DRUMMOND. 47" DKTIPE. Coincrsation uith Wiltiuni Dntiiimo)!d. His verse, writteii not in the Scotcli, but in the standard Ensjlisli dialect, comprises an elegj- on the death of Prince Henry, son of James L, entitled Tears on the Death of Meliudes (1G13); Poems (1610), in wiiicli are some of his choicest pieces; and Forth Feasting (1617), in honor of James I.'s visit to Scotland. Though Dniminond's verse is commonly laden with learn- ing and the conceits of the time, he had a rare command over dillicult metres, and many of his sonnets and madrigals are very beautiful. A Cypress Grore (1623), an essay on death, is a remarkable piece of prose, comparable to the I'm Burial of Sir Thomas Browne. He also wrote political tracts, and a history of Scotland from 1424 to 1542. His Poems, edited, with memoir, by ard. were published in two ^■olumes (London, 1894). For his Life, consult Masson (London, 1873). DRUMMOND, Sir Wn.LlAJi ( 1770?-1828) . An English diplomat and scholar. In 1796 and 1801 he was a member of Parliament, and at different times was sent on diplomatic missions to Naples and Constantinople. He published A Jieview of the (lorernment of Sparta and Athens (1795); Origines or Remarks on the Origin of Several Empires, States, and Cities (1824-29); and the CEdipus Judaieus (1811), an attempt to explain some of the Old Testament narratives as astronomical allegories. DRUMMOND ISLAND. An island forming a part of Cliippcwa County, Jtiehigan (Map: Michigan, K 3). It lies in Lake Huron, and is the most westerly of the Manitoulin group, being about 40 miles east-northeast of Mackinaw. It is 20 miles long, and 10 miles wide at the widest place. DRUMMOND LIGHT, Calcium Light, or LlME-LiGHT. The intense brilliant light that is produced «hen an oxy-hydrogen flame is directed against lime. The light was invented by Capt. Thomas Drummond (q.v.). who constructed an apparatus for the use of this light in the trigo- nometrical survey of Great Britain. In the pro- duction of the light, minute portions of the lime become volatilized by the intense heat. The cylinder of lime must, therefore, be kept slowly rotating by means of a clockwork, so that a new surface may be continually presented to the flame. Ordinary illuminating gas is often sub- stituted for the hydrogen, the oxygen being sup- plied to the gas-flame in a highly compressed state. Magnesia, zirconia. and other earths have the similar property of becoming incandescent when heated. The Drummond light and the light obtained by strongly heating other metallic oxides than that of calcium are employed in magic lanterns, in photography, in illuminating the roadway during processions, etc. DRUNKENNESS (AS. dnmcennes. from druneen, p.p. of drinean, Icel. drekka, Goth, drig- kan, OHG. trinehan. Ger. trinken. to drink). The mental and physical condition resulting from excessive drinking of intoxicating liquors. Its effect upon the contractual capacity of its victim is the same as that of insanity. In Lord Coke's time it was understood to be no ground for avoid- ing a contract. "As for ,a drunkard." declares Lord Coke, "who is voluntariris dwmon. he hath no privilege thereby." Such is not the legal rule today. It is now settled, in accordance with the dictates of good sense and common justice, tnat a contract made by a person so destitute of reason as not to know the consecpiences of his agreement, though his incompetency he i)roduced by voluntary drunkenness, is voidable at his option. Drunkenness can rarely be pleaded as a de- fense in an action of tort (q.v.). It is said that there is no reported case in England warranting the view that it is ever so avoidal)le. In the United States there is judicial authority, however, for the admission of this plea when the tort com- plained of involves a special intent on the part of the defendant. Civil misconduct of that sort does not often come before the courts, and in the great majority of tort actions, such as those for assault and battery, for defamation, for negli- gence, and for trespass to land, the drunkenness of the wrongdoer has been held not to constitute a defense. In criminal law the general rule is well settled that drunkenness is not a justification or excuse for crime. To hold otherwise, it has been judi- cially declared, would be dangerous to and sub- versive of the public welfare. Still, when an essential ingredient of the crime with which a prisoner is charged is the doing an act with a specific intent — as in entering a house by night with intent to commit larceny, or in assaulting a female with intent forcibly to ravish — the drunkenness of tlic actor may be taken into ac- count by the jury in determining whether he acted with that specific intent. If the jury believe that he was so drunk as to be incapable of forming such specific intent, they should acquit him of the offense charged. In and by itself considered, drunkenness is not a legal offense, though drunken conduct in public may amount to a common nuisance, and is often made a statutory offense, punishable by simimary arrest, fine, and imprisonment. When habitual it may also render the drunkard liable to a judicial inquisition, followed by the appointment of a committee or trustees to take the guardianship of him and his property, if he be found to be incapable of managing his own affairs. (See Ix.sanitt; Lunacy.) Consult: Kent, Commentaries on American Law; Polloek, Principles of Contract in Lair and hi Equity (2d American ed.. G. H. Wald, editor, Cincinnati, 1885) ; Bishop, Commentaries on Non-Contract Law (Boston. 1889) ; Woodruff. Cases on Do- mestic Relations and the Laic of Persons, part v. (Xew York. 1897). See Alcohol, Physiologi- cal AND Poisonous Action of; Alcoholism;; Dipsomania; Intoxication; Temperance. DRUNKEN PARLIAMENT, The. A name given to the Scottish Parliament of 1661. the members of which were accused of constant <lrunkenness. Bv one act it annulled the acts of the Parliaments preceding it for twenty-eight years, and brought about the upheaval of the whole Scotch Church system. DRXTPE ( Fr., from Lat. drupa, Gk. Spinira, drijppa. overripe olive, from Jpujreinjs, drgpepfs, ripened on the tree, from Upvt. drt/s. tree -^ Tr(ir- THV, peplein. to cook, or SpuTrer^s, drt/pctes, fall- en from the tree, from SpOs. drys. tree + x/TTTeix, piptein. to fall). A stone-fruit, in which the ovary wall, in forming the pericarp, develops an outer fleshy layer and an inner stonj' or bony
