Precession
Precession. If The Earth Were Truly Spherical And Homogeneous; Or If It Were Com Posed Of Spherical Layers Each, Of Uniform Density; Or, More Generally, If It Were Such That The Resultant Of The Attractions Exerted On All Its Parts By Any Other Body Should Always Pass Through A Definite ...
Precipitation
Precipitation, In Chemistry, Is An Operation In Which Decomposition Oc5nrs In Fluid, Either Throumh The Action Of The Air, Or Of A Gas, Or Of A Chemical Agent In Solution; And Is Accompanied By The Deposition Of A Solid Substance That Was Previously. Held In Solution. The Substance Employed To ...
Precocity
Precocity Has Been Regarded As An Indication Of Cerebral Disease: And Americaa Physicians Have Not Hesitated To Identify This Manifestation With Chronic Inflammatioa Of The Membranes Of The Brain. If It Is Notalways It Is Often Associated With Such Intense Activity Of The Whole System, And With Morbid Conditions, Such ...
Predestination
Predestination, A Theological Word, Used To Denote The Eternal Decree Of God, Whereby "the Elect" Are Foreordained To Salvation. The Co Relative Decree, Whereby Others Are Held To Be Foreordained To Perdition (though It Might With Perfect Correctness Of Language Be Included Under The Same Term), Is Commonly Distinguished By ...
Predicables
Predicables. This Is A Term In The Scholastic Logic Connected With The Scheme Of Classification. There Were Five Designations Employed In Objects On A Syste Matic Plan—genwi, Species, Difference (differentia), Property (p•oprnun). And Accident (accidens). The First Two—genus And Species—name The Higher And Lower Classes Of Time Things Classified; A ...
Premonstratensian
Premonstraten'sian (called Also Norbertyne) Order, A Religious Order, Which At One Time Was Among The Most Numerous And Powerful Of The Monastic Bodies Of Ger Many, In Which Country Its Most Important Houses Were Established. It Was Founded In The Early Part Of The 12th C. By St. Norbert, A ...
Presburo
Pres'buro (lat. Posonium; Magyar, Pozsony; Slay. Pressburek), A T. In The Extreme W. Of Hungary, Close Upon The Frontier Of Lower Austria, Is Built En The Left Or Northern Bank Of The Danube, 41 M. By Railway E. Of Vienna. The Neighboring Hills Are Clothed With Vineyards. It Was Long ...
Presbyterian Church
Presbyterian Church Ix England. The Principles Of The Puritans (q.v.) Were Essentially Presbyterian, Although Many Of Them Were So Much Occupied With Questions Of Doctrine And Discipline, And With Resistance To Power As They Believed, Con Trary To The Word Of God, That They Paid Little Heed To The Development ...
Presbyterian Church In Ireland
Presbyterian Church In Ireland. The Irish Presbyterian Church Originated In The Settlement Of Ulster By Scottish Colonists During The Reign Of James I. After Various Struggles, A Presbyterian Church Was Founded By The Formation Of A Presbytery At Carrickfergus In 1642. The Presbyterian Population Of Ulster Was Greatly Increased In ...
Presbyterian Church In United
Presbyterian Church In 'united States. The First Presbyterians In America Were Emigrants From Scotland And Ireland. The First Presbyterian Congregations ":1 America Were Organized In Maryland Before The Clo:.;e Of The 17th C.—the Oldest, That Of Rehoboth, Dating About 1690; And The First Presbytery In Philadelphia In 1705. A Synod, ...
Presbyterian Church In The
Presbyterian Church In The United States (cafe) Was Founded By Scotch, Irish, Huguenot. Dutch, And German Reformed Emigrants With A Few From New England. Persecution In Europe Forced Many To Seek New Homes In The Colonies Of Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, And Carolina. One Of The First Presby Terian ...
Presbyterian Church Of The
Presbyterian Church Of The United States (soutrr), Organized, Dec. 4, 1861, By Commissioners From All The Presbyteries Within What Were Then Called The Confederate States, Who Met At Augusta, Ga., And Constituted The General Assembly. The Title Chosen Was The Presbyterian Church Of The Confederate States Of America; But After ...
Presbyterianism Presbyter
Presbyter, Presbyterianism. Presbyter (gr. Presbyteros, Elder) Is The Title Of An Office Or Dignity In The Jewish Synagogue, And Also Of One Of The Grades In The Christian Hierarchy. In The Latter Sense The Title Has Been The Occasion Of A Protracted Controvefsy As To The Respective Claims Of The ...
Prescott
Prescott, Willlk31 Hickling, Ll.d., American Historian, Son Of A Distinguished_ Lawyer And Statesman, And Grandson Of Col. William Prescott, An Officer Of The Revolu Tion, Was B. At Salem, Mass., On May 4, 1796. He Entered Harvard College In 1811, And Graduated In 1814. During His College Course, He Had ...
Prescription
Prescription Is The Term Applied To The Written Direction Or Receipt Given By The Physician Or Surgeon To The Chemist For The Preparation Of It Medicinal Substance Suitable To A Special Case. In Prescribing, The Medical Practitioner May Either Order An Officinal Or All Extemporaneous Compound. Officinal Compounds (or Preparations, ...
Prescription_2
Prescription, In Law, Is The Limit Of Time Within Which One May Acquire Certain Terra] Rights, By Reason Of The Want Of Vindication By Some Other Person Of Such Rights, And Putting In Force His Legal Remedies. In England, However, It Has A Limited 'malting, Confined To A Certain Class ...
President Of The United
President Of The United States. The Chief Executive Officer Of Tie United States Of North America. The Second Executive Officer Is The Vice-president, Who Suc Ceeds To The Office Of President In Case Of The Removal Of The President From Office, Or Of His Death, Resignation, Or Inability. The President ...
Preston
Preston, An Important Manufacturing And Market T., A Municipal And Parlia Mentary Borough In Lancashire, On The N. Bank Of The Ribble, Amid At The Head Of The Estuary Of That River, 27 M. N.n.e. Of Liverpool. It Occupies An Eminence 120 Ft. Above The Ribble, And It Covers An ...
Pretor
Pretor (probably A Contraction For Pmitor, From Prvv-eo, To Precede, Also To Order) Was, Among The Ancient Romans, The Title Given To The Consuls As Leaders Of The Armies Of The State; Bin It Was Specially Employed To Designate A Magistrate Whose Powers Were Scarcely Inferior To Those Of A ...
Pretorian Bands
Preto'rian Bands (lat. Pratorice Cohortes, And Pratoriani) The Name Given, More Particularly During The Period Of The Roman Empire, To A Body Of Soldiers, Organized For The Purpose Of Protecting The Person And Maintaining The Power Of The Emperors. We Indeed Read Of A Pratoria Cohors, Or Select Guard Of ...
Prichard
Prichard, Jantes Cowles, A Distinguished Ethnologist And Physician, Was B. At Ross, In Herefordshire, On Feb. 11, 1786. His Father, Thomas Prichard, A Member Of The Society Of Friends, And A Merchant, Had Been Married Young, And Was Early Left A Widower With Four Children, Upon Whose Education He Bestowed ...
Pride 9f Ciiina Pride
Pride Of India, Pride 9f Ciiina, Or Bead Tree. Au Oriental Tree Which Has Become Naturalized In Most Warm Countries. It Is A Species Of The Genius Melia, Of The Family Me;eaccte. The Pride Of India, India Azederaeh, Is A Native Of India And China, And Attains A Heightof From ...
Priest
Priest (gr. Presbyteros, Lat. Presbyter, Fr. Pretre), The Title, In Its Most General Sig Nification, Of A Minister Of Public Worship, But Specially Applied To The Minister Of Sacri Fice Or Other Mediatorial Offices. In The Early History Of Mankind, The Functions Of The Priest Seem To Have Commonly Been ...
Priestley
Priestley, Josern, Son Of Joseph Priestley, A Cloth-draper At Fieldhead, Near Leeds, Was Born At Fieldhead, Mar. 13, 1733, O.s. His Mother Having Died When He Was Six Years Old, He Was Adopted By An Aunt, By Whom He Was Sent To A Free School. There He Learned Latin And ...
Primate
Primate (lat. Prinrus, Fr. Primal, First) Is The Title Of That Grade In The Hierarchy Which Is Immediately Below The Rank Of Patriarch. The Title Strictly Belongs To The Latin Church. But In Its General Use It Corresponds With That Of Exarch (gr. Exarehos) In The Greek Church, Although There ...
Prime Mover
Prime-mover. A Machine Transforming C.pparent Natural Energy Into Visible Work, And Varied In Form Relatively To Both. Ran Himself Is The Highest Prime-mover And Standard Of Natural Construction. Next Are The Animals, Greater Muscular Example$, Foreshadowing The Division Of The Translators Of Energy Into Classes, Relating More To The Work ...
Prime And Ultimate Ratios
Ratios, Prime And Ultimate. There Can Be Little Doubt That Newton Dis Covered. By Means Of Flexions, Of Which Lie Was In Possession At A Very Early Age, The Greater Part Of That Extraordinary Series Of Theorems Regarding Motion, Etc., Which He First Published In The Principle. He Bad, However, ...
Primogeniture
Primogeniture Is The Rule Of Law Under Which The Eldest Son Of The Family Succeeds To The Father's Real Estate In Preference To, And In Absolute Exclusion Of, The Younger Sons And All The Sisters. This Is The Rule Adopted In Britain And In Most European Countries, Though Latterly The ...
Primrose
Primrose, Primula, A Genus Of Plants Of The Natural Order Primulacem, Having, A Bell Shaped Or Tubular 5-toothed Calyx, A Salver-shaped Corolla With Five Segments, Five Stameas, A Globose Germen Containing Many Ovules, And A Many-seeded Capsule Opening By Five Valves, And Generally With Ten Teeth At The Apex. The ...
Prince
Prince (lat. Princeps, From Priftrus, First, And Capio, I Take), An Epithet Which Was Miginally Applied To The Princeps Senates Of The Roman State, And Afterward Became A Title Of Dignity. It Was Adopted By Augustus And His Successors; Hence The Word Was Afterward Applied To Persons Enjoying Kingly Power, ...
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island, A Province Of The Dominion Of Canada, In The S. Of The Gulf Of St. Lawrence, And Separated From New Brunswick And Nova Scotia By The Strait Of Northumberland, Lat. About 45° 56' To 47° 4' N.,iong. 62° To 64° 23' West. Length, 130 In. ; Breadth. ...
Prince Rupert
Rupert, Prince, The Son Of The Elector-palatine Frederick V., And Elizabeth, Daughter Of James I. Of England, Was Born In 16w. In 1642 He Received From His Uncle, Charles I. Of England, A Commission To Command A Regiment Of Horse At Worces Ter Against The Parliamentarians. The Impetuosity With Which ...
Prince Of Wales
Prince Of Wales, The Title Borne By The Eldest Son Of The Sovereign Of England. Tho Native Sovereigns Of Wales Were•so Designated In The Days Of Welsh Independence; And On The Conquest Of Wales, The Principality Of Wales And Earldom Of Chester Were Bestowed By Henry Iii. On His Son, ...
Printing
Printing Is The Art Of Producing Impressions From Characters Or Figures, On Paper Or Any Other Substance. There Are Several Distinct Branches Of This Important Art—as The Printing Of Books With Movable Types, The Printing Of Engraved Copper And Steel Plates (see Engraving), And The Taking Of Impressions From Stone, ...
Pripositions
Pripositions Are Words That Express Certain Relations Between Ideas—between The Idea At' An Action And The Idea Of A Thing, Or Between The Idea Of One Thing And The Idea Of Another Thing. "the River Runs To The Sea. The Glass Stands On The Table. The Dog Lies Under The ...
Priscivlian
Priscivlian, The Author, Or Rather The Chief Propagator In Spain, Diming The Latter Part Of The 4th C., Of The Doctrines Professed By The Sect Knownfrom His Name As Phis Cillianists. The First Seed Of Their Doctrines Is Said To Have Been Carried Into Spain By A Memphian Named Marcus. ...
Prison Discipline
Prison Discipline Means The Method In Which Criminals, Or Other Persons Sub Jected To Imprisonment Are Managed. In This, Which Is Its Original Sense, Prison Disci Pline, As Actually Practiced, May Be Good Or Bad In The Estimation Of The Person Speaking Of It. Of Late, However, The Term Has ...
Prisoners Of War
Prisoners Of War Are Those Who Are Captured From The Enemy During Naval Or Military Operations. By The Laws Or Recognized Principles Of War, The Entire People Of A Vanquished Town, State• Or Nation Become The Absolute Property Of The Victors; But Civili Zation Has Greatly Modified This Stern Rule, ...
Prisons And Prison Discipline
Prisons And Prison Discipline (ante). To Regard Criminals With A Kindly View To Their Reformation, Or At Least To Their Moral Improvement And Physical Com Fort, Is A Recent Development Of Our Civilization; And The Progress Already Made Is Not To Be In Boasted Of. What Has Been Done Is ...
Prithu
Prithu Is The Name Of Several Legendary Kings Of Ancient India. It Is, However, Especially One King Of This Name Who Is The Favorite Hero Of The His Father Was Vena, Who Perished Through His Wickedness; For When He Was Inaugurated Mon Arch Of The Earth, He Caused It To ...
Privileges And Immunities
Privileges And Immunities, A Phrase Found In Art. 4, Sec. 2, Of The U. S. Constitution: " The Citizens Of Each State Shall Be Entitled To All Privileges And Immuni Ties Of Citizens In The Several States," And In Art. 14 Of The Amendinents: " No State Shall Make Or ...
Privy Council
Privy-council (consilium Regis Privatum), An Assembly Of Advisers On Matters Of State Appointed By The Sovereign. The Privy-council Of England Existed At A Very Early Period In The History Of The Country. It Was In Its Beginning A Small Permanent Com Mittee, Or Minor Council, Selected By The King Out ...
Privy Seal
Privy Seal, The Seal Appenclect To Grants Whldh Are Afterward To Pass The Great Seal, And To Documents Of Minor Importance Which Do Not Require The Great Seal. The Officer Who Has The Custody Of The Privy Seal Was At One Time Called The Keeper, And Afterward Tile Lord Privy ...
Prize Money Prize
Prize, Prize-money (ante). The Main Causes For Condemniug A Ship Whose Nationality Is Doubtful Are The Want, Falsification, Or Destruction Of The Ship's Papers; Suspicious Conduct Of The Ship's Officers, Or Their Refusal Or Inability To Give A Satisfactory Account Of The Ship Or Cargo. A Ship Is Presumed To ...
Probabilism
Prob'abilism (lat. Probabaismus, A Barbarous Technical Word, From Proba&elis, Prob Able), In Roman Catholic Theology, Means The Doctrine Regarding The Use Of So-called Opinioni" In Guiding The Conscience As To The Lawfulness Or Unlawfulness Of Any Particular Action. The Word Came Prominently Into Discussion In The 17th C., And Seems ...
Probate Court
Probate Court (ante) Is Called In Some States Orphans' Court, In Others Surro Gate Court; And In Many Of The Southern States The Probate Functions Are Exercised By A County Officer Called The Ordinary, The Name Of That Officer Being Taken From The English Ecclesiastical Law. The Powers Of Probate ...
Procedure
Procedure, In Law, A Term Used By Legal Writers To Indicate The Formal Proceedings In A Suit And The Rules Governing Them. The English Courts Of Law, From The First, Enforced Rights By Various Actions. "real Actions" Were Used For The Recovery Of Lands; But In Later Times Were Mostly ...
Process
Process (ante), In Law, The Means Of Enforcing The Appearance In Court Of A Defend Ant And His Obedience To The Writ Of The Court. In Civil Cases, It Was The Practice To Issue A Summons To The Defendant, Which, In Real Actions, Was Served By The Erection Of A ...
Processions
Processions, As Solemn And Religious Rites, Are Of Very Great Antiquity. With The Greeks And Romans, They Took Place Chiefly On The Festivals Of Diana, Bacchus, Ceres, And Other Deities; Also Before The Beginning Of The Games In The Circus; And In Spring When The Fields Were Sprinkled With Holy ...
Proclamation
Proclamation, A Public Notice Given By The Sovereign To His Subjects. The Power Of Issuing Proclamations Is Part Of The Prerogative Of Royalty As The Fountain Of Justice. They Sometimes Consist Of An Authoritative Announcement Of Some Matter Of State, Or Act Of The Executive Government Affecting The Duties And ...
Proclits
Pro'clits, Called The Successor (diadochos)—i.e., Of Syrianus, As The Head Of The Athenian School—a Celebrated Neoplatonist, Was B. In Constantinople In 412. He Was •iof Lycian Origin, And Received His First Instruction At Xanthus, In Lycia. He Then .studied At Alexandria Under Anion Leonaras, Hero, And Especially Under Heliodorus, With ...
Procopiiis
Proco'piiis, An Eminent Byzantine Historian, Was Born At Cresarea, In Palestine, About The Beginning Of The 6th C., Went To Constantinople When Still A Young Man, And Acquired There So High A Reputation As A Prof. Of Rhetoric, That Belisarius, In 527, Appointed Him His Private Secretary. Procopius Accompanied The ...
Procurator Fiscal
Pro'curator-fis'cal, A Legal Practitioner In Scotland Of Some Consequence, Owing To His Being The Public Prosecutor For A Local District. He Is Generally A Local Procurator, Or Law-agent, And Is Appointed By The Sheriff Of The County, Or In Cities And Towns By The Magistrates. His Business Is To Take ...
Projection
Projection Is The Representation On Any Surface Of Objects Or Figures As They Appear To The Eye Of An Observer. It Thus Includes Perspective (q.v.), And Is Most Simply Illus Trated By Time Shadow Of An Object Thrown By A Candle On A Wall; The Shadow Being The Projection, And ...
Prolapsus
Prolapsus Uteri—known Also As Proc1dentia Or Descensus Uteri, By Writers On The Diseases Of Women; And As "falling Down Of The Womb," Or "hearing Down," Among Non-professional Persons—consists Essentially In A Depression Of The Womb Below The Natural Level In The Pelvis. It Is A Common Affection Amongst All Ranks, ...
Prometheus
Prometheus (forethought), The Son Of The Titan Iapetus And Of Clymene, Brother Of Atlas, Menmtius, And Epimetheus (afterthought)—or, According ,to Other Legends, The Son Of Iapetus And Asia, Or Of Uranus And Clymene, Or Of Eurymedon And Here—the Father Of Deucalion, Hellen, Lycus, And Chyrncerus. The Myth Of Prometheus Is ...
Promotion
Promotion, In The Army And Navy. The Efficiency Of Any Body Of Men Depends Upon The Energy Of The Individuals Composing It; The Root Of That Energy Is Emulation, And Emulation Can Only Be Secured By Maintaining A Proper Current Of Promotion. The Efficiency Of A Service Is Thus Dependent ...
Pronouns
Pronouns, One Of The Classes Of Words Or Parts Of Speech, Possessing A Special Inter Est Both Logical And Philological. "jam Sick." " Thou Knowest The Truth." "john Was Here, But He Went Away Again." " Peter Struck The Boy, Who Bad Done Him No Harm." " What Do You ...
Propaganda
Propagan'da (lat. De Propaganda Fide, Regarding The Propagation Of The Faith), The Name Of A Congregation, And Also Of A College, In Rome, The Object Of Which Is To Direct And Forward The Propagation Of The Catholic Religion, Especially Among The Heathen; Although Christian Dissenters From The Roman Church Are ...
Prophecy
Prophecy (gr. Prophetela) Is It Word Of Pregnant Signification. According To Its *usual Acceptation In Modern English, It Implies Prediction—tie Telling Of Events About To 'happen Beforehand. But Neither According To The Original Meaning Of The Word Prophet In Hebrew (nabi) Or In Greek (propheto,), Nor According To Historical Usage ...
Proportion
Proportion, In Arithmetic And Geometry, Is A Particular Species Of Relation Subsisting Between Groups Of Numbers Or Quantities. Notwithstanding That The Idea Of Proportion Is Found To Exist In Perfection In The Mind Of Every One, Yet A Good Definition Of It Is A Matter Of Extreme Difficulty. The Two ...
Proportion In
Proportion In Resthetics, The Relative Size And Form Of The Several Parts Of Any Object Which Conveys The Most Pleasing Effect To The Eye And Satisfies The Mind As To Its Adaptedness To Its Evident Use: Also, Applicable To Groups Of Associated Objects In Their Harmonious Juxtapositions. The Effort To ...
Proposition
Proposition. This Is The Technical Name For The Final Constituent Or Ultimate Ele Ment Of Whatever We Call Knowledge—what We Can Believe Or Disbelieve. " Fire Melts Wax ;" "the Harvest Is Good:" "rome Stands On The Tiber;" " The Moon Is Not Inhabited" —are Propositions. All Information, Whether Historical, ...
Prosecutor
Prosecutor Is The Person Who Takes The Initiative In Punishing Crimes. In England There Is No Public Prosecutor, And The Prosecution Of Crimes Is Left To The Spontaneous Acacia Of The Injured Party. Hence It Often Happens That Many Crimes Go Unpunished, For The Mere Want Of Its Being Anybody's ...
Prosecutor_2
Prosecutor (ante), In The United States Is A Public Officer Appointed By The Gen Eral Government Or By That Of Each State To Institute Criminal Proceedings Against The Violators Of U. S. Or State Laws. It Will Be Seen From This Definition That The English System Of Prosecution By Private ...
Proselytes
Proselytes (gr. Pros-elytos, One Who Comes From Without, A Stranger; Ileb. Gerbil) Was The Name Given By The Jews To Those Heathens Who Became Converts To Judaism. There Were Two Kinds Of Proselytes Distinguished: "proselytes Of The Gate," That Is, Heathen Strangers, Who, In Order To Be Allowed To Reside ...
Prostate Gland
Prostate Gland, A Pale, Firm, Glandular Body Situated In The Lower Part Of The Pelvic Cavity, Surrounding The Neck Of The Bladder And The Commencement Of The Male Urethra. In .shape And Size It Resembles A Horse-chestnut, Weighing About Six Drams, And Is Held In Position By The Anterior Ligaments ...
Protestant
Protestant, A Term First Applied To The Adherents Of Luther, From Their Protesting Against The Decree Passed By The Catholic States At The Second Diet Of Speier In 1529'. This Decree Had Forbidden Any Further Innovations In Religion, And Enjoined Those States That Had Adopted The Reformation So Far To ...
Protestant
Protestant. While The Reformation Thus Ran Its Course In Germany, And Was Adopted By The Civil Authorities In Many States, It Was Making Corresponding Progress In Switzerland. And There At Length Also. After A Famous And Elaborate Conference Held At Bern In 1528. Under The Countenance Of The Civil Authorities, ...
Proteus
Proteus, A Name Given By Many Naturalists To Certain Animalcules Remarkable For Changefulness Of Form; On Which Account Also, As The Name Proteus Has Been Otherwise Appropriated In Science, They Now Receive The Generic Name Amaa (gr. Vicissitude). They Are Protozoa, And Ranked Among The Rli&opoda. See These Heads. They ...
Protococcus
Protococcus (gr. First-grain, A Genus Of Palmellaecce (q.v.), To Whier Red Snow (q.v.) Is Commonly Referred.—another Species Is P. Pluvialis, Not Unfrequent In Stagnating Rain-water. It Passes Through Various Stages Of Growth, In Which It Has Been Described Under Various Generic And Specific Names. In Some Of Its Stages. In ...
Proverbs
Proverbs (lat. Prorerbium, A Common Saying Or Word, Gr. Paroimion, A Wayside Saying, Corresponding To Eng. Byword) Are Pithy, Practical, Popular Sayings, Expressive Of Certain More Or Less General Convictions. The Definitions Of The Proverb Are Almost As Numerous As Its Own Varieties Of Form. Aristotle Speaks Of Them As ...
Providence
Providence, In Theology, Is God's Wise And Powerful Preservation And Govern Ment Of His Creatures And Works. By Preservation Is Meant That All Creatures And Things, With Their Powers And Properties, Are Continued In Existence By The Will And Power Of God. Some Regard This As A Continual Creation; Which ...
Providence_2
Providence (ante), Is The Principal Port Of Entryand One Of The Capitals Of Rhode Island, And The Shire Town Of Providence County. It. Was Incorporated As A Town In 1640, And As A City In 1832. During The 140 Years After Its Settlement The Town Increased Slowly, And In 1770 ...
Provision
Provision (let. Provisio, From Proridere, To Provide), In Church Law, Means The Bestowing An Ecclesiastical Benefice, And Involves Two Stages—the Designation Of The Person On Whom It Is Bestowed, And The Actual Collation (lat. Collatio) Of The Benefice, Which Is Completed By His Taking Possession. Both These Acts Fall Properly ...