA
The protuberant Parts Oepr;fented under *thtop Joint a
firit Figure are ncit found.4m all; but only in thyb whicar
d   Lpcp-joiad.--th   are flwaysive in Number, Dr." L r Calls
them Wyers; and rornpaw esthem to the Antenns of L0r
his controverted among the Naturalil's, to what Scs of
Bodies the Airoites, .Trochites, Extrochi, &c. are to be fidrfr'd
Some will have 'em Native Stones, others Rock-Plants, and O-
thers ,Petrifakions of Plants.  See STONE.  See ao PETRI-
FACTION, SPAR, STROCHITES, ENTROCHI, &C.
ASTROLABE, ASTROLABIUM, was originally uted for a Sy-
Them or Affemblage of the feveral Circles of the Spheres in their
proper Order and Situation with refpeat to each other.  See
CIRCLE and SPHERE.
The antient Aftrolabes were the fame with our Armillary Spheres.
See ARMILLARY.
The firfi and moft celebrated of this Kind was that of H~par.
chus, which he made at Alexandria, the Capital of Eypt, and
lodg'd in a fecure Place, where it ferv'd for divers Aftrono.
mical Operations.-Ptolmy made the fame ufe of it; but as the
Inifrument had feveral Inconveniences, he bethought hirmfelf to
change its Figure, though perfectly natural and agreeablc to the'
Doftrine of the Sphere; and to reduce the whole A.flrolate up-
on a Plane Surface, to which he gave the Denomination of P/a.
nfphere. See PLANISPHERE.-Hence,
ASTROLABE, is ufed among the Moderns fbr a Plani/phre; or
a Stereographick Proje&ion of the Sphere upon the Plane of fome
Circle thereof. See PROJECTION and STLREOGRAPHIC&.
The ufual Planes of Projedion are that of the Equinodtial,
the Eye being fuppofed in the Pole of the World j and that of
the Plane of the Meridian, the Eye being fuppofed in the Point
of Interfeafion of the Equinoafial anti Horizon.
Stof7eer, Gemma Frifius, and Cavius, have treated at large of
the 'f'?rolabe.-For a further kccunmt of the Nature and Kinds here-
of, fie the Article PLANISPHERE.
ASTROLABLE, or Sea ASTROLABE, is an Iniftrument chiefly
ufed for taking the Altitude of the Pole, the Sun, or Stars, at
Sea. See ALTITUDE.
The Aflrolabereprefented Tab. Navigation, Fig. 22. congfis of
a large Brafs Ring, about 15 Inches in Diameter, whofe Limb,
or a convenient Part thereof, is divided into Degrees and Mi-
nrures; fitted with a moveable Index, or Label, which turns up-
on the Centre and carries two Sights.-At the Zenith is a Ring,
to hang it by in rinme of Obfervariorn.
To ufe the Aftrolab, turn it fo to the Sun, as that the Rays may
pafs freely through both the Sights F and G; in which Cafe,
the Edge of the Label cuts the Altitude in the divided Limb.
The Afirolabe, though now grown into difufe, is at leaft equal
to any of the other Inftruments ufed for taking the Altitude at ' el;
efpecially between the Tropicks, when the Sun comes near the
Zenith.-There are a great many other uses of the ftIfrolabe;
whereof Cla ius, Henrion, &c. have wrote entire Volumies.
The Word is form'd from the Greek ci-e:, Star, and AXPAO",
Capio, I take -The Arabs call it, in their i'ongue, Aflharlab; a
Word form'd by Corruption from the common Cireek Name:
Though fome of 'em have endeavour'd to give it an Arabick Ori-
ginal. But the learned are generally fatisfied that the Arabs bor-
rowed both the Name and the Uie of the initrument from the
Greeks.-Nafft Reddi OTwef+ has a Treatile in the Perjfan Lan-
guage, enti lcd, Bait Babfi4/larlab, bherein he teaches the Struc-
ture and Application of the fisrolabc.
ASTROLOGY, ASTTOLOGIA, the Art of foretelling future
Events, from the Afpe6ts, Pofitions, and Influences of theHea-
venly Bodies. See ASPECT, INFLUENCE, ec.
The Word is compounded of the Greek as-nc, Star, and )wyas,
Difcourfei whence, in the literal Senfe of the Name, Aftrology
thould fignify no more than the Docfrine or Science of the Stars;
which we read was its original Acceptation, and made the ant-
ent Afirology; though, in Courfe of Time, an Alteration has a-
rofe; that which the Antients called Af rology being by us term-
ed A/Ironony. See ASTRWeOMY.
Aftrology may be divided into two Branches, Natural and YU-
diciary.
To the former belong the predifting of natural Effees; as, the
Changes of Weatber, Wnds, Storms, Hurricanes, Thunder, Floods,
Earthquakes, &c. See NATURAL. See alfo WEATHER, WINDS
RAIN, HURRICANE, THUNDER, EARTHQUAKE; &C.
To this our Countryman -Goad chiefly keeps, in his two Vo-
lumes of .dfrology; wherein he pretends, that Inundations may
be foretold, and an Infinity of Phznomena explained from the
Contemplation of the Stars.-Accordingly, he endeavours to ac-
count for the Diverfity of Seafons, from the different Situations.,
and Habitudes of the Planers, from their Retrograde Motiors;
,tle Number of fix'd Star'q. the Conflellations, ac.
ITs Art properly bek1s. to Phfiology, or Natural Philo
~irA ~wida~oa tndi~eri~s~ the Reader may gthr fro  what
eAIRRATIAosPHER   WEATHE
If  and issUQe, fPm~vu              ni..Mzs*s,
4  i .   i ^FRI
For