MARSHMALLOW: A genus of the polyandra order, belonging to the monodelphia class of plants; and, in the natural method, ranking under the 37th order, Columniferae. The characters are: The calyx is a double perianthium, the exterior one nine-cleft:

The corolla consists of five petals, coalesced at the base. The stamens consist of numerous filaments inserted into the corolla; the anthers are kidney-shaped. The pistillum has an orbicular germen; a short cylindrical style; and numerous brittle stigma, the length of the style. The pericarpium consists of numerous arillae: The seeds are solitary, and kidney-shaped. There are three species.

1. The vulgaris, or common marshmallow, is a native of Britain, and hath a perennial root, and an annual stalk, which perishes every autumn. The stalks grow erect to the height of four or five feet. These are garnished with leaves which are hoary, soft to the touch, and placed alternately on the branches. The flowers come out from under the wings of the leaves, like the mallow, and are of a purplish white.

2. The hirtuta, or hairy marshmallow, is a native of Spain and Portugal. It is a low plant, whose branches trail on the ground, unless they are supported by stakes. The leaves and stalks are beset with strong hairs, the flowers come out like those of the common sort, but are smaller, and have purplish bottoms.

3. The cannabina, or shrubby marshmallow, is a native of Hungary and Illyria. It has a woody stem, which rises to the height of four or five feet; and puts out many side-branches. The flowers come out in the same manner as in the others, but are of a deeper red colour. This sort seldom flowers the first year, unless the summer proves warm; but when the plants live through the winter, they will flower early in the following summer, and produce good seeds.

Culture. Though the first sort is found naturally in salt marshes, it will thrive when transplanted into any soil, or in any situation; however, it will always grow larger in moist than in dry soil. It may be propagated either by parting the roots in autumn when the stalks decay, or by sowing the seeds in the spring. If the seeds of the second species are sown in April, the plants will flower in July, and carry ripe seed in September. They ought to be sown in the places where they are to remain, as the roots shoot deep in the ground; so that unless the plants are removed very young, they seldom survive it. The seeds of the cannabina ought also to be sown where the plants are to remain, for the reason just now given. They should have a sheltered situation and a dry soil, otherwise they will not live through the winter. Indeed they seldom continue in this country above two years, with all the care that can be taken of them.

Medicinal Uses. The first is the only species used in medicine. The whole plant, especially the root, abounds with a mild mucilage. It has the general virtues of an emollient medicine; and proves serviceable in a thin acrimonious state of the juices, and where the natural mucus of the intestines is abraded. It is chiefly recommended in sharp defluxions upon the lungs, hoarseness, dysenteries; and likewise in nephritic and calculous complaints; not, as some have supposed, that this medicine has any peculiar power of dissolving or expelling the calculus; but as, by lubricating and relaxing the vessels, it procures a more free and easy passage. The root is sometimes employed externally for softening and maturing hard tumours; chewed, it is said to give ease in difficult dentition of children.

This root gave name to an officinal syrup, decoction, ALTA

tion, and ointment; and was likewise an ingredient in the compound powder of gum tragacanth and the oil and plaster of mucilages. But of all these formulas the syrup alone is now retained.

**Althea Frutex.** See Hibiscus.

**Altimetery,** the art of measuring altitudes or heights, whether accessible or inaccessible. See Geometry.

**Altin,** a money of account in Muscovy, worth three copecks; one hundred of which make a ruble, worth about 4s. 6d. sterling.

**Altin,** a lake in Siberia, from whence issues the river Ob, or Oby, in N. Lat. 52° 0', E. Long. 85° 55'. This lake is called by the Russians Talokoi Ogoro, from the Teleffis, a Tartarian nation, who inhabit the borders of it, and who give it the name of Altin-Kul. By the Calmucks it is called Altinor. It is near ninety miles long and 50 broad, with a rocky bottom. The north part of it is sometimes frozen so hard as to be passable on foot, but the southern part is never covered with ice. The water in the Altin lake, as well as in the rivers which run through the adjacent places, only rises in the middle of summer, when the snows on the mountains are melted by the heat of the sun.

**Altincar,** among mineralists, a species of factitious salt used in the fusion and purification of metals.

The altincar is a sort of flux powder. Divers ways of preparing it are given by Libavius.

**Altin (Henry),** professor of divinity at Heidelberg and Groningen, was born at Embden in 1583, of a family which had been long conspicuous in Frifeland. His father, Menso Altin, was the first, who, with two others, preached the reformation in the territory of Groningen, about the year 1566, under the tyrannical government of the duke of Alva; and the first that preached in the great church of Groningen, after the reduction of that town by the States General in 1594. Henry was chosen, in 1605, preceptor to the three young counts of Nassau, Solms, and Izenberg. After various difficulties, he settled at Groningen, where he continued till his death, August 25, 1644. He was a sound protestant divine, a pious Christian, a useful member of society in many respects, and one who suffered much for the truth. Most of his works were never published; those which have been are the following: *Note in decemnum problematum.* Behm, 1618. *Loci communes explicatio catechisticae Palatinae,* 1646, in 3 vols. *Exegesis Augustanae confes- sionis,* 1647. *Methodus theologica,* 1650. It appears from the catalogue of his works annexed to his life, that the *Medulla hift. prophane,* published by Dr Pareus, was composed by Altin. The most remarkable piece among Altin's MSS. is, The ecclesiastical history of the Palatinate, from the reformation to the administration of John Casimir.

**Altin (James),** son of the former, was born at Heidelberg in 1618. He travelled into England in 1640, where he was ordained by the learned Dr Prideaux, bishop of Worcester. He afterwards accepted of the professorship of Groningen, vacant by the death of Gomarus; but his situation was rendered very disagreeable by the continual disputes which he had with his colleague Sam. des Marets, who favoured the school-divinity. He died in 1697. He recommended the edition of his works to Menso Altin (author of *Notitia German. Infer. Antique,* fol. Amst. 1679); but they were published in 5 vols. folio, with his life, by Mr Bekker of Amsterdam. They contain various analytical, exegetical, practical, problematical, and philosophical tracts, which show his great industry and knowledge. Altin was a divine greatly addicted to the text of the scripture, to Cocceianism, and Rabbiniism. He preached well in German, Dutch, and English.

**Altitude,** accessible, and inaccessible. See Geometry.

The method of taking considerable terrestrial altitudes, of which those of mountains are the greatest, by means of the barometer, is very easy and expeditious. It is done by observing, on the top of the mountain, how much the mercury has fallen below what it was at the foot of the mountain. See Barometer.

**Altitude of the Eye,** in perspective, is a right line let fall from the eye, perpendicular to the geometrical plane.

**Altitude,** in astronomy, is the distance of a star, or other point, in the mundane sphere, from the horizon.

This altitude may be either true or apparent.—If it be taken from the rational or real horizon, the altitude is said to be true or real; if from the apparent or sensible horizon, the altitude is apparent.—Or rather, the apparent altitude is such as it appears to our observation; and the true is that from which the refraction has been subtracted.

The true altitudes of the sun, fixed stars, and planets, differ but very little from their apparent altitudes; because of their great distance from the centre of the earth, and the smallness of the earth's semidiameter, when compared thereto. But the difference between the true and apparent altitude of the moon is about 52°. This subject is further explained under Astronomy.

**Altitude Instrument,** or Equal Altitude Instrument, is that used to observe a celestial object when it has the same altitude on the east and west sides of the meridian. See Astronomy, the last section.

**Altikirch,** a town of Alsace in Germany, situated on the river Ill, in N. Lat. 47° 40' and E. Long. 7° 15'.

**Altmore,** a town of Ireland, in the county of Tyrone, and province of Ulster, situated in N. Lat. 54° 34', and W. Long. 7° 2'.

**Altun,** a town in Hampshire, seated on the river Wey; W. Long. 0° 46', N. Lat. 51° 5'. It is governed by a constable; and consists of about 300 houses, indifferently built, chiefly laid out in one pretty broad street. It has one church, a Presbyterian, and a Quaker's meeting, a famous free school, a large manufacture of plain and figured baragons, ribbed druggets, and ferges de Nîmes; and round the town is a large plantation of hops.

**Alton,** or Avelton, a village in Staffordshire, five miles north of Uttoxeter. There are the ruins of a castle here, which some would have to be built before the Norman conquest; but Dr Plott is pretty certain that it was erected by Theobald de Verdun, in the beginning of the reign of Edward II. A great part of the walls are still standing, but they are in a very ruinous condition.

**Alto et Basso,** or in Alto & in Basso, in law, signifies. signifies the absolute reference of all differences, small and great, high and low, to some arbitrator or indifferent person.—Pateat universi per praesentem, quod Wil- lielmus Tylar de Yetton, & Thomas Gouver de Almefre, poferunt se in Alto & in Baffo, in arbitrio quator hominum; viz. de quadam querela pendente inter eos in curia.—Nor terram nostram altè & baffe ipsius domini Regis supposimus voluntati.

Alto-Ripieno. See Relievo.

Alto-Ripieno, in music, the tenor of the great chorus which sings and plays only now and then in some particular places.