When septic emboli are carried from the left ventricle, whether locally formed or carried thither from a focus in the lung, they cause abscesses wherever lodged and produce the form of blood poisoning known as pyaemia (see SEPSIS). Since venous blood from the greater part of the alimentary tract is carried to the liver by the portal system, thrombosis in the alimentary tract is liable to be followed by hepatic embolism ; hepatic abscess in asso ciation with amoebic dysentery (q.v.) and pylephlebitis following appendicitis (see LIVER, DISEASES OF ; APPENDICITIS) essentially depend upon lodgement in the liver of an infected embolus carried in the portal stream from the intestine.
Though blood clot is the commonest material of which an em bolus is composed, fat emboli and air emboli are known, the former occurring when severe fracture of bone has liberated fat from the bone marrow, the latter when air has gained entrance to a vein. (W. S. L.-B.) THRONE. The throne is the ancestor of all chairs, which were originally symbols of authority and rule. In early days and in Oriental countries thrones were of barbaric magnificence. Solo mon's was of ivory "overlaid with the best gold." There were two figures of lions at the sides, with two other lions on each of the six steps. The remains of a throne in rock-crystal were found in the ruins of Sennacherib's palace. The Persian throne made for Abbas the Great was of white marble. This monarch in 1605 pre sented a throne to the Russian Tsar Boris, covered with sheets of gold and decorated with precious stones and pearls. Michael Feodorovitch, grandfather of Peter the Great, had a "golden throne" set with 8,000 turquoises, 1,500 rubies, 4 great amethysts and 2 large topazes. One of the glories of Delhi, until it was sacked by Nadir Shah, was the "peacock throne," which was ascended by silver steps and stood on golden feet set with jewels. It was adorned with two open peacocks' tails composed
of magnificent diamonds, rubies and other stones.
The mediaeval emperors of Byzantium had a throne, which is supposed to have been imitated from, as well as named after, that of Solomon, was guarded by golden lions, which rose to their feet and roared when some artful mechanism was set in motion. An exceedingly ancient chair of State is the so-called throne of Dagobert. The most recent writers on this remarkable relic sug gest that it is a bronze copy of Dagobert's golden throne. How ever that may be, there can be no doubt that it possesses at least one illustrious modern association, for Napoleon sat in it when he distributed the first decorations of the Legion of Honour in his camp at Boulogne in 1804. The throne which Napoleon had made for himself was a heavy gilded chair with an abundance of Egyptian ornament, lions' heads and imperial eagles. One of the many curiosities of a conclave for the electing of a pope is that every cardinal present occupies a throne, since, during the vacancy of the Holy See, each member of the Sacred college is a potential sovereign. When the election has taken place the canopy of every throne is lowered, with the exception of that occupied by the new pontiff. The palaces of the great Roman nobles contained—and still in some cases contain—a throne for use in the event of a visit from the pope. The papal throne itself is an antique bronze chair which stands in St. Peter's. The British coronation chair is not, properly speaking, a throne, since it is used only during a portion of the coronation ceremonies. The actual throne of Great Britain is the oaken Gothic chair in the House of Lords occupied by the sovereign at the opening and prorogation of parliament.