STATISTICS OF
ENCYCLOPAEDIA-
BRITANNICA
General
Here are some general statistic information of Encyclopaedia Britannica.
In the first figure, it seems that there is a trend of going up. However, this number goes quite high at 'edition 4'. After looking back at the data, we can find that in edition 4, every volume was turned into two parts, resulting in the 4th edition having 40 volumes.
We also calculated the number of words in each edition and they kept increasing over time with edition updated.
THE LONGEST WORD IN
EACH EDITION
Edition 1
EXTENSOR MINIMI DIGITI PROPRIUS
This is a kind of collateral or auxiliary mufcle of the extenfor communis, of which it appears almoit al ways to be more or lefs a portion. It is fixed along the fuperior external half of the ul na, from whence its long fmall tendon runs down in company with the fourth tendon of the extenfor commu nis, all the way to the little finger, where it joins it, and is infer ted with it.
75 words description
Edition 2
SYNGENESIA POLYGAMIA JEQUALIS
Leontodon, or Dandelion. The common Calix is oblong, and imbricated: the interior fcales are linear, parallel, equal, and open at the top ; the exterior fcales are fewer in number, and frequently refle&ed at the bafe. The compound Corolla is uniform and imbricated. The fmall hermaphrodite coroll# are very numerous and equal. The corolla proper to each flofcule confifts of one li- gulated (/. e. plain and expanded outwards), linear, truncated (/. e. terminated by a tranfverfe line), and five-teethed petal. The Stamina confift of five very fmall capillary fila ments: the antherae areconnefted together,and form a cylindrical tube. The Germen of the pijlillum is fituate below the pro per corolla. The ftylus is filiform, and nearly of the fame length wfith the corolla: the ftigmata are two, and turned back in a fpiral form. This plant has no pericarpium. The Seeds are folitary, oblong, rough, and termi nated by a long pappous ftipes (31). The receptacle, or common bafe of the flofcules (9), is naked, and full of fmall hollow points.
75 words description
Edition 3
TETRADYNAMIA SILIQJJOSA
Sinapis, or Mustard. The calyx is a perianthium confining of four open or fpreading leaves; the leaves are linear (43), con cave, furrowed, difpofed in the form of a crofs, and de ciduous. The Corolla confifts of four cruciform petals: the petals are roundifh, plain, open, entire or not emargi nated, with ereft linear ungues (13) fcarcely fo long as the calyx. The Nectarta (14, See.), orglandulce neftarifera, are four, of an oval figure, one of which is fituated on each fide betwixt the fhort ftamina and ftylus, and like- wife one on each fide between the long ftamina and the calyx. The Stamina have fix fubulated ereft filaments, two of which are of the fame length with the calyx, and always oppofite to each other, and the other four are uniformly longer: the anther a are ereft, and fharp at the top. The Pistillum has a cylindrical germen; the ftylus is of the fame length with the germen, and the fame height with the ftamina; the ftigma is entire, with a little knob or button. The Pericarpium is an oblong, fcabrous, double- celled, two valved pod, ginbous, and full of little pro tuberances on the under parts: the diftepimentum (29) a is large, compreffed, and often twice the length of the valves. The Seeds are many and round.
219 words description
Edition 4
BRETHREN AND SISTERS OF THE FREE SPIRIT
in Ecclefiajhcal Hijlory, an appellation affumed by a new feft which fprung up towards the clofe of the thirteenth century, and gained many adherents in Italy, France, and Germany. They took their denomina tion from the words of St Paul, Rom. chap. viii. ver. 2, ,14. and maintained, that the true children of God were inverted with the privilege of a full and perfeft freedom from the jurifdiftion of the law. They were enthufiarts to a degree of diftraftion, both in their principles and praftice. They refembled the Begbards, by which name they were fometimes called, in their alpeft, apparel, and manner of living.
Some of their profefled principles refembled thofe of the Pantheifts; for they held, that all things flowed by emanation from God ; that rational fouls were portions of the Deity, and that the univerfe was God ; and that, by the power of contemplation, they were united to the Deity, and acquired hereby a glorious and fublime linerty, both from the finful lufts and the common inftindls of na ture : and hence they conclude, that the perfon, who was thus abforbed in the abyfs of the Deity, became a part of the Godhead, and was the fon of God, in the fame fenfe and manner that Chrift was, and that he was freed from the obligation of all laws human and divine.
They were called by feveral other names, fuch as Schweftriones, Picards, Adamites, and Turlupins. Brkthren and Clerks of the Common Life, a denomi nation aflumed by a religious fraternity towards the lat- _ They lived under the Brethren, rule of St Auguftin, and were eminently ufeful in pro- >l)n- moting the caufe of religion and learning. Their fo- ¥ J ciety was firft formed, in the preceding century, by Ge rard de Groote, a native of Deventer; but did not flourilh till about the period above mentioned, when it obtained the approbation of the council of Conftance, and became very refpeflable in Holland, the Low'er Germany, and the adjacent provinces.
It was divided into two dalles \ the lettered brethren or clerks, and the illiterate : they lived in feparate habitations, but main tained the clofeft fraternal union. The former ap plied to the ftudy of polite literature, and the educa tion of youth} vvhilft the latter were employed in manual labour, and the mechanic arts. They were frequently called Beghards and Lollards, by way of re proach. White Brethren, fratres albali, were the followers of a leader about the beginning of the fifteenth centu ry, who was arrayed in a white garment ; and as they were alfo clothed in white linen, they were diftinguilh- ed by this title. Their leader w'as a prieft from the Alps, who carried about a crofs, like a ftandard, and whofe apparent ianftity and devotion drew' together a number of followers. This deluded enthufiaft pratti- fed many afls of mortification and penance, endeavour ed to perfuade the European nations to renew the holy war, and pretended that he wras favoured with divine vifions. Boniface
665 words description
Edition 5
EXTRACTUM COLOCYNTHIDIS COMPOSITUM
L. Compound Compound extraft of colecynth. extradt of Prepared by digefting fix drams of the pith of co/0iot>nth’ locynth cut Lmall, in a pint of proof fpirit, with a gentle heat for four days, then diffolving in the ex- prened tincture one ounce and a half of powdered foco- torine aloes, and half an ounce of powdered fcammony 1 and Jaftly drawing off the fpirit, and adding to the in- Ipiffated extrad, a dram of hulked cardamom feeds in powder. A ftrong cathartic and anthelmintic. Dofe from 5 to 3° grains. 237. Bryonia alba.
94 words description
Edition 6
LIQUOR ALKALI VOLATILIS CAUSTICUS
D. Water of Ammonia. Water of Pure ammonia. Caustic solution of volatile alkali. Strong spirit of sal ammoniac. This is prepared by decomposing muriate of ammo nia by means of quicklime with the addition of water, and afterwards distilling off the strongest portion with a gentle heat. The preparations of the different colleges vary a little,; the Edinburgh Pharmacopoeia ordering one pound of muriate of ammonia to one pound and a half of quicklime ; the London one pound to two pounds; and the Dublin 16 ounces to two pounds. No great quantity of water is necessary. The lime is first slaked with part of the water, and after it is cold, the salt and rest of the water are added, and the distillation carried on in well closed vessels. The Edinburgh col lege directs Woolf’s apparatus to be employed as a re ceiver, and orders all the separate liquors to be mixed together. '['he solution of ammonia should be perfectly limpid and transparent, should have an extremely pungent odour, should not effervesce with acids, and should pro duce no precipitate on the addition of alcohol or lime wrater. It should be kept in small bottles well stopt with ground stoppers, and should stand in a very cool place. This preparation is a very powerful stimulant, irri tating and inflaming the skin and nostrils, when applied externally °r snuffed up the nose. Hence its use as a rubefacient in rheumatism, cynanche, paralysis, and as a general stimulus in syncope, hysteria, &c. It is scarcely used internally. See below. ^ b. Alcohol ammoniatum, E.
263 words description
Edition 7
MULTIPLICATION OF VULGAR FRACTIONS
Rule.—Multiply the numerators of the factors together for the numerator of the product, and the denominators to gether for the denominator of the product. Ex. 1st, f X f = ^ 2d, 8f X 7f = if-02 - 2X5= 10 num. 8f-= by Prob. 3 X 7 = 21 den. 7J= ^ by ditto 42X31 = 1302 5X4 = 20 To multiply f by-f is the same as to find what two third parts of ^ comes to. If one third part only had been re quired, it would have been obtained by multiplying the denominator 7 by 3, because the value of fractions is les sened when their denominators are increased: and this comes to /T; and, because two thirds were required, we must double that fraction, which is done by multiplying the numerator by 2, and comes to Plence we infer that fractions of fractions, or compound fractions, such as f of f, are reduced to simple ones by multiplication. The same method is followed when the compound fraction is expressed in three parts or more. The foregoing rule extends to every case when there are fractions in either factor. For mixed numbers may be reduced to improper fractions, as is done in Ex. 2; and integers may be written, or understood to be written, in the form of fractions whose numerator is 1. It will be convenient, however, to give some further directions for proceeding when one of the factors is an integer, or when one or both are mixed numbers. Is?, To multiply an integer by a fraction, multiply it by the numerator, and divide the product by the denominator. Ex. 3756 X 3.=2253J 3 ‘ 5)11268(22534 2d, To multiply an integer by a mixed number, we mul tiply it first by the integer and then by the fraction, and add the products. Ex. 138X5|=793i 138X5=690 138 X | 3 4)414( ]0§ 793£
318 words description
Edition 8
THE CHEMISTRY OF THE COMBUSTION OF COAL
One pound of hydrogen unites with and requires 8 lb. ° oxygen for its combustion; measuring by volume, 1 cubic foot of hydrogen requires just half a cubic foot of oxygen for combustion ; the product being steam, aqueous vapour, or water. Oxygen is sixteen times as weighty as hydrogen, and so hydrogen combines with eight times its weight, and but half its volume, of oxygen. In round numbers, 1 pound of hydrogen is 200 cubic feet in bulk, at 62° Fahr., and the combining volume of oxygen is 100 cubic feet.
One pound of carbon unites with 2§ lb., or 32 cubic feet, of oxygen for its complete combustion, forming carbonic acid. Atmospheric air is composed of oxygen and nitrogen, in the proportion of 1 lb. of the former to 3| lb. of the latter ; or, by volume, 1 cubic foot of oxygen to 4 cubic feet of nitrogen. Nitrogen is a neutral gas in combustion, and is present as a diluent simply; and for every cubic foot of oxygen required in combustion 5 cubic feet of air must be supplied. It follows, that for the combustion of 1 lb. of hydrogen 500 cubic feet of air are required; and for the complete combustion of 1 lb. of carbon, 160 cubic feet of air are required. These are the combining proportions of hydrogen and carbon with oxygen, and air, in combustion.
One pound of hydrogen unites with and requires 8 lb. ° oxygen for its combustion; measuring by volume, 1 cubic foot of hydrogen requires just half a cubic foot of oxygen for combustion ; the product being steam, aqueous vapour, or water. Oxygen is sixteen times as weighty as hydrogen, and so hydrogen combines with eight times its weight, and but half its volume, of oxygen. In round numbers, 1 pound of hydrogen is 200 cubic feet in bulk, at 62° Fahr., and the combining volume of oxygen is 100 cubic feet. One pound of carbon unites with 2§ lb., or 32 cubic feet, of oxygen for its complete combustion, forming carbonic acid. Atmospheric air is composed of oxygen and nitrogen, in the proportion of 1 lb. of the former to 3| lb. of the latter ; or, by volume, 1 cubic foot of oxygen to 4 cubic feet of nitrogen. Nitrogen is a neutral gas in combustion, and is present as a diluent simply; and for every cubic foot of oxygen required in combustion 5 cubic feet of air must be supplied. It follows, that for the combustion of 1 lb. of hydrogen 500 cubic feet of air are required; and for the complete combustion of 1 lb. of carbon, 160 cubic feet of air are required. These are the combining proportions of hydrogen and carbon with oxygen, and air, in combustion. In practice, the