Encyclopaedia Britannica; or, A dictionary of arts and sciences, compiled upon a new plan … > Volume 2, C-L

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CUSTOM, a very comprehenfive term, denoting the
manners, ceremonies and fafhions of a people, which
having turned into a habit, and paffed into ufe, obtains
the force of laws ; in which fenfe it implies fuch ufa-
ges, as, though voluntary at firft, are yet, by pradtice,
become neceflary.
Cutlom is hence, both by lawyers and civilians, de¬
fined lex nan fcripta, a law, or right, not written,
eflablifhed by long ufage, and the confent of our an-
celtors; in which fenfe it (lands oppofed to the lex
fcripta, or the written law.
Customs, in commerce, the tribute or toll, paid by
merchants to the king, for goods exported or import¬
ed : they are otherwife culled duties. See Duty.
Custom house, an office eftablilhed by the king’s au¬
thority in-the maritime cities, or port-towns, for the
receipt and management of the cuftoms and duties of
importation and exportation, impofed on merchandifes,
and regulated by books of rates
CUSTOS brevium, the principal clerk belonging to the
court of common pleas, whofe bufinefs it is to receive
and keep all the writs made returnable in that court,
filing every return by itfelf; and, at the end of each
term, to receive of the prothonotaries all the records
of the nifi prius, called the pofteas.
Gustos rotulorum, an officer who has the cnflody of the
rolls and records, of the fefiions of peace,, and alfo-of
the commiffion of the peace irfelf.
He ufually is fome perfonmf quality, and always a
juft-ice of the peace, of the quorum, in the county
• where he is appointed.
Custos fpiritualium, he that exercifes the fpiritual ju-
rifdiftion of a diocefe, during the vacancy of any dee,
which, by the canon law, belongs to the dean and
chapter ; but at prefect, in England, to the archbiftrop
of the province, by prefcription.
Gustos temperaliurn was the perfon.to whom a vacant
fee or abbey was given by the king, as fupreme lord.
His office was, as fteward of the goods and profits, to
give an account to the efeheator, who did the like to
the exchequer.
CUTAMBULI, certain worms, either under the fkin,
or upon it, which, by their creeping, caufe an uneafy
fenfation. It is alfo applied to wandering fcorbutic
• pains.
CUT-A-FEATHER, in the fea-language. If a fhip
has too broad a bow, it is common to fay, Jhe-'will
not cut a feather •, that is, fhe will not pafs through
the water fo fwift, as to make it foam or froth.
CUTANEOUS, in general, an Appellation given to
; whatever belongs to. the cutis or fkin.
CUTICLE, in anatomy. See Vol. I. p. 285.
CUTICULAR- the fame with cutaneous.
CUTIS, the Sriu, in anatomy. See Vol. I. p. 254.
CUTTER of the tallies, an officer of the exchequer,
whole bufinefs is to provide wood for the tallies, to
cur or notch the fum paid upon them; and then to
caft them into court, to be written upon. See Tally.
CUTTLE-FISH. See Sepia.
CUZT, the moft eaftern province of thekingdom of Fez,
in Africa.
DI ) C Y D
CYANUS, in botany. See Centaurja,
CYATHUS, in Roman antiquity, a liquid meafure,
containing four ligulas, or half a pint Englifh wine-
meafure, being 469-f folid inches.
CYCLAMEN, or Sow-bread, in botany, a genus of
the pentandria monogynia clafs. The corolla is rota¬
ted and reflected; the tube is very ffiort, with a pro¬
minent faux ; and the fierry is covered with a capfule.
There are two fpecies, none of them natives of Bri¬
tain. The root is a powerful aperient and abfttrgent.
CYCLE. See Vol. I. P. 491.
Cycle of the moon. See Vol. I. p. 491.
Cycle of the Roman indiflion. See Vol. I. p. 491.
CYCLISCUS, in furgery, an inftrument in the form of
a half moon, ufed in fcrAping the fkull, in cafe of
fradtures of that part.
CYCLOID, a curve on which the dodtrine of pendulums
and time meafuring inftruments in a great meafure de¬
pend ; Mr Huygens demonftrated, that from whatever
point or height a heavy body, ofcillating on a fixed-
centre, begins to defeend, while it continues to move,
in a cycloid, the time of its falls or ofcillations wilt
be equal to each other. It is likewife demonftrable,
that it is the curve of quickeft defeent, i. e. a body
falling in it, from any given point above, to another,
not exadtly under it, will come to this point in a lefs
time than, in any other curve palling through thofe two
points.
CYCLOMETRY, a term fometimes ufed for the rr.er.-
furation of circles.
CYCLOPAEDIA, or Encyclopaedia, denotes the
circle or compafs of arts arid feiences. A cyc'lopxd:a,
fay the authors of the French Encyclopedia, ougho
ro explain, as much as poffible, the 6rder and con-
nedtion of human knowledge. See Dictionary.
CYCLOPTERUS, the Lump-fish, in ichthyology, a
genus belonging to the order of amphibia nantes. The:
head is obtufe, and furniffied with faw-teeth; there
are four rays in the gills; and the belly-fins are con-
nedbed together in an orbicular form. There are three
fpecies.
CYDER, an excellent drink made of the juice of apples,
It conduces greatly toihe goodnefs of the cyder, to let
the apples lie a week or two in heaps, before they are
prelled. After ftraining the liquor through a fieve, let it
ftand a day or two in an open tun, covered only with a-
cloth, or boards, to keep out the duft, that the more
grofs parts may fubfide. Then draw it off in pails in¬
to veffels, wherein it is intended to be kept, obferving;
to leave an eighth part of them empty. Set thefe vef-
els in your coldeft cellars, with the bung open, or
covered only with a loofe cover, both that the volatile
fteams may have free vent, and that the muft may he-
kept cool, otherwife it is apt ta ferment too much.
Having fermemad in this manner for fifteen or twenty,
days, the yeflel may be ftopped up clofe; and, in two, .
or three months time, die -cyder will he fit for drink ¬
ing. But if you expedt cyder in perfedtion, fo as to
flower in the glafs, it muft be glued as they .call it,
and drawn off into bottles, after fit has been a fliort.
time in the calk : this is done by pouring into each y$f-