P U L
PUL
are thefe: the flower confifts of one leaf, and is funn'el- faftiioned, and divided into many fegments at the edges. The mouth is wide, and refembles a fort of bafin. The cup is tu- bular, and ufually of a pentangular form, and divided into five fegmems. From this arifes a piftil, which is fixed in the man- ner ot a nail to the lower part of the flower, and is furround- ed by four embryos, which afterwards ripen into lb many leeds, which are contained in the enlarged cup. Ts-rn. Inft.
P- *3 6
The fpecies of pu'trmaria, enumerated by Mr. Tournefort are thefe : r. The common fpotted-leaved pulmonaria, re- fembling buglofs. i. The common broad-leaved white-flower- ed pulmonaria. 3. The blue-flowered Alpine pulmonaria, with foft and round ifh leaves 4. The plain-leaved not fpotted pul- monaria, 5. The ecbium-leaved pulmonaria. 6. The white- flowered pulmonaria, with echium leaves. 7. The red-flower- ed echium-Ieaved pulm-nar'ia. 8. The blue-flowered, echium- leaved pulmonaria. g. The narrow-leaved Alpine pnlmonaria. ic. The foft pulmonaria, with the ftrawberry fmell. i 1. The annual Cretic pulmonaria, with bladder cups. 12. The pul- monaria, with roundifh, plain, green, not fpotted leaves. The figure of the flower-cup is what principally difi'mguifhei the pulmonaria from the buglofs, &c. and the plants of it may be ufually known when not in flower, by their long, rough, and not divided leaves, which in almoft all the fpecies are fpotted, fo as to refemble the tabid lungs of an animal, whence it had its name. Tourn. Inft. p. 137.
The common fpotted pubnonaria, or, as we vulgarly call it, fage rf Jemfalcm, is eftecmed an excellent medicine in many of the difordcrs of the lungs. It has been known to do great fervice in fpittings of blood, and ftands greatly recommended, externally ufed, as a confolidator and healer of old ulcers, as well as frefh wounds.
PULSATILLA, pafque-foive'-, in botany, the name of a genus of plants, the characters of which are thefe : the flower is of the rofaceous kind, confuting of (cveral leaves difpofed in a circular form. The piftil arifes from the center of the flower, and is furrounded byftamina. The piftil becomes at length a fruit, to which there are fixed a number of feeds, each of which terminates in a {lender filament. The pit fatilla has, like the anemone, a regular fet of leaves growing from one part of the fralk under the flower ; but differs from it in having its feed naked, and terminated by the long filament juft mentioned. The fpecies of pufatilla, enumerated by Mr. Tournefort, are thefe: 1. The purple pulfatilla, with thick leaves and a large flower. 2. The double violet-coloured pulfatilla, with fim- briated flowers. 3. The marfh pulfatilla, with more finely divided le ives and fmaller flowers. 4. The finely divided-leaved or marfh pulfatilla, with paler coloured flowers. 5. The pul- fatilla with fmall blackim flowers. 6. The fmallage-leaved fpring pulfatilla, with larger flowers. 7. The fmallage -leaved fpring pulfatilla, with ("mailer flowers. 8. The fmallage- leaved autumnal pulfatilla. 9. The roundifli-leaved pulfatilla. 10. The pulfatilla with red, obtufe-Ieaved flowers. 1 1. The white-flowered pufatilla. 12. The double white Pyrenean pulfatilla. 13. The celeri-leaved yellow-flowered pulfatilla. 14. The wild parfnep-Ieaved yellow pulfatilla. 15. The yel- low rough-leaved Alpine pulfatilla. Tourn. Inft. p. 284.
PULSA I OR, a name given by fome writers to that fpecies of beetle, commonly known among us by the name of the death- watch, and about which fo many fuperftitious fancies pre- vail.
The manner of the creature's making its noi^e is this: it lifts itfelf up on its hind legs, and fome what extending, or ra- ther inclining its neck, ftrikesdown its face withgreat ftrength and agility, upon any fubftance on which it happens to be placed. It is often found on the matted bottoms of old chairs, and ieems to ufe the motion which makes this noife, in order to get its food. It is ufually found ftanding on a part of the fedge where the outer covering is off, and the pithy part ex- poled ; and it ufually works at the fide or edge of this place, in order to the getting oft' moie of the outer bark. Where it is found there are ufually fevcral of thefe bald places in the fedge, which feem to have been places where it was before employed in getting its food. Every ftroke the creature gives may be (ten to have a fenfible effect upon the fedge, and where it ftrikes a found part, the impretfion is feen to be a dent as large as a filver penny.
The creature is called by fome fcarrabam gakatus, from a ■fort ot galea, or helmet, which it wears. It is about a quarter of an inch long, and is of a Juflcy brown colour. Its helmet is very broad in comparifoh of its bulk, and when the creature is at reft, it draws in its head under this covering.
PULSE {('yd.) — it is certain that the climate will alter the pulfe of perfons, and on this is founded the obfervation of puljes being naturally various in the people of different nations. The puljes of Frenchmen are faid to be more equal and quick, and thofe of the Briiifh, Dutch, and Germans, more irregu- lar and uncertain; and this is to be jointly attributed to the air of the country, and to the manner of living. in general, the higher and nearer the fun b, the quicker is the p^lfe ; and the lower and farther off, the flower. In rainy feafons, the pulfe is more free and quick, becaufe of the {"mailer prcilure of the atroofphere. It is more impetuous in
the fpring; more equal after a quiet fleep ; weak and uncer- tain in men very intent upon bufinels.
Melancholy renders the fu'fe extremely inconftant, probably through the great thoughtfulnefs of fuch men ; in bilious tempers it is high and ftrong; in Cinguine, more equal and re- gular than in airy : in the phlegmatic, equal enough';; but more flow: ill children, efpecially infants, the fulfe is very fmall ; and in old men it is extremely uncertain : in glutonous people it is dull and flow, unlefs by drinking it is made {tum- bling and vertiginous : this fort of pulfe alfo frequency fore- tells hidden death By too fparing a diet it becomes fmall and flow, and always abates upon fafting. By the pafiions the pulfe may be alfo greatly altered ; but moft of all by fear, joy, and anger. In fevers the pulfe is varied according to the beginning, heighth, and declination. In fcorbutic and hyfter'ic perfons it is very uncertain: in hydropical peribns it is much ftopped and interrupted by ftagnant humors: in the gout it is free and expedite : in the plague, as in the afthma, it is mightily oppreiled, unlefs freed by the hot fit. In general, any variation of the pulfe certainly denotes fome alteration in the habit of the body.
The pulfe is unequal either in regard to time or ftrength ; that is, it either ftrikcs!quicker and flower, or ftronger and weaker. The firft is common in moft acute diftempers, and does not threaten any immediate danger; but the latter, both in acute and chronic cafes, is always a dangerous fymptom : very often it is the forerunner of death, which happens two or three days after this is firft obferved. It is faid to be interrupted when the ftrokes are much fmaller and weaker than at other times, or their intervals much greater. This firft fhews a great decay of ftrength ; and the latter, which i , as it were, a ceffation for a time, denotes approaching palfies, apoplexies, and the like terrible diftempers, and fometimes death itfelf The intenfe pulje is when the ftroke is very hard, the parts being, as it were, upon the bent ; or elfe this ftrength is made up by the multiplicity and frequency of lefs mications, as in the heighth of acute fevers.
The rcmifs pulfe has ftrokes lefs quick and ftrone, and in fick- nefs fliews more danger than the other. The fuperficial pulft (hews an exact temperament of body, as alfo a free and eafy temper of mind.
The deep fulfe {hews a difpofit'ion to melancholy, afthmas, and lethargies, and is more frequent in the aged than in younf people.
The leaping pulfe often {hews no great danger, but the tremb- ling pulfe is ufually a fatal fymptom, after which very few people recover.
But of all others the wandering pulfe is the moft terrible and fatal ; this is felt fometimes in one part of the artery, and fometimes in another, and fometimes in no part at all. This is a certain fore-runner of death, and that ufually very fpccdily following; and if great power in nature gives a Ihort reprieve after this, it it only a very fhort relief. Abercromb. de variat. Pulfus.
The pulfe has been obferved to beat fatter in perfons electrified. Phil. Tranf. N J . 478. p. ^9. See Electricity., Cyd.
PULS1LOGIUM, a name given by authors to a puiie-watch, or inftrument to meafure the celerity of the pulfe. Sanctorius was the firft inventor of this machine; but feveral have fince fpoke very largely in praifc of it, and Sir John Kloyer wrote a trcatlfc on this fubjedt.
PULSUS latus. See Laths pulfus.
PULVERATICUM, in Roman antiquity, the fee paid to fur- veyors for their trouble ; alfo a fum exacted from the provincial cities by their garrifons. Pitif. in voc.
PUL VILLUS, in furgery, a term ufed to exprefs a little pled^et- bolfter, or comprefs.
PULVINARIA, in Roman antiquity, cufhions upon which the ftatues of the gods were laid in the temples, at the time that thanks were given for fome fignal victory. Danet in voc.
PULVIS (Cyd.)—?VLvisebohco7?ipo/itus,a powder prefcribed in the late London pharmacopcea, and intended to be ufed in the place of &eccnfe£?io Fracajiorii or diafcordiwn. It being fup- pofed that this medicine was by its author meant as an alexi- pharmic, and being now principally ufed as an aftrin^ent, it was thought neceflary to make this'feparate medicine. t his powder is compofed of bole armenic, half a pound; cin- namon, four ounces ; and torment! II-root and gum arabic, of each three ounces, made together to a powder. Pemberton's Lond. Difp. p. 31 1.
Pulvis bezoarticus, the name given in the late London difpenfa- tury to the powder commonly called Gafcoigrispowdc. This is now ordered to be made only of crab's claws, one pound ; prepared pearls and red coral, of each three ounces ; and oriental bezoar, an ounce, The amber and hartftiorn are left out of the compofition, as improper or inefficacious in- gredients; and the whole ordered to be kept alfo without the bezoar, and called by the name of pulvis e chelis eancrorum cmn- po/itus, the name the Gafeoigne's powder ufed to be known by. Peinbeitm'sljond, Difp p. 313.
Pulvis e cerufja, a medicine prescribed in the late London phar- macopcea, in the place of the white troches of Rhafes or Razi. See Troche.
The late compofttions of that medicine had been much more
com-
