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The Word is alfo ufed for the Pieces of a fraclured Bone.
SPLICE ; at Sea they fay, a Cable or Rope is Spliced, when the Ends of two Pieces being untwilled, the feveral Strands are wrought into one another by a Fidd. Alfo when an Eye is to be made at the End of a Rope, the Ends of the Strands, are, by a Fidd, drawn into the Ends of the other Ropes Strands 5 and this is call'd a Spice.
To Splice among Gardeners, is to graft the Top of one Tree into the Stock of another, by cutting them floping, and fattening them together. See Engrafting.
SPODIUM, in Pharmacy, a kind of Calx or Arties, efteem'd an excellent Cardiac, and held to have the fame Virtues with Coral.
The Spodium of the ancient Greeks, was a kind of Afhes found on the Hearths of Furnaces wherein Brafs was made; call'd by them cn'ohoy, q. d. Cinis.
That of the^rato;/Phyficians, as Avicenna and others, was made of the burnt Roots of Rufhes and Reeds.
The Moderns make their Spodium of Ivory burnt and calcined to a Whiteneis, J Tis fometimes counterfeited, by burning Bullocks or Dogs-bones ; but thefe are of no Value.
The Anri-Spodium, which the Ancients fubftituted for their Spodium, was made of Myrtle-Leaves, Galls and fome other Ingredients, calcined.
SPOILS, whatever is taken from an Enemy in War.
Among the Greeks, the Spoil 1 ; were divided in common among the whole Army 5 only the Generals Quota was the biggeft.
By the Military Difcipline of the Romans, the Spoils belong'd to the Republick; particular Perfons had no Title to them; and each of the Generals, as valuing themfelves on their Probity, always carried them to the Publick Treafury. Sometimes, indeed, the Pillage was diftributed by the Ge- neral among the Soldiery, to encourage them, or to reward them: But this was not done without a world of Prudence and Refervednefs, otherwife it came under the Crime of tpecnlatus.
The Confuls Romulus and Vetur'ms, were condemn'd for having fold the Spoils taken from the Mqui, Livy, lib. 8.
SPONDAULES, in Antiquity, a Player of the Flute, or other Wind Instrument of that Kind, who, during the Offering of Sacrifice, performed fome luitable Air in the Prieft's Ear to prevent the hearing of any Thing that might diftracl: him, orlefTen his Attention. See Sacrifice.
The Word is form'd from the Greek o-a-opcTw, Libation, and «Vaw, Flute.
SPONDEE, SPONDvEUS, in the Greek and Latin Profody, a Foot of a Verfe confiding of two long Syllables; as Vertunt. See Foot and Quantity.
The Spondee is a grave Meaiure : All Greek and Latin Hexameters end with a Spondee. See Verse and Measure.
There are alfo Spondee or Spondaic Verges j that is, Verles compofed wholly of Spondees, or at leaft that end with Two Spondees, as,
Conftitit clique oculis IP&rggia agmina circumfpexit.
SPONDYLUS, a Term anciently ufed for a Vertebra of tbc Spina 2)orfi t See Vertebra, &c.
SPONGE. See Spunge.
SPONGIOSA, in Anatomy, an Epithet given to feveral Partsof the Body, from theirTexture, which is Porous and Cavernous, like that of the Spunge ; as
Corpora Spongiofa 'Penis, call'd alfo Corpora Cavemofa and Nervofa. SeeCAvERNosA Corpora.
Ojjh Spongiofa of the Nofe, called zlfoOfJaTurbinata, and C^^/ora^C^^SeeTuRBlNATAO^^andCRIBRIFORME.
SPONTANEOUS, in the Schools, a Term applied to fuch Motions of the Body and Mind as we perform of our ielves, without any Conftraint. «
Thus, in Morality, thofe Actions preform'd from an in- ward and natural Principle, conformable to the Inclination of Nature, excluding all Conftraint, but not excluding Ne- ceffity, are called Spontaneous AtlionS. See Necessity. ^ In Medicine, an Evacuation effected without any Applica- tion for thatpurpofe, is call'd a Spontaneous Evacuation, And a Laffitude or Wearinefs, not occafioned by any preceding Fatigue, is call'd a Spontaneous Wearinefs.
The Word is form'd from the Latin Adverb, Sponte, of one's own accord.
'Tis held a grievous and dangerous Error, with regard both to Religion and Morality, to hold that human Liberty only confifts in a Spontaneity : M. le Clerc has been very harfh!y treated, for making St. Auguftin of this Opinion. See Liherty.
Spontaneous Generation. See Equivocal Generation.
SPOONING : In the Sea Language, when a Ship being under Sail, in a Storm at Sea, cannot" bear it ; but is forced to put right before the Wind ; then the Seamen fay, flie Spams ^ and when in fuch a Cafe, there is Danger left fhe ihould bring her Mafts by the Board, with her rolling about or feel under Water, and fo founder, they ufually fet up
the Fore-fail to make her go the {readier, efpecially if ^crt be Sea-room enough 5 and this they call Spooning with the Fore-fail.
SPORADES, in Aftronomy, a Name the Ancients o ave to fuch Stars as were not included in any Conftellation. See Star.
Thefe, the Moderns more ufually call Informes. See Informes.
Many of the SporadeS of the Ancients have been face form'd into new Confteilations, E.gr. Of thofe between Zto and Urfa Major, Hevelius has form'd a Conftellation, call'd Leo Minor ; of thofe between Urfa Minor and Auriga, an- other Conftellation called Lynx 5 of thofe under the Tail of Urfa Major, another call'd Cams venatics, eifc. See Co^.
STELLATION.
SPORADIC, in Medicine, an Epithet given to fuch Difeafes as have fome fpecial or particular Caufe, and are difperfed here and there, regarding particular Confutations, Ages, or other Circumftances. See Disease.
Sporadic ftand in Oppofition to Epidemic Difeafes, which. are thofe arifing from a general Caufe, and that are common to all Kinds of Peribns, of what Complexion and Quality foever. See Epidemic.
The Word is form'd from the Greek a-nopas, difperfed, fpread, £jfo
SPORTULA, in Antiquity, a Dole, or Largefs, either of Meat or Money, given by Princes or great Men, to the People, or the Poor.
The Sportula was properly the Panicr, or Basket wherein the Meat was brought, or wherewith the Poor went to beg it ; thence the Word was transferred to the Meat itfelf; and thence to Money fbmetimes given in lieu of it.
Sportula was frequently uted in Oppofition to ReBa cam, a plentiful Meal ; as in Martial,
(promijfa eft nobis Sportula retla data,
St. Cyprian calls Sportulantes Fratres, fuch Clergymen as then received Gifts for their Maintenance, like our Pre* bends.
SPOTS, in Aftronomy, dark Places, obferved on the Disks or Faces of the Sun and Moon. See Sun and Moon.
The Spots in the Sun are only vifible through a Telef- cope; Some diftingui fh them into Macule or dark Spots, and Faculie or bright Spots ; but there feems little Founda- tion for any fuch Divifion. See Macule andFAcuLJE.
The Solar Spots have not been long obferved. They are very changeable, as to Number, Form, £«fc. are fbmetimes in a Multitude, and fometimes none at all.
Some imagine they may become fb numerous, as to hide the whole Face of the Sun ; at leaft the greateft part of it; And to this, afcribe what ^Phitarch tells us, vim. That in the Firft Tear of the Reign of Auguftus, the Sun's Light was 16 faint and obfeure, that one might look fteadily at it with the nakedEye. See Eclipse.
To which Kepler adds, That in 1547, the Sun appeared reddifli, as when viewed through a thick Miff. 5 and hence conjectures, That the Spots in the Sun are a kind of dark Smoaks or Clouds floating on the Surface thereof. Others will have them Stars or Planets tranfiting the Body of the Sun. But 'tis much more probable they are opake Bodies, in manner of Crufts, form'd like the Scums on the Surface of Liquors. See Sun.
The Lunar Spots are fix'd. Some will have them the Shadows of the Mountains, or uneven Places of the Moon's Body 5 but their Conftancydifcredits this Opinion. The more general and probable Opinion is, That the Spots in the Moon, are Seas, Lakes, Moraffes, &c. which abfbrbing Part of the Sun's Rays refle£f. the fewer to us ; fo as to appear in form of dark Spots : Whereas the earthy Parts, by reafon of their Solidity, reflect, all their Light, and thus appear perfectly bright. M. Hartfoeker has another Opinion, and takes the Spots in the Moon, many of them at leaft, for Forefts, Groves, &c. the Leaves and Branches whereof, intercept the Rays reflected from the Ground, and fend them elfewhere. The Aftronomers reckon about 48 Spots on the Moon'* Face; toeach whereof, they have given Names. The 21" is one of rhe moft confiderable, and is called Tycho.
Planetary Spots : Aftronomers find that the Planets are not without their Spots. Jupiter, Mars and Venus, when viewed through a Telefcope, fhew feveral very remarkable ones; and it is by the Motion of thefe Spots, that we con- clude the Rotation of the Planets round their Axes, in the fame Manner as that of the Sun is deduced from the Mot' on of his Macule. See Planet, Sun, ££?c.
SPOUT, or 7-tor-SPOUT, in Natural Hiftory, an ex- traordinary Meteor, or Appearance, at Sea, and fometimes at Land, very dangerous to Ships, &C. ofteneft obferved in n ° f * dry Weather ; call'd by the Latins, Typho, and 5$&\ b ? the French, Trompe, &c. See Meteor.
Its firft Appearance is in form of a deep Cloud, the upper Fart whereof is White, and the lower Black. Frem the
lower
