in botany. See ERYTHRONIUM.

DOGGE, the chief magistrate in the republics of Venice and Genoa.

This dignity is elective in both places; at Venice it continues for life; at Genoa, it is only for two years. His title is Serenity: he is chief of the council, and mouth of the republic, he being to answer for her. The Venetians do not go into mourning at his death, being only the phantom of majesty, as all the authority is vested in the republic; the doge only lends his name to the senate; the power is diffused through the whole body; though answers to foreign ambassadors, &c., are made in the name of the doge. The money is struck in his name, but does not bear his arms. All the magistrates rise and salute him when he comes into the council; but he rises to none but foreign ambassadors. He must not stir out of Venice, without leave of the counsellors, &c.

DOGGER, a name used for fishing vessels; whence, in some of our old statutes, we meet with dogger-men, denoting the fishermen of those vessels.

DOGMA, a principle, maxim, tenet, or settled opinion, particularly with regard to matters of faith and philosophy.

DOGMATICAL, something belonging to a doctrine or opinion. A dogmatical philosopher is one who affirms things positively; in opposition to a sceptic, who doubts of every thing.

DOGMATISTS, a sect of ancient physicians, of which Hippocrates was the first author. They are also called logici, logicians, from their using the rules of logic in subjects of their profession. They laid down definitions and divisions reducing diseases to certain genera, and those genera to species, and furnishing remedies for them all; supposing principles, drawing conclusions, and applying those principles and conclusions to particular diseases under consideration; in which sense the dogmatists stand contradistinguished from empirics and methodists. They reject all medicinal virtues that they think not reducible to manifest qualities: but Galen hath long ago observed of such men, that they must either deny plain matter of fact, or assign but very poor reasons and causes of many effects they pretend to explain.