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Sometimes they call Dice on a Table, whereon Verfes were wrote ; and that whereon the Dye lodg'd, contain'd the Pre- diction.
A third Manner was by opening a Book, and pitching on fome Verfe, at firlt Sight. This Method they particularly called the Sonet Prainejlinx ; and, afterwards, according to the Poet thus made ufe of, Sorter Homericai,Sortes Virgiliana!,ckc. SeeSoRTES.
RHAPSODY, in Antiquity, a Difcourfe in Verfe, fung or rehearfed by a Rhapfodift. See Rhapsodi.
Others will have Rhapfidy properly to (ignify a Colleaion of Verfes, efpecially thofe of Horner; which having been a long rime difperfed in Pieces and Fragments, were at length by Pifi- tratus's Order, digefted into Books, call'd Rhapfodies : From the Greek pwT», fuo, I few; and *h, Verie, Song.
Hence, among the Moderns, Rhapfidy is ufcd for an Affem- Mage of Paffages, Thoughts, and Authorities, raked together from divers Authors, to compofe fome new Piece— Lipfius's Politicks make fuch a Rhapfidy, wherein there is nothing ot the Author's own, but Conjunctions and Particles.
RHETORICIANS, a Seel of Hereticks in Egypt, denomi- nated from their Leader Rhetorius.
The diftinguiming Doflrine of this Herefiarch, as reprefented by Fhilajlrius, was, that h I approved of all the Herefies before him ; and taught that they were all in the right. What Philaftrius mentions of him appears fo abfurd and ridiculous that St. JLu- giipn, Hares, j. could not perfuade himfelf it was true.
RHETORIC, Rhetorica, the Art of fpeaking copioufly on any Subjefl, with all the Advantages of Beauty and Force. See Speaking.
My Lord Bacon defines Rhetoric, very PhilofoDhically, the Art of applying and addreiling the Dictates of Reafon to the Fancy, and of recommending them there, fo as to affea the Will and Dedres.— The End of Rhetoric, the fame Author obferves, is to fid the Imagination with Ideas and Images which may afiill Na- ture, without oppretling it.
Vojfius defines Rhetoric the Faculty of difcovering what every Subject affords of ufe for Perfualion. — Hence, as every Author muft invent Arguments to make his Subject prevail; diffofc thole Arguments thus found out in their proper Places; and give them the Embcllilhments of Language proper to the Subject; and, if his Difcouri'e be to be delivered in Publick, utter them with that Decency and Force which may ftrike the Reader : Rhetoric be- comes divided into four Parts, Invention, Difpoftion, Elocution, and Pronunciation; each whereof fee under its proper Head, In- vention, Disposition, Elocution, and Pronuntia- tion.
_ The Word is form'd from the Greek e\m, dim, I fpeak; whence <>rc"ep, Speaker, Orator, and perigttai.
Rhetoric and Oratory differ from each other as the Theory from the Praflice; the Rhetorician being he who prefcribes the Rules of Eloquence; and the Orator he who ufes them to Advantage; and (peaks Elegantly, &c— Ordinarily, however, the two are ufcd indifferently for each other. See Oratory.
RHEUM, a thin fcrous Humour, occafionally oozing out of the Glands about the Mouth and Throat. See Humour.
A Fluxion of Rheum, ufually happening after taking Cold, oc- calions Excoriations and Inflamations of the Fauces, Lungs, drc. SccTluxion and Defluxion.
Rheum is alio ufed for a Catarrh, or a Defluxion of fuch Hu- mours on the Trachea, and the neighbouring Parts ; occafioning a Coughing, Spitting, Hoarfenefs, Running at the Nofe. See Catarrh, Cough, Hoarseness, &c.
The Rheum is not caus'd by a Pituita falling from the Brain on thefe Parrs, as the Antients imagined, there being no Paflage from the Brain thither; but from a thin, fharp, ferous Humour, oozing out of the Extremities of the Glands of thefe Parts.
The moll ordinary Occafion of Rheums, is external Cold; ef- pecially the being expofed to it when the Body is much heated. —And hence the Diforder it felf is popularly call'd a Cold. See Cold.
Rheums falling on the Breaft, Lungs, &c. are dangerous ; others, not very violent, ferve to clear the Head, drc The ufual Re- medies are Aftringents, Agglutinants, and Abforbents. See Astringent, &c.
The Word is form'd from the Greek, (tu, fuo, I flow.
RHEUMATISM, in Medicine, a painful Diforder felt in va- rious Parts of the externa! Body, accompanied with Heavinefs, Difficulty of Motion, and frequently a Fever.
Or, a Rheumatifm is a Pain ufually wandering, but fometimes fix'd in rhe mufcular and membranous Parts of the Body ; hap- pening chiefly in Autumn.
The proper Scat of the Rheumatifm is fuppofed to be in the Mcmbrana Communis of the Mufcles; which it renders rigid and unfir for Motion without great Pain. See Membrane.
This Difeafe is either univerfal or particular. — Universal Rheu- matifm is that which attacks all the Parts of the Body, even the internal ones.
Particular Rheumatifm is that which is confined to particular Parts : In which Cafe the Pains are ufually eratic, palling from one Side to another; but fometimes fix'd, call'd alfo a windy and fcoibutic Rhtmnatifm.
The Rheumatifm bears a great Analogy to the Gout; whence fome call it the univerfal Gout.-Thc Difference between them conhfts in this, that the Rheumatifm attacks not only the Joints, as the Gout does, but alio the Mufcles and Membranes between tne Joints. See Gout.
A Fit of the Rheumatifm is frequently preceded by a Fever of two or three Days; and fometimes by a Shivering,— The At- tack happens in various Parts or the Body, as the Hands, Arms, Thighs, Legs, Feet, &c. a Rednefs, Swelling, and Lameuefs of- ten iiicceeding.
The Pain fometimes fixing on the Loins, and reaching as far as the Os Sacrum; the Diforder is call'd Lumbago ; and bears a near refemblance to the Nephritis; being only diftinguifhable therefrom by this, that the latter is artended with a Vomiting, which the former is not.
The Rheumatifm is fuppofed to arife from a fharp ferous Hu- mour thrown on the fenlible Parts, and occafioning a Pain by its Vefication— Dr. gtiincy (ays, it proceeds from the fame Caufe, as that whereby the mucilaginous Glands become ftifr and gritty in the Gout. See Gout.
Dr. Mujlrave takes it to be occafioned by a fharp alcaline Salt, rather than an acid one; from this Confideration, that the Urine ot Rheumatic People does not afford above a thirtieth Part of the Alcaline Salt found in that of healthful People.
Hence, he conjectures, that the Salt is retain'd in the Blood, implicated and embarrais'd in the Pituita; by which means it forms a Vifcidity which occahonsall the Pains and Tumours of the Rheumatifm.
The expoling of the Body too ftiddenly to the cold Air, after having heated it to a great Degree ; is the moft uluai remote Caufe. —The Cure is by Evacuation, chiefly, according to Sydenham, by repeated Phlebotomy, with a plentiful Uk of Volatiles and Diluters.
Schmitzius recommends Sudorificks; and Mufgrave, Cathar- ticks, and Emeticks.
It ufually proves a tedious, lading Difeafe ; holding forfeveral Months, fometimes Years; not continually but by Parox- ifms.
In aged Perfons, and thofe of weak Conftitutions, and de- cay'd Vifcera, it fometimes feizes the Head.
RHEXIS, or Rbegma, among Occuliils, a Rupture of the Cornea of the Eye. See Cornea.
The Word is form'd from the Greek f'«|«, rupture, of (fytofim, frango, I break.
RHIME, Rime, or Rhyme, in Poetry. See Rhymb.
RHINK-Land-Rod, in Fortification, &c, a Meafure of ten Foot, call'd alfo Decempeda, &c. See Measure, Foot, and Decempeda.
RHINE-Grvm?, in Germany, a Count Palatine of the Rhine. See Grave and Palatine.
RHODIUM Lignum, Rhodian-Wood. See Aspalathum.
RHODON, in Pharmacy, from ;•'*», Rofa; a Name given to fome Compositions wherein the Rofe is the chief Ingredient ; as Diarrhodon. See Diarrhodon, &c.
Hence alfo Rhodofeccharmn, q.d. Sugar of Rofis.gcc. SeeRosE.
RHOMBOIDES, in Geometry, a quadrilateral Figure, whofe Sides and Angles are unequal ; but the oppofite ones equal. See Figure.
Or, Rhomboides is a quadrilateral Figure, whofe oppofite Sides and Angles are equal ; but is neither equilateral nor equiangular.
Such is the Figure NOPQ_, {Tab. Geometry, Fig. 24..J
For the Method of rinding the Area ot a Rhomboides, fee Rhombus.
Rhomboides, in Anatomy, a Mufcle, thus called from its Fi- gure. See Muscle.
It lies under the Cucullaris, and arifes from the two inferior Spines of the Neck, and four fuperior of the Back ; and is in- ferred flefhy into the whole Brain of the Scapula, which it draws backwards, and a little upwards.
RHOMBUS, in Geometry, an obliquangular Parallelogram ; or a quadrilateral Figure, whofe Sides are equal and parallel; but the Angles unequal, two of the oppofite ones being obtufe, the other two acute. See Figure.
Such is the Figure ABCD, Tab. Geometry, Fig. 83.
To find the Area of a Rhombus, or Rhomboides.— Upon CD, which is here affumed as a Bale, let fall a perpendicular AE • which will be the Altitude of the Parallelogram : Multiply the Bafe by the Altitude, the Product is the Area.
Thus, if CD be = 455, and ADE = 234; the Area will be found 106704.
For it is demonftrated that an oblique angular Parallelogram is equal to a Rectangle upon the fame Bafe CD, and of the fame Altitude CE. (See Parallelogram.) But the Area of a Reflangle is equal to the Faflum of the Bafe into the Altitude. Therefore rhe Area of an obliquangular Triangle is equal to the fame. See Rectangle.
The Word is form'd of the Greek p'«'/w£os, of e^i», to in- compafs.
Rhombus, among Surgeons, is a fort of Bandage of a Rhom- boidal Figure. See Bandage.
RHOPALIC Verfes, among the Antients, a kind of Verfes 11 B which
