The babe that milks me:

I would, while it was smiling in my face,
Have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums.
Shakspeare.

As his foe, went then suffised away, Thoas Etolius threw a dart, that did his pile convey Above his nipple, through his lungs. Chapman. In creatures that nourish their young with milk, are adapted the nipples of the breast to the mouth and organs of suction. Ray on the Creation. In most other birds there is only one gland, in which are divers little cells ending in two or three larger cells, lying under the nipple of the oil bag.

Derham's Physico-Theology.

NIPPLE-WORT, in botany. See LAPSANA. NISAN, a month of the Hebrew kalendar, answering to our March, and which sometimes takes from February to April, according to the course of the moon. It was the first month of the sacred year, after the Exodus from Egypt (Exod. xii. 2), and the seventh of the civil year. By Moses it is called Abib. The name Nisan was used only from the time of Ezra, and the return from the captivity of Babylon. On the 1st of this month the Jews fasted for the death of Aaron's sons. (Lev. x. 1, 2, 3). On the 10th was a fast for Miriam the sister of Moses; and every one provided himself with a lamb for the passover. On this day the Israelites passed over Jordan under the conduct of Joshua (iv. 19). On the 14th, in the evening, they sacrificed the paschal lamb; and on the 15th was held the solemn passover. (Exod. xii. 18, &c.) On the 16th they offered the sheaf of the ears of barley as the first-fruits of the harvest. (Levit. xxiii. 9, &c.) The 21st was the octave of the passover, which was solemnised with particular ceremonies. The 26th was a fast in memory of the death of Joshua. On this day they began their prayers to obtain the rains of the spring. On the 29th they commemorated the fall of the walls of Jericho.

NISCHNEI-NOVGOROD, or NISHEGOROD, an extensive government of European Russia, situated in the centre of the empire, to the east of that of Vladimir. It lies between 41° 45′ and 46° 15′ E. long., and 54° and 57° N. lat., and has an area of 20,400 square miles. Its surface is diversified only by slight undulations, and it has a productive soil, and temperate climate. Corn, hemp, and cattle, are the great agricultural objects; fishing in the rivers and lakes, and the manufactures, employ great numbers of the population. Leather, soap, tallow, and canvas, are not neglected. This province is traversed by the Vetluga, the Sura, the Wolga, and the Oka; the two last affording a direct communication by water, both with Moscow and St. Petersburg. This government is divided into eleven circles, and contains 1,000,000 inhabitants.

NISCHNEI-NOVGOROD, i. e. Lower-Novgorod, a large commercial town of European Russia, the see of an archbishop, and the capital of the government of this name, is situated at the confluence of the Oka and Wolga. The position at the junction of two large navigable rivers has caused its trade to be cultivated by a greater portion of the inhabitants than any other town of Russia, so that it has been called the inland harbour of the empire. The chief branch of traffic is that which it carries on with St. Petersburg in

Siberian wares; but it has also an extensive commerce in salt, corn, and provisions. Here is a great depot of salt-works; both of this and of the adjoining province of Perm. The dweland warehouses are more substantial. This town ling-houses are generally of wood, but the shops has a seminary and high school; manufactures of thread and ropes, with breweries and distilleries. Since 1816 the large fair of Makariev has been held here. Population 10,000. 250 miles E. N. E. of Moscow, and 540 E. S. E. of Petersburg.

NISHAPOUR, an ancient, and once celebrated city of Persia, in horassan, known in the times of Alexander the Great, whose statue stood here until it was overthrown by the Arabs. It disputed with Meru Shah Jehan the character of being the capital of the Seljukian dynasty, during its reign over Persia; and, about the middle of the twelfth century, was taken by the Tartars, and so completely ruined, that, when the inhabitants returned, they could not distinguish their own houses. Hakani, the Persian poet of that period, has affectingly described the lamentable condition to which this unhappy place was reduced. It never recovered from this blow, but now contains above 15,000 inhabitants. ruins are said to cover a circuit of twenty-five miles. The most delicious fruits are produced in the neighbourhood. Thirty miles south of Mesched, and 230 north-east of Herat.

Its

NISI PRIUS, n. s. In law, a judicial writ, which lieth in case where the inquest is panelled and returned before the justices of the bank; the one party or the other making petition to have this writ for the ease of the country. It is directed to the sheriff, commanding that he cause the men impanelled to come before the justices in the same county, for the determining of the cause there, except it be so difficult that it need great deliberation in which case it is sent again to the bank. It is so called from the first words of the writ nisi apud talem locum prius venerint; whereby it appeareth that justices of assizes and justices of nisi prius differ. So that justices of nisi prius must be one of them before whom the cause is depending in the bench, with some other good men of the county associated to him.-Cowell.

NISIBIS, in ancient geography, a very ancient, noble, and strong city of Mesopotamia, in Mygdonia towards the Tigris, from which it is distant two days' journey. Some ascribe its origin to Nimrod, and suppose it to be the Achad of Moses. It was built by a colony of Macedonians, who call it Antiochia of Mygdonia.-Plutarch. Strabo says it was situated at the foot of Mount Masius. It was the Roman bulwark against the Parthians and Persians. It sustained three memorable sieges against the power of Sapor, A. D. 338, 346, and 350; but the emperor Jovianus, by an ignominious peace, delivered it up to the Persians, A. D. 363.

NISROCH, a god of the Assyrians. Sennacherib was killed by two of his sons, while paying his adoration to this god. (2 Kings xix. 37.) The septuagint calls him Mesrach; Josephus calls him Araskes. The Hebrew of Tobit, pub

shed by Munster, calls him Da on. Some

think the word signifies a dove; others understand by it an eagle, which has given occasion to an opinion, that Jupiter Belus, from whom the Assyrian kings pretended to be derived, was worshipped by them under the form of an eagle, and called Nisroch.

NISSOLIA, in botany, a genus of the decandria order, and diadelphia class of plants; natural order thirty-second, papilionaceæ : CAL. quinque dentate: CAPS. monospermous, and terminated by a ligulated wing.

NISUS, the son of Hyrtacus, a young Trojan, who accompanied Eneas to Italy. He was united in the closest friendship with Euryalus. They signalised themselves in the war with the Rutulians; went into their camp in the night and committed great slaughter; but, returning victorious, were perceived and killed by the Rutulians. Their friendship became proverbial.

NISUS, in fabulous history, a king of Megara, son of Mars, or of Pandion, whose life and success depended on a yellow lock of his hair not being cut. Minos, king of Crete, besieged Megara. Scylla the daughter of Nisus, being in love with Minos, cut off the fatal lock while her father was asleep. Megara was taken; Minos despised the parricide, who threw herself in despair into the sea, and was changed into a lark, while Nisus was metamorphosed into a hawk. Hence the poets traced the antipathy of these birds.

NIT, n. s. Sax. pnitu. The egg of NITTY, adj. a louse, or small animal: nitty, NITTILY, adv. abounding in nits. One Bell was put to death at Tyburn for moving a new rebellion; he was a man nittily needy, and therefore adventurous. Hayward.

The whame, or burrel-fly, is vexatious to horses in summer, not by stinging them, but only by their bombylious noise, or tickling them in sticking their

nits, or eggs, on the hair.

Derham.

NITHISDALE, NITHSDALE, or NIDDISDALE, a large mountainous division of Dumfrieshire, lying west of Annandale, so named from the Nith. This country was formerly shaded with noble forests, which are now destroyed. At present nothing can be more naked, wild, and savage; yet it yields lead and silver. The mountains are covered with sheep and black cattle.

NITOCRIS, the wife of Evil-Merodach, and mother of Belshazzar, king of Babylon, was a woman of extraordinary abilities. After the death of Evil-Merodach she took the burden of all public affairs upon herself; and, while her son followed his pleasures, did all that could be done by human prudence to sustain the tottering empire. She perfected the works which Nebuchadnezzar had begun for the defence of Babylon;

raised strong fortifications on the side of the river, and caused a vault to be made under it, leading from the old palace to the new, twelve feet high, and fifteen wide. She likewise built a bridge across the Euphrates, and accomplished several other works, which were afterwards ascribed to Nebuchadnezzar. Philostratus, in describing this bridge, tells us, that it was built by a queen, who was a native of Media; whence we may conclude Nitocris to have been by birth a Mede.

NITRARIA, in botany, a genus of the monogynia order, and dodecandria class of plants : COR. pentapetalous, with the petals arched at the top: CAL. quinquefid; the stamina fifteen; the fruit a monospermous plum. NITRE, Fr. nitre; Lat. nitrum. The NITROUS, adj. vulgar name of the nitrate of NITRY. potash. See NITRIC ACID. Nitrous and nitry signify impregnated with, or consisting of, nitre.

Earth and water, mingled by the heat of the sun, gather nitrous fatness more than either of them have severally. Bacon.

Some tumultuous cloud,

NITRIC ACID, in chemistry, one of the most

powerful acids known, is formed by a combination of the two constituent elements of the atmospheric air, viz. nitrogen and oxygen, in a peculiar proportion to each other. If these gases be mixed, in the proportion of 70-5 oxygen to 29.5 nitrogen, in a glass tube about a line in diameter, and a series of electric shocks be passed through them for some hours, nitric acid will be formed; or, if a solution of potash be present with them, nitrate of potash will be obtained. For practical purposes it is, however, best obtained from the nitrate of potash, by means of sulphuric acid.

Three parts of pure nitre, coarsely powdered, are to be put into a glass retort, and two parts of strong sulphuric acid cautiously added. Join to the retort a tubulated receiver of large capacity, with an adopter interposed, and lute the junctures with glazier's putty. In the tubulure fix a glass tube, terminating in another very large receiver, in which is a small quantity of water. Apply heat to the retort by means of a sand bath. The first product that passes into the receiver is generally red and fuming; but the appearances gradually diminish, till the acid comes

This acid is eminently corrosive, sour, and acrid, whence its old name of aquafortis, now commonly applied to the yellow fuming nitrous acid. If introduced into the stomach it proves a deadly poison, and destroys the skin when in a concentrated state. It is often contaminated, through negligence or fraud in the manufacturer, with sulphuric and muriatic acids. Nitrate of lead detects both, or nitrate of barytes may be employed to determine the quantity of sulphuric acid, and nitrate of silver that of the muriatic. The latter proceeds from the crude nitre usually containing a quantity of common salt.

When it is passed through a red-hot porcelain tube, it is resolved into oxygen and nitrogen, in the proportion above stated. It retains its oxygen with little force, so that it is decomposed by all combustible bodies. Brought into contact with hydrogen gas at a high temperature a violent detonation ensues; so that this must not be done without great caution. It inflames essential oils, as those of turpentine and cloves, when suddenly poured on them; but, to perform this experiment with safety, the acid must be poured out of a bottle tied to the end of a long stick, otherwise the operator's face and eyes will be greatly endangered. If it be poured on perfectly dry charcoal powder, it excites combustion, with the emission of copious fumes. By boiling it with sulphur it is decomposed, and its oxygen, uniting with the sulphur, forms sulphuric acid. Chemists in general agree that it acts very powerfully on almost all the metals; but Baumé has asserted, that it will not dissolve tin, and Dr. Woodhouse of Pennsylvania affirms, that in a highly concentrated and pure state it acts not at all on the silver, copper, or tin, though, with the addition of a little water, its action on them is very powerful.

The nitric acid is of considerable use in the arts. It is employed for etching on copper; as a solvent of tin to form with that metal a mordant for some of the finest dyes; in metallurgy and assaying; in various chemical processes, on account of the facility with which it parts with oxygen and dissolves metals; in medicine as a tonic, and as a substitute for mercurial preparations in syphylis and affections of the liver, as also in form of vapor to destroy contagion. For the purposes of the arts it is commonly used in a diluted state, and contaminated with the sulphuric and muriatic acids, by the name of aquafortis. This is generally prepared by mixing common nitre with an equal weight of sulphate of iron, and half its weight of the same sulphate calcined, and distilling the mixture; or by mixing nitre with twice its weight of dry powdered clay, and distilling in a reverberatory furnace. Two kinds are found in the shops, one called double aquafortis, which is about half the strength of nitric acid; the other simply aquafortis which is half the strength of the double.

A compound made by mixing two parts of the nitric acid with one of muriatic, known formerly by the name of aqua regia, and now by that of nitro-muriatic acid, has the property of dissolving gold and platina. On mixing the two acids heat is given out, an effervescence takes place, and the mixture acquires an orange color. This

is likewise made by adding gradually to an ounce of powdered muriate of ammonia four ounces of double aquafortis, and keeping the mixture in a sand heat till the salt is dissolved; taking care to avoid the fumes, as the vessel must be left open; or by distilling nitric acid with an equal weight, or rather more, of common salt.

On this subject we are indebted to Sir H. Davy for some excellent observations, published by him in the first volume of the Journal of Science. If strong nitrous acid, saturated with nitrous gas, be mixed with a saturated solution of muriatic acid gas, no other effect is produced than might be expected from the action of nitrous acid of the same strength on an equal quantity of water; and the mixed acid so formed has no power of action on gold or platina. Again, if muriatic acid gas, and nitrous gas, in equal volumes, he mixed together over mercury, and hal a volume of oxygen be added, the immediate condensation will be no more than might be expected from the formation of nitrous acid gas. And when this is decomposed, or absorbed by the mercury, the muriatic acid gas is found unaltered, mixed with a certain portion of nitrous gas.

It appears then that nitrous acid, and muriatic acid gas, have no chemical action on each other. If colorless nitric acid and muriatic acid of commerce be mixed together, the mixture immediately becomes yellow, and gains the power of dissolving gold and platinum. If it be gently heated, pure chlorine arises from it, and the color becomes deeper. If the heat be longer continued, chlorine still rises, but mixed with nitrous acid gas. When the process has been very long continued till the color becomes very deep, no more chlorine can be procured, and it loses its power of acting upon platinum and gold. It is now nitrous and muriatic acids. It appears then from these observations, which have been very often repeated, that nitro-muriatic acid owes its peculiar properties to a mutual decomposition of the nitric and muriatic acids; and that water, chlorine, and nitrous acid gas, are the results. Though nitrous gas and chlorine have no action on each other when perfectly dry, yet if water be present there is an immediate decomposition, and nitrous acid and muriatic acid are formed. 118 parts of strong liquid nitric acid being decomposed in this case, yield sixty-seven of chlorine. Aqua regia does not oxidise gold and platina. It merely causes their combination with chlorine.

A bath made of nitro-muriatic acid, diluted so much as to taste no sourer than vinegar, or of such a strength as to prick the skin a little, after being exposed to it for twenty minutes or half an hour, has been introduced by Dr. Scott of Bombay as a remedy in chronic syphylis, a variety of ulcers and diseases of the skin, chronic hepatitis, bilious dispositions, general debility, and languor. He considers every trial as quite inconclusive where a ptyalism, some affection of the gums, or some very evident constitutional effect, has not arisen from it. The internal use of the same acid has been recommended to be conjoined with that of the partial or general bath.

With the different bases the nitric acid forms nitrates.

The nitrate of barytes, when perfectly pure, is in regular octahedral crystals, though it is sometimes obtained in small shining scales. It may be prepared by uniting barytes directly with nitric acid, or by decomposing the carbonate or sulphuret of barytes with this acid. Exposed to heat it decrepitates, and at length gives out its acid, which is decomposed; but, if the heat be urged too far, the barytes is apt to vitrify with the earth of the crucible. It is soluble in twelve parts of cold, and three or four of boiling water. It is said to exist in some mineral waters. It consists of 6.75 acid + 9-75 base.

The nitrate of potash is the salt well known by the name of nitre or saltpetre. It is found ready formed in the East Indies, in Spain, in the kingdom of Naples, and elsewhere, in considerable quantities; but nitrate of lime is still more abundant. Far the greater part of the nitrate made use of is produced by a combination of circumstances which tend to compose and condense nitric acid. This acid appears to be produced in all situations where animal matters are completely decomposed with access of air, and of proper substances with which it can readily combine. Grounds frequently trodden by cattle, and impregnated with their excrements, or the walls of inhabited places, where putrid animal vapors abound, such as slaughter-houses, drains, or the like, afford nitre by long exposure to the air. Artificial nitre beds are made by an attention to the circumstances in which this salt is produced by nature. Dry ditches are dug, and covered with sheds, open at the sides, to keep off the rain these are filled with animal substances -such as dung, or other excrements, with the remains of vegetables, and old mortar, or other loose calcareous earth; this substance being found to be the best and most convenient receptacle for the acid to combine with. Occasional watering, and turning up from time to time, are necessary to accelerate the process, and increase the surfaces to which the air may apply; but too much moisture is hurtful. When a certain portion of nitrate is formed, the process appears to go on more quickly; but a certain quantity stops it altogether, and after this cessation the materials will go on to furnish more, if what is formed be extracted by lixiviation. After a succession of many months, more or less, according to the management of the operation, in which the action of a regular current of fresh air is of the greatest importance, nitre is found in the mass. If the beds contained much vegetable matter, a considerable portion of the nitrous salt will be conmon saltpetre; but if otherwise, the acid will, for the most part, be combined with the calcareous earth. It consists of 675 acid + 6 potash.

To extract the saltpetre from the mass of earthy matter, a number of large casks are prepared, with a cock at the bottom of each, and a quantity of straw within, to prevent its being stopped up. Into these the matter is put, together with wood-ashes, either strewed at top, or added during the filling. Boiling water is then poured on, and suffered to stand for some time; after which it is drawn off, and other water added in the same manner, as long as any saline matter can be thus extracted. The weak brine

is heated, and passed through other tubs, until it becomes of considerable strength. It is then carried to the boiler, and contains nitre and other salts; the chief of which is common culinary salt, and sometimes muriate of magnesia. It is the property of nitre to be much more soluble in hot than cold water; but common salt is very nearly as soluble in cold as in hot water. Whenever, therefore, the evaporation is carried by boiling to a certain point, much of the common salt will fall to the bottom, for want of water to hold it in solution, though the nitre will remain suspended by virtue of the heat. The common salt thus separated is taken out with a perforated ladle, and a small quantity of the fluid is cooled, from time to time, that its concentration may be known by the nitre which crystallises in it. When the fluid is sufficiently evaporated, it is taken out and cooled, and great part of the nitre separates in crystals; while the remaining common salt continues dissolved, because equally soluble in cold and in hot water. Subsequent evaporation of the residue will separate more nitre in the same manner. By the suggestion of Lavoisier, a much simpler plan was adopted; reducing the crude nitre to powder, and washing it twice with water.

This nitre, which is called mitre of the first boiling, contains some common salt; from which it may be purified by solution in a small quantity of water, and subsequent evaporation; for the crystals thus obtained are much less contaminated with common salt than before; because the proportion of water is so much larger, with respect to the small quantity contained by the nitre, that very little of it will crystallise. For nice purposes, the solution and crystallisation of nitre are repeated four times. The crystals of nitre are usually of the form of six-sided flattened prisms, with dihedral summits. Its taste is penetrating; but the cold produced by placing the salt to dissolve in the mouth is such as to predominate over the real taste at first. Seven parts of water dissolve two of nitre, at the temperature of 60°; but boiling water dissolves its own weight. 100 parts of alcohol, at a heat of 176°, dissolve only 2.9.

On being exposed to a gentle heat, nitre fuses; and in this state being poured into moulds, so as to form little round cakes, or balls, it is called sal prunella, or crystal mineral. This at least is the way in which this salt is now usually prepared, conformably to the directions of Boerhaave; though in most dispensatories a twentyfourth part of sulphur was directed to be deflagrated on the nitre before it was poured out. This salt should not be left on the fire after it has entered into fusion, otherwise it will be converted into a nitrate of potash. If the heat be increased to redness, the acid itself is decomposed, and a considerable quantity of tolerably pure oxygen gas is evolved, succeeded by nitrogen.

This salt powerfully promotes the combustion of inflammable substances. Two or three parts mixed with one of charcoal, and set on fire, burn rapidly; azote and carbonic acid gas are given out, and a small portion of the latter is retained by the alkaline residuum, which was formerly called clyssus of uitre. Three parts of nitre, two