Asphaltos Asphaltum

(From a lake in Judea where it is produced) See Bitumen.asphodelus, (from ashes, from the ashes of the dead, because the herb was formerly sown upon the graves of the dead). The asphodel.

Asphodelus albus. A. ramosus Lin. Sp. Pi. 444. White asphodel. Also called hasta regia, Bernhardt testiculus, antliericnm, affodilus, iphion, eri-zamba, king's spear, and yellow asphodel.

The asphodel roots resemble an acorn; are acrid, heating, and diuretic, when fresh, and mucilaginous when dry.

These plants are natives of Italy, France, and other warm parts of Europe. The fresh roots are commended in the form of a cataplasm, to be applied to scrofulous swellings.

Aspic

See Lavandula.

Aspidiscos

(From a buckler). By metaphor it was applied to the sphincter muscle of the anus, as we are informed by Coelius Aurelianus, which was so called from its shape. See Sphincter ani.

Aspis

The asp. A venomous kind of serpent, of which Galen reckons three species. Paulus Aegine-ta, in lib. v. cap. xviii. says, that amputation is the only remedy when a limb is bit; and cutting away the whole of the wounded flesh, where amputation cannot be performed.

Asplenium

{From α ,neg. and the spleen,) because it was said to remove disorders of the spleen; also called splenium ceterach; milt-waste, and spleen-wort. It is the asplenium ceterach Lin. Sp. Pi. 1538. Spleen-wort.

The leaves are similar to maiden-hair, as a pectoral; They are diuretic; and used in infusion, are supposed to clear away sabulous matter from the urinary passage.

The taste is somewhat austere, and it has been thought useful as a tonic in cachexies.

Asplenium trichomanes, Lin. Sp. Pi. 1540. See Adianthum nigrum.

Asple' nium scolopendrium,lin. Sp. Pi. 1538. See Lingua cervina.

Assaba

A shrub found on the coast of Guinea. Its leaves are boiled in water and supposed to cure buboes.

Assac

(Arabic word assak). See Gum ammo-niacum.

Assala

See Nux moschata.

Assanegi

The powder that falls off from the walls of salt in the salt mines.

Assanus

A weight consisting of two drachms.

Assarabacca

See Asarum.

Assarthrosis

See Articulatio.

Assatio

Assation, or roasting, (from assare to roast with fire). Frying, toasting, broiling.

Assatura

A species of any thing just removed from the fire after roasting.

Asse

See Ase.

Asserac

See Assis.

Asservatio

(From asservo, to keep carefully). See Conservatio.

Assidens Signum

(From assido, to attend). An attendant sign, usually accompanying a disease;. but not, as the pathognomonic,inseparable from it.

Assiduus

(From assideo, to attend). See Con-tinua febris.

Assimilo

To assimilate, (from ad, and senilis, to make like to,) as when what we eat is converted into juices similar to those of the animal body. It is also used in another sense, when the morbid matter of any disease converts the whole or part of our juices to their specific nature; our juices are then said to be assimilated to the nature of those morbid materials. See Digestion.