PER
the flexor Iongus digitorum pedis, and by Winflow, the perfc ram pedis, and the acceflorius perforantis pedis.
PERON/EUS (CycL)— Peron^us maximus, a mufcle of the leg, commonly called perorueus pcflerior.
It is long and penniform, and lies on rhe fibula. It is fixed above to the anterior and outer part of" the head of that bone, and to a fmall portion of the head of the tibia ; then to the outfide of the neck of the fibula, to the upper half of the external angle of that bone, and to the aponeurofis tibialis which at that place makes a feptum between this mufcle and
- the extenfor pollicis; from hence turning backward accord-
ing to the direction of the bone, it forms a considerable ten don; which running down behind the external malleolus is inferted in the fide of the bafis of the firft metatarfal bone, and a little in the bafis of the os cuneiforme majus. Win- flow's Anatomy, p. 221.
Peron^eus medius. This is commonly called perotwus anticus. and is a long mufcle fituated anteriorly on the middle part of the fibula. It is fixed above by flefhy fibres to more than the middle third part of the anterior or outfide of the fibula, and to the neighbouring part of the aponeurofis tibialis. It is likewife fixed to a production from the infide of that apo- neurofis, which runs to the upper part of the tibia, and there ferves for a middle feptum between this mufcle and the extenfor digitorum Iongus ; from thence it runs down and forms a tendon, which going in the direction of the oblique line of the fibula, panes behind the external malleolus, and then thro' an annular ligament common to it and to the peromsus maximus, and is afterwards inferted in the tuberofity at the bafis of the fifth metatarfal bone, fending off a fmall tendon to the firil phalanx of the little toe. Winflow's Ana- tomy, p 218.
pERONJEOS minimus, a fmall mufcle vulgarly thought to be a portion of the extenfor digitorum Iongus, tho' it is eafily feparable from it.
It is fixed by flefhy fibres in the lower half of the infide of the fibula, between two oblique bony lines, on one fide of the lower part of the extenfor digitorum Iongus, to which mufcle it is fimply contiguous ; from thence it runs down, contracting in breadth, and panes, with the extenfor Ion- gus, thro' the common annular ligament, forming a flat ten- don, which foon feparates from thofe of the extenfor, and is inferted near the bafis of the fifth metatarfal bone. It is diftinguifhed from the other two peronm by a feptum, or production of the Jigamentary aponeurofis of the tibia. Win- flow, Ibid.
PEROQUETTE, in zoology, the name of a fmall fpecies of the pfitiacus or parrot kind, with a long tail. There are feveral kinds of this bird : 1. The common, which is green, red, and yellowifh, and was the firft fpecies of parrot brought into Europe, and well known among the antients. 2. The peroquette, which is green all over, with- out any variegation. 3. The pale, green, and red kind. 4. The red and green crefted kind. 5. The red kind, with wings variegated with black and green.
Befide thefe, Marggrave has defcribed feven other Brafilian kinds, called the tuiaputejuba, tuit'trica, jendaya, tu'tete, tuipara, anaca, and quijubatui, which fee under their feveral names ; and two others, to which no particular name has been given ; one of the fize of a fwallow, all over green, with a black beak and a very long tail ; and the other of the fize of a ftarling, of a deep green on the back, and paler green on the belly, and with a fhorter tail. Rays Ornithology, p. 76, 77* 78.
PERPENDICULAR-™^. See Fibrose-^.
PERSIAN-^//, a fpecies of dolium. See Dolium.
PERSICA, the peach-tree, in botany, the name of a genus of trees, the characters of which are thefe : The flower is of the rofaceous kind, being compofed of many petals, arranged in a circular form. The piftil arifes from the cup, and final- ly becomes a flefhy fruit of a roundifh figure, fulcated length- wife, and containing a flone rough and full of irregular holes, containing an oblong kernel.
The fpecies of peach, enumerated by Mr Tournefort, are thefe: I. The common green white foft flefhed peach. 2. The double flowered peach. 3. The peach with blood-red juice. 4. The hard peach, with white or flefli-coloured pulp. 5. The hard peach, with box-coloured pulp. 6. The fum- mer apricot peach, or John peach. 7. The early ripe peach. 8. The fine flavoured corbelian peach. 9. The hardeff. peach. 10. The paier peach. II. The peach with fweet-fcented fruit, with a fmooth. fkin. 12. The peach with a round, duflcy red, very fweet-tafted fruit. 13. The peach with a large round firm fugar-like fruit. 14. The. large round yel- low late peach, called the admirable ye! low. 15. The peach with large round blackifh late-ripening fruit. 16. The great fcarlet peach. 17. The peach with a fruit variegated with purp'e and red, and of a rich vinous tafte. 1 8. The early violet-coloured vinofe peach. 19. The peach with red, round- ifiVflatted fruit, with red fleih. 20. The dwarf African peach, with fingle flefli-coloured flowers. 21. The dwarf African peach, with double neih-coloured flowers. Tcurn. Inft. p. 614, See Peach. %
PER
Persica concha, in natural hiftory, a name given to a very remarkable and beautiful fea ihell, which authors have long been at a lofs to reduce to anv genus.
Aldrovand has thrown it to the end of his work, and favs, it would be of the turbinated kind, if it did not want the turba. It is truly of die genus of the concha globofa, or dolium. Sec Dolium.
Persica terra, in natural hiftory, an earth of the ochre kind, known in the coLur {hops of London by the name of Indian red.
It is a very fine purple ochre, of a confiderably compact tex- ture, and great weight; while in the earth it is of a pure blood colour, and is not to be cut with the fpjde, but is duo- with iron crows, and falls in irregular maffes. It is of a rough dufty furface, and full of confiderably large bright glittering particles: thefe are white and of a fine luftre. It adheres firmly to the tongue, is rough and harfh to the touch, ftains the hands very deeply, and is of a rough aftrirgent tafte, and makes a very violent effervefcence with acid men- ftruums.
It is dug in the iflandof Ormux, in the Perfian gulf, and in fome parts of the Eaft Indies. Hill's Hift. of FofT. p. 58.
PERSICARIA, arfmart, in botany, the name of a genus of plant 1 --, the characters of which are thefe : The flower is of the apetalous kind, confiding of feveral fhmina which arife from a cup divided into feveral fegments. The piftil finally becomes a fruit of a flatted oval figure, and pointed at one end, and contained in the capfule, which was the cup of the flower.
The fpecies of perflcaria, enumerated by Mr. Tournefort, are thefe: 1. The common mild or fpotted arfmart 2. The fpotted arfmart, with fpots of the figure of a horfe-flioe. 3. The mild arfmart without fpots. 4. The white flowered mild arfmart. 5. The burning a'fmart, or water pepper. 6. The burning arfmart, with white flowers. 7. The Jefler a'fmart. 8. The white flowered letter arfmart. 9. The narrow-leaved arfmart. 10. The long and narrOw-leaved arfmart, called the long-leaved and water pondweed. 11. The long-leaved Valentia arfmart. 12. The arfmart with leaves hoary underneaih. 13. The great dock-leaved arfmart, with purple cups. 14. The black-leaved alpine arfmart, with white cups. 15. The arfmart with lepidium leaves. 16. The long procumbent arfmart, with narrow not fpotted leaves, and long flender fpikes. 17. The white flowered Ihrub fpotted Virginian arfmart. 1 8. The fhrub fpotted Vir- ginian arfmart.) with flefh-coloured flowers. Tcurn, Inft. p. 509.
The common arfmart without fpots, is by fome efteemed a good diuretic, but it feems too acrid to be given internally without great caution. Externally it is ufed by many in ca- taplafms againft indurated tumors, and in inveterate ulcers: That with fpotted leaves ha3 no virtues.
PERSOLATA, in botany, a word ufed by Pliny as the name of a kind of burdock, different from the pe'fo'nata. He has, in the beginning of the chapter, fpoken of the arci- um of the Greeks, which he fays the Latins fometimes) called perfonata, and afterwards adds this perfolaia ; which, he fays, was a plant vulgarly known and called by the Greeks archirn.
He feems to allow, that the Greeks called both thefe plants by the fame name ; but he diftinguifhes the perfolata from perfonata, by faying that the former has leaves like thofe of the great gourd, but larger and more hairy. It is probable, therefore, that he diftingui flies under thefe two names, the two different fpecies of the great burdock common with us, the one with fimple, the other with woolly heads.
PESONATA, in botany, a name by which fome have ex- preffed the common great burdock. Bauhin, v. 3. p. in
PERSONATED-;W/-. See Personati, CycL
PERSPECTIVE {CycL}— Military Perspective, that where- in the eye is fuppofed to be infinitely remote from the table or plane.
PERSPICUITY, perfpkuitas, in rhetoric, is a principal virtue of ftile, to which all the ornaments and beauties of fpeech ought to give way.
A difcourfe is equally obfeured by too much concifenefs and profufenefs. (See Brachvlogy and Macrology.) Se- veral rhetorical figures arc likewife deftructive of perfpkuity. See Vo[f. Rhet. 1. +. c. 1. p. 30, feq.
PERSPIRATION (CycL)— Perflation is influenced by the paflions of the mind. Thus anger and joy increafe, and fear and fadnefs leffen both perforation and urine. Anger caufes a ftrong motion in the membranes of the heart, and quickens its contraction and dilatation, and thereby quickens the contraction and dilatation of the blood veflels and fecern- ing ducts, and of confequence increafes the difcharges of per- foration and urine ; and that more or lefs, in proportion to the flrength and continuance of the paflion. Joy affects thefe difcharges in Hke manner as anger. In the paifions of fear and forrow, perjpiration and urine are leffen- ed^ by the depreflion of the activity of the foul under thofe paflions. Dr Bry-an Robinjon of the Food and Difcharges of Hum. Bodies, p. 77, feq.
Th;
