Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 04.djvu/334

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GENTILES 282 GEOFFROY ST. HILAIRE of gentian), Infusum gentianie composi- tum, Mistura gentianse (gentian mix- ture), and Tinctura gentianse eomposita (compound tincture of gentian). Gen- tian is a bitter stomachic tonic, which improves the appetite and gives tone to the stomach. GENTILES, in Scripture, all the na- tions of the world, excepting the Jews. In the Old Testament it is the rendering of the Hebrew word g'om^: peoples, na- tions, the plural of goi — a nation, a people. At first it was used as a mere ethnological word, and quite respectfully, but as the Jews became more conscious of their privileges they employed it more and more scornfully of the nations around (Gen. x: 5; Isa. Ixvi: 19; Jer. xiv: 22). In the New Testament Gentiles is the rendering of the Greek ethne^the plural of ethnos = a number of people living together, a nation. St. Peter, moved by a vision, was the first of the Twelve to preach to the Gentiles (Acts X.), but the apostle of the Gentiles was St. Paul (Gal. ii: 8). GENUFLEXION, the act of bending the knees in worship. There are frequent allusions to genuflexion in the Old and New Testaments, and it would appear that the use was continued among the early Christians. Genuflexion obtains, both by rule and prescription, in various places in the offices of the Roman Catholic Church, and at different parts of the services of the Church of Eng- land. GENUNG, JOHN FRANKLIN, an Amercian educator; born in Willseyville, N. Y., Jan. 27, 1850; was graduated at Union College in 1870 and at the Rochester Theological Seminary in 1875; became Professor of Rhetoric in Am- herst College. His publications include "Tennyson's 'In Memoriam,' Its Pur- poses and Its Structure"; "Practical Ele- ments of Rhetoric"; "Handbook of Rhe- torical Analysis"; "Outlines of Rhet- oric"; "Study of Rhetoric in the College Course"; "Words of Koheleth" (1904) "The Idylls and the Ages" (1907) ; "Guide Book to Biblical Literature" (1916). He died in 1919. GENUS, a class, a kind, a species. In logic, a class of objects containing several species; a class more extensive than a species; a universal which is predicable of several things of different species. In music, sort or class, es- pecially used with reference to scales; as, the diatonic, chromatic, and enhar- monic genera (plural). In zoology and botany, an assemblage of species or of sub-genera closely agreeing together in all essential characteristics, not found in any others of the sub-family or family to which they belong. It may be divided into sub-genera. Among animals, Mus is a genus containing, among other ani- mals, both the domestic mouse and the rat, which, differing in size, etc., and being clearly distinct species, have still a community of structure obvious to all. So also among plants, the various species of the rose constitute the genus Rosa. In the Latin name of a plant or animal adopted by naturalists, the first word in- dicates the genus, and the second the species : as, Mus musculus, Rosa spino- sissina. In other sciences, sometimes a classification like that adopted by natura- lists is used. Thus, of skin diseases there is a genus Acne with various species, A. simplex, A. rosacea, etc. GENZANO (jen-za'no), a town of Italy, on the Via Appia, 16 miles S. E. of Rome, near the lake of Nemi. It contains the Cesarina palace, and is noted for its annual flower festival, held on the eighth day after Corpus Christi, which attracts many visitors. GEODESY (-od'e-si), that branch of applied mathematics which determines, by means of observations and measure- ments, the figures and areas of large portions of the earth's surface, or the general figure and dimensions of the earth ; that branch of surveying in which the curvature of the earth is taken into account. This becomes necessary in all extensive operations. GEOFFREY OF MONMOUTH, a famous English chronicler; born prob- ably in Monmouth about 1100. He was the author of a famous chronicle or his- tory of the first British kings, often quoted by men of letters and remarkable for its curious legends. Geoffrey was successively archdeacon of Monmouth and bishop of St. Asaph. He died in Llandaff in 1152 or 1154. GEOFFROY ST. HILAIRE, ETIENNE (zho-frwa' san-tg-lar'), a French natur- alist; born in "Etampes, France, April 15, 1772. He was educated at the col- leges of Navarre and Lemoine. At the age of 21 he obtained the chair of zoology in the Parisian Jardin des Plantes. As a member of the Egyptian expedition in 1798 he founded the Institute of Cairo, and returned about the end of 1801 with a rich collection of zoological specimens. In 1807 he was made a member of the Institute, and in 1809 Professor of Zoology at the Faculty of Science. He devoted himself especially to the philoso- phy of natural history. Among his principal works are: "The Principle of Unity in Organic Composition"; "Phil- osophy of Anatomy"; "Natural History