Unterwalden
Unterwalden, One Of The Four Waldstiitten, Or Forest Cantons Of Switzerland, Forms Part Of The Hill Country Which Surrounds The Lake Of Lucerne (see Switzerland). It Is •25 In. In Length By 21 To. In Breadth, And Has An Area Of 297 Sq. Miles. In 1870 The Pop Was 26,116; ...
Upanishad
Upanishad Is The Name Of Those Sanskrit Works Belonging To The Vedic Literature Which Contain The Mystical Doctrine Of The Hindus On The Nature Of A Supreme Being. Its Relation To The Human Soul, And The Process Of Creation (see India, Sec. Religion). The Word (derived From The Sanskrit Prefixes ...
Ural Mountains
Ural Mountains (probably The Tartar Word Ural, Belt), The Hyperborean Moun Tains, Or Rhipad Montes, Of The Ancients, Form Part Of The Boundary Between Europe And Asia, And Separate European Russia On The W. Horn Siberia On The East. The Chain Extends S. From The Kara Sea, An Arm Of ...
Urban
Urban, The Name Of Eight Popes, Of Whom The Following Deserve To Be Specially Noticed —urban A Frenchman By Birth, And .originally A Of Clugny, Was Elected In A Council Held At Terracina. In The Year 1088. During The Schismatical Pontifi Cate Of The Anti-pope Guibert, Styled Clement Hi. Urban's ...
Urea C2114n202
Urea (c2114n202) Is An Organic Matter Which Derives Its Name From Its Having Been Originally Discovered In The Urine, Of Which It Forms The Most Important And Character Istic Iwrredient, It Was Until Recently Regarded As An Organic Base Or Alkaloid; But Dur Ing The Last Few Years It Has ...
Uric Or Lititic Acid
Uric Or Lititic Acid Derives Its Names From Its Being A Constituent Of Urine And Of Urinary Calculi Respectively. In A State Of Purity, It Occurs In The Form Of A Loose White Powder Or Scales Consisting Of Minute Crystals, Devoid Of Smell Or Taste, Only Very Slightly Soluble In ...
Uriconium
Urico'nium, An Ancient Roman City Of Britain, The Site Of Which Is About 4 M. To The E. Of Shrewsbury, And Is Partly Occupied By The Village Of Wroxeter. The Original` Name Seems To Have Been Viroconium, Which Was Changed, In The Later Roman-british Period To Uriconium. It Is Mentioned ...
Urinary Sediments
Urinary Sediments Is A General Term Which Includes All Those Substances Which Occur In A Non-dissolved State In The Urine. Most Of These Sediments Are Not Formed Un Til After The Urine Has Been Discharged And Has Cooled; Some, However, Are Formed In The Urinary Organs, And Under Favoring Conditions ...
Urine
Urine Is The Fluid Which Is Secreted Or Sepacated By The Kidneys From The Blood, And If Is The Principal Means Of Removing The Worn-out Tissues, Especially The Nitrogenous And Saline Matters, From The System. It Is A Very Complex Fluid, And Its Composition Varies Considerably In Different Classes Of ...
Ursula
Ursula, Sr., A Celebrated Saint And Martyr Of The Roman Calendar, Especially Honored In Germany, And Particularly At Cologne, Which Is The Reputed Place Of Her Martyrdom. The Legend Substantially, In Its Present Form, Can Be Traced As Far Back As The End Of The 11th Or Beginning Of The ...
Uruguay
Uruguay", Otherwise Banda Oriental Del Uriiguay—i. C., "the Eastern Bank Of The Uruguay," Is A Small South American State, Bounded On The D. And Me. By Brazil, On The E. And S.e. By The Atlantic, On The S. By The Rio De La Plata, And On The W. By The ...
Use Of Unleavened Bread
Unleavened Bread, Use Of, In The Eucharist, Has Long Been A Subject Of Contro Versy Between The Latin Church On The One Hand And The Greek And Other Oriental Churches On The Other; With The Latter Of Whom The Reformed Churches In Later Times Have Conformed In Their Practice Of ...
Ushas
Ushas (from The Sanskrit Usli, " To Shine, To Burn," And Kindred With The Greek E4.3 Or Heos. And The Latin Aurora), Dawn," Is One Of The Female Deities Of The Vedic Religion Of India (see Sec. Religion), And Among These Is Invoked With Special Pre Dilection By The Poets ...
Usury
Usury. See Interest. U'tall (named From An Indian Tribe Utah, Or Yuta [utes ?], Dwellers In Mountains), A Territory Of The U. S., Lying Between Hat. 37°-45° A. And Long. 109°--114° W., Containing. 84,416 Sq.m., Bounded N. By And Wyoming; E. By Colorado; S. By Arizona, And W. By Nevada. ...
Utraquists
U'traquists (lat. Utraquistce, From Utrdque—i.e., Specie, In Both Kinds), A Name At First Given To All Those Members Of The Western Church, In The 14th C., Principally Fol Lowers Of John Huss, Who Contended For The Administration Of The Eucharist To The Laity Under Both Kinds; But Iu Later Times ...
Utrecht
Utrecht, A Province Of The Netherlands, Bounded On The W. By South Holland, N. By North Holland And The Zuyder Zee, E. By Gelderland, And S. By The Rhine And Leek. It Is 42 M. From E. To W., And 21 From N. To South. Superficial Extent, 346,405 Acres; 62,500 ...
Utrecht_2
Utrecht ( Utraject Um, Or Trajectum Ad Rhenum), The Provincial Capital, Is Beautifully Situated In The Midst Of A District Composed Of Sand-bills, Woody Heaths, Rich Grassy Meadows, Extensive Orchards, Flower-gardens, And Cultivated Fields. It Lies 24 Rn. S.e. From Amsterdam. When The Census Was Taken (1869), The Pop. Numbered ...
Vaccination
Vaccination Is The Process By Which A Specific Disease, Termed Vaccinia, Or Cow Pox (from The Latin Word 'caeca, A Cow), Is Introduced Into The Human Organism With The View Of Protecting It Against An Attack Of An Incomparably More Severe Disorder—viz., Smallpox. For The History Of This Remarkable Discovery ...
Vacuum
Vacuum Literally Means Empty Space, Or Space Wholly Devoid Of Matter. From Aristotle To Descartes, Metaphysical Speculators Took The Question Into Their Own Hands, And, Of Course, Wrote Nonsense About It: Thus, Descartes Commits The Absurdity Of Say Ing That, If A Vessel Be Perfectly Empty, Its Sides Must Be ...
Vaisesiiika
Vais'esiiika Is The Name Of One Of The Two Great Divisions Of The Nyaya (q.v.) School Of Hindu Philosophy, And Probably A Later Development Of The Nyaya Itself, Properly So Called, With Which It Agrees In Its Analytical Method Of Treating The Subjects Of Human Research, But Frees Which It ...
Vaishnavas
Vaishn'avas Is The Name Of One Of The Three Great Divisions Of Hindu Sects. See India, Section Religion. The Word, Derived From Vishn'a (q.v.). Designates The Wor Shipers Of This Deity, And Comprises A Great Variety Of Sects; But This Variety Itself Differs According To Different Periods Of The Mediaeval ...
Valais
Valais (ger. Wallis), A Frontier Canton Of Switzerland, Bounded On The N. By The Cantons Of Vaud And Bern, And On The S. By Italy. Area, 2,020 Sq.m.; Pop.'76, 100,490. It Forms One Long And Deep Valley, Included Between Two Of The Loftiest Mountain Chains Of Europe—the Pennine And The ...
Valencia
Valencia, An Ancient City And Sea-port Of Spain, Formerly Capital Of The Kingdom, And Now Of The Province Of The Same Name, Stands On The Shores Of The Mediterraneau, 294 M.e.s.e. Of Madrid By Railroad. The Huerta-35 English Sq.m. In Extent—which Surrounds The City Resembles An Immense Orchard, And Is ...
Valentines Day
Valentine's Day, The 14th Of February, Is, Or More Correctly Was, Celebrated In England, Scotland, And In Different Parts Of The Continent, Particularly Lorraine And Maine In France, By A Very Peculiar And Amusing Custom. On The Eve A St. Valentine, A Number Of Young Folk—maids And Bachelors—would Assemble Together, ...
Valentinianus
Valentinia'nus, The Name Of Three Roman Emperors Of The Same Family; The First And Most Famous Of Whom, Valentiniancts, I., Was The Son Of A Gratianus (a Rope Maker Who Had Enlisted In The Army, And Risen To The Grade Of Comes Militum), And Was Born At Cibalis, In Pannonia, ...
Valerian
Valerian, Valeriana, A Genus Of Plants Of The Natural Order Of Valerianacea, An Order Of Exogenous Plants, Containing Nearly 200 Known Species, Natives Of Temperate Climates, Chiefly Of Europe, The Mountainous Parts Of India, And South America; Annual Or Perennial Herbaceous Plants With Opposite Leaves, Destitute Of Stipules, And Small ...
Valerianic Or Valeric Acid
Valeria'nic Or Valeric Acid Is One Of The Volatile Fatty Acids Represented By The General Formula Ho,c,„112„—,03, Or C2„rio,. Its Composition Is Represented By The Formula And Among Its Chief Properties It May Be Noticed That It Is A Limpid, Colorless, Oily Fluid Of A Penetrating Odor, Allied To That ...
Valetta
Valetta, An Important Fortress And Beautiful City, Capital Of The Island Of Malta. On The N.e. Side Of Which, In Lat. 35° 53', Long. 14° 31', It Is Situated. It Occupies A Tongue Of Land, Which Runs Out In A N.e. Direction, Is 3:200 Yards Long, And Generally About 1200 ...
Valladolid
Valladolid', A Famous City Of Spain, Sometime Capital Of The Whole Country, And Still Capital Of The Province Of The Same Name (see Castile), Stands On A Wide, Wind Blown Plain On The Left Bank Of The Pisuerga, 150 In. N.w. Of Madrid By Railway. It Is 2,100 Ft. Above ...
Valley
Valley, A Hollow Tract On The Earth's Surface Between Hills Or Mountains. Valleys Are Generally Parallel To The Direction Of The Ridges Of Elevated Ground; But Some Are Transverse, Cutting Through The Mountain-chain. They Have A Watercourse At Or Near Their Lowest Level. The Main Valley Is That Which Has ...
Valois House Of
Valois. House Of. A Branch Of The Capetian Dynasty (q.v.) Which Possessed ,the Throne Of France Front 13'27 Till 1589, Originated In The Person Of Charles, Second Son Of King Philippe Iii. (le Hardi), Who Obtained In 1285 The County Of Valois In Appanage From His Father. Previously, The County ...
Valuations Or Land
Valuations Or Land Have Been Found Necessary In Order Both To Regulate Lia Bility To Taxation, And In Feudal Times To Determine The Amount Of Casualties Or Occa Sional Profits Due By The Vassal To The Superior. Domesday Book (q.v.) Contains The Earliest Valuation Of The Lands Of England. Valuations ...
Vampire
Vampire (ger. Vampyr), Called Also By The Servians Vukodlak, And By The Wallach Inns Murony, Is, According To The Popular Belief Of The Slavonic, Romanic, And Greek Population Of The Lower Danube And The Thessalian Peninsula, A Blood-sucking Ghost. In The Mythology Of The Ancient Greeks, Beings Of A Similar ...
Van Veen
Van Veen, Otno (called Also Ottoveni110, An Eminent Painter, Was A Native Of Leyden. Of Which City His Father Was A Wealthy Burgomaster. The Exact Year Of His Birth Is Involved In Some Obscurity; But There Seems Tolerable Evidence To Fix It As About 1556-57. He Received A Careful Education, ...
Vanburgh
Vanburgh, Sir Joux, An Eminent Architect And Dramatist Of The 18th C.,was The Grand Son Of A Protestant Refugee Of Ghent, Who Settled In England During The Reign Of Queen Elizabeth. Vanburgh Is Supposed To Have Been Horn In Chester (in Which City His Father Was A Merchant), In The ...
Vancouver Island
Vancou'ver Island, Now, Jointly With British Columbia, One Of The Colonies Of Great Britain, Forms A Part Of The Dominion Of Canada, And Is Bounded On The W. By The Pacific, And On The E. By Queen Charlotte Sound, Johnstone Strait, Discovery Strait, And Strait Of Georg Which, Taken Together, ...
Vandals
Vandals (lat. Yana11, Also Vindili And Vandult), A Famous Race Of European Bar Barians, Probably Of Germanic, Though Some Consider Them Of Slavonic Origin. Procopius, Who Agrees With Pliny In Considering Them One With The Goths, States That They On Occupied The Country About The Palm Althotis (sea Of Azov), ...
Vane
Vane, Sir Henry, A Notable English Politician Of The 17th C., Was Born In 1612. His Father, Also A Sir Henry, Was A Distinguished Statesman In The Reigns Of King James I. And Charles I., And Received Many Proofs Of The Royal Favor; But Having Taken Part In The Prosecution ...
Vanilla
Vanilla, A Genus Of Parasitical Orchidece, Natives Of Tropical Parts Of America And Of Asia, Which Spring At First From The Ground, And Climb With Twining Stems To The Height Of 20 Or 30 Ft. On Trees, Sending Into Them Fibrous Roots Produced From Nodes, From Which The Leaves Also ...
Vapor
Vapor. As All Solifis. With The Exception Of Carbon (an Exception Most Probably Due To Our Not Being Able To Pi Educe A Sufficiently High Temperature), Are Melted, Or Rendered Liquid By The Application Of Heat (q.v.), So A Further Application Of Heat Converts Them Into Taper. A Vapor Is ...
Varangians
Varangians (ger. Wareiger, Or M.:trivet.), A Norman People Of The Baltic Coast, Who Greatly Damaged By Their Piracies The Commerce Of The Republic Of Novgorod, And Sub Jugated Repeatedly The Slavic And Finnish Peoples Of Northern And Central Russia. They Forced The Krivitehes, Tschudes, And Other Tribes To Pay Tribute, ...
Varicose Veins
Varicose Veins. When A Vein Becomes Dilated At A Certain Part Of Its Course, For No Apparent Physiological Object, Such As Relieving The Venous Circulation Elsewhere (as, For Example, In The Case Of The Superficial Abdominal Veins Enlarging In Order To Rclievea Compressed Vena Cava), It Is Said To Be ...
Variina
Variin'a (from The Sanskrit Rr'i, Surround; Hence, Literally, "the Surrounder," And Kindred With The Greek Ouranos) Is, In The Vedic Mythology Of The Ancient Hindus. Ones Of The Adityas, Or Offsprings Of Ackti, The Deity Of Space, And Among These, One Of The Most Prominent. He, Is Often Invoked Together ...
Varro
Varro, " The Most Learned Of The Romans,•' So Called From His Vast Erudition In Almost Every Department Of Literature, Was B. 116 B.c., And Educated First Under L. 2elius Stilo Prreconinus, And Then Under Antiochus, A Philosopher Of The Academy. Varro Served With Distinction In The Wars Against The ...
Vascular Tissue
Vascular Tissue, In Botany, That Kind Of Vegetable Tissue Which Is Composed Of Closed Tubes Or Vessels, Elongated Cells. The Tubes Have Membranous Walls Of Cellulose (q.v.), And Within Them Are Juices Of The Plant, Which Often Deposit Secretions. They Are Generally Almost Cylindrical—although Sometimes Prismatical From Compression— Except That ...
Vasishtiia
Vasishtiia (the Superlative Of The Sanskrit Rose Mat., Wealthy) Is The Name Of One Of The Most Celebrated Vedic Rdshis (q.v.), The Author Of Several 1)3 Mns Of The Veda, And A Personage Who Seems To Have Played An Important Part In The Early His Tory Of The Brahmanic Or ...
Vaucluse
Vaucluse, A Department In The S.e. Of France, Bounded On The W. By The Rhone, And On The S. By The Durance, Which Separates It From The Department Of Bouches Du Rhone. Area, 1365 Sq.m.; Pop. '76, 255,703. The Rhone Is The Great River And Its Affluents, With The Exception ...
Vault
Vault, An Arched Roof, Usually Constructed Of Stone Or Brick-work. The Simplest Kind Of Vault Is The Plain Wagon Or Tunnel Vault, Heino. A Simple Segmental Or Semicircu Lar Arch, Thrown Across A Longitudinal Apartment, And Extending From One End To The Other. Ordinary Bridges Show An Example Of This ...
Vaygach
Vaygach (also Written Vaigatcit, Vaigatz, And Tvaigatz), An Island Of The Arctic Ocean, Belonging To Russia, Stands Between The Main Land And The Island Of Nova Zembla, From The Former Of Which It Is Separated By A Strait About 5 M. Broad. There Is No Resi • Dent Population; But, ...
Vedanta
Vedanta (from The Sanskrit Cede And Ante, End; Hence, Literally, "the End Or Ulti Mate Aim Of The Vedas") Is The Second Great Division Of The Illinninsa (q.v.) School Of Hindu Philosophy. It Is Chiefly Conceived In The Investigation Of Brahman (neuter), Or The Supreme Spirit, And The Relation In ...
Vegetable Tissues
Tissues, Vegetable. See Cellular Tissue, Vascular Tissue, And Vegetable Tissues. Tit, Or Titmouse, Parus A Genus Of Birds Of The Order Insessores, Tribe Conirostres, And Family Porkies. The Porkies Are Small Birds, Of Which There Are More Than' 50 Known Species, Widely Distributed Throughout Europe, Asia, Africa, And North America. ...
War Of The Austrian
Successicin, War Of The Austrian. The Death Of The Emperor Charles Vi. (oct. 20, 1740), By Which The Male Line Of The House Of Hapsburg Became Extinct, Was The Signal For A General Uprising Of The Powers Of Europe, Some To Prey On The Austrian Pos Sessions, And Others To ...
War Of The Spanish
Succession, War Of The Spanish, Arose On The Death, Without Issue Or Collateral Male Heirs, Of Charles Ii., King Of Spain, Nov. 3, 1700. The Nearest Natural Heir To The Throne Was Of The Royal Line Of France, Charles's Elder Sister Having Married Louis Xiv.; But To Prevent Any Possible ...
William Henry Talbot
Talbot, William Henry Fox, Celebrated In Connection With Photography, Was The Son Of William D. Talbot Of Locock Abbey, Wilts, And Was B. In 1800. He Was Educa Ted At Harrow, And Afterward At Trinity College, Cambridge, Where He Took His Degree With Honors, And Obtained The Junior Chancellor's Medal ...
William Makbpeace Thackeray
Thackeray, William Makbpeace, Novelist And Satirist, Was B. At Calcutta In 1811. He Was Of A Good Old English Family, Represented About The Middle Of Last Century By Dr. Thackeray, An Eminent Scholar, And Head-master Of Harrow. His Father Was In The Civil Service Of The East India Co., And, ...
Works Supererogation
Supererogation, Works Of (lat. Supererogata, Over And Above Things Required), A Class Of Works Which, In The Roman Catholic System, Are Described As Not Absolutely Required Of Each Individual As Conditions To His Eternal Salvation. Roman Catholics Found This Definition On The Distinction Between What They Believe To Be Commanded ...
Zachary Taylor
Taylor, Zachary, 12th President Of The United States, Was Born In Orange Co., Va., Nov. 24, 1784, Son Of Col. Richard Taylor, An Officer Of The War Of Independence, And Oue Of The First Settlers Of Louisville, Ky., Where Taylor Was Taken In Early Child Hood, And Grew Up To ...