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

DEO
DENTALlUM, in natural hiftory, a fhell-fifh belong¬
ing to the order of vermes tdtacea. The {hell con-
fifts of one tubulous ftrait valve, open at both ends.
There are eight fpecies, diftinguifhed by the angles,
Arise, <bc. of their {hells.
DENTARIA, or tooth-wort, in botany, a genus of
the tetradynamia filiquofa clafs. The filiqua or pod
burfts open by elaftic valves; the lligma is emargina-
ted ; and the calix is connivent. There are three
fpecies, only one of which, viz. the bulbifera, or co-
ralwort, is a native of Britain.
DENTATED leaf. See botany, p. 640.
DENTEX, in ichthyology. SccSparus.
DENTILES, or Dentils, in architedure, an orna¬
ment in corniches bearing fome .refemblance to tee'th,
particularly ufed in the jlonic and Corinthian orders.'
See Architecture, p. 352. •
DENTIFRICE, in medicine, a remedy for rubbing the
teeth, and purging them from fordes; and for clean-
fing and abAerging the gums, when replete with hu¬
mours. There are dentifrices of various kinds and
forms; fome in form of a powder compofed of corals,
pumice-ftone, fait, allum, egg-ftiells, crabs-claws,
hartftvorn, tec. others in form of an eleftuary, confift-
ing of the fame powders mixt up with honey; others
are in form of a liquor drawn by diftillations from dry¬
ing herbs, and aftringent medicines, tec.
DENTILLARIA. See Plumbago.
DENTISCALPRA, in furgery, an inftrument for fcour-
ing yellow, livid, or black teeth; to which being ap¬
plied, near the gums, it fcrapes off the foul morbid
cruft.
DENTITION, the breeding or cutting the teeth in
children. See Medicine.
DENUNCIATION, a folemn publication or promulga¬
tion of any thing.
All veflels of enemies are lawful prizes, after de¬
nunciation or proclamation of war. The defign of the
denunciation of excommunicated perfons, is that the
fentence maybe the more fully executed by the perfon’s
being more known.
Denunciation at the horn, in Scots law, is that
form by which a debtor, after the expiry of a charge to
make payment upon letters of horning, is denounced re¬
bel to the king for difobedience. No caption for ap¬
prehending and imprifoning the debtor can be obtain¬
ed upon an expired charge of horning till lie is firft de¬
nounced rebel, and the horning with the executions
of charge and denunciation regiftered. As to the o-
ther legal effects of denunciation, fee Scots Law,
title 12.
DEOBSTRUENTS, in pharmacy, fuch medicines as
open obftruAions. See Detergent.
DEODAND, in our cuftoms, implies a thing devoted
or confecrated to God, for the pacification of his
wrath, in cafe of any misfortune; as a perfon’s com'* g
to a violent end, without the fault of any reafonable
* creature; as if ajrorfe ftiould ftrike his keeper, and fo
kill him. In this cafe, the horfe is to be a deodand ;
that is, he is to be fold, and the price diftributed to
the poor, as an expiation of that dreadful event.
D E P
DEPONENT, in Latin grammar, a term applied to
verbs which have adtive fignifications, but paffive ter¬
minations or conjugations, and want one of their parti¬
ciples paflive.
Deponent, in the law of Scotland, a perfon who makes
a depofition. See Deposition.
DEPOPULATION, the aft of diminiftiing the number
of people in any country, whether by war or bad po¬
litics.
DEPORTATION, a fort of baniftiment ufed by the
Romans, whereby fome ifland or other place was al¬
lotted to a criminal for the place of his abode, with a
prohibition not to ftir out of the fame on pain of death.
DEPOSIT, among civilians, fomething that is commit¬
ted to the cuftody of a perfon, to be kept without any
reward, and to be returned again on demand.
DEPOSITARY,, in law, a perfon intrufted as keeper or
guardian of a depofit.
DEPOSITATION, in Scots law, is a contraft by which
one commits the cuftody or poffelfion of any thing to
another, to be kept for behoof of the owner, and re¬
turned on demand, or at any period fpecified in the
contraft. The owner is called the depofitor, and the
perfon to whofe cuftody the thing is committed the
depofitary. See Scots Law, title 20.
DEPOSITION, in law, the teftimony given in court
by a witnefs upon oath.
DEPRECATION, in rhetoric, a figure whereby the o-
rator invokes the aid and affiftance of fome one; or
prays for fome great evil or puniftiment to befal him
who fpeaks fallely, either himfelf or his adverfary.
DEPRECATORY, or Deprecative, in theology, a
term applied to the manner of performing fome cere¬
monies in the form of prayer.
The form of abfolution is deprecative in the Greek
church, being conceived in thefe terms, May God ab-
folve you : whereas it is in the declarative form in the
Latin church, and in fome of the reformed churches,
1 abfolve you.
DEPRESSION of the pole. See Astronomy, and
Geography.
DEPRESSOR, or Deprimens, in anatomy, a name
applied to feveral mufcles, becaufe they deprefs the
parts they are faftened to.
DEPRIVATION, in the canon-law, the depofing a
bifhop, parfon, vicar, tec. from his office and prefer¬
ment.
DEPTFORD, a town three miles eaft of London, on
the fouthern banks of the Thames ; chiefly confider-
able for its fine docks for building ffiips, and the king’s
yard.
DEPURATION. See Clarification.
DEPURATORY fever, a name given by Sydenham
to a fever which prevailed much in the years 1661,
1662, 1663, and 1664. ca^e<l i{ depuratory,
becaufe he obferved, that nature regulated all the
fymptoms in fuch a manner, as to fit the febrile mat¬
ter, prepared by proper concoftion, for expulfion in a
certain time, either by a copious fweat, or a freer
perfpiration.
DEPUTATION, a miffion of feleft perfons out of a
company
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