aristocratie

[ARISTOCRACY.] †ăr-is-toc-ra-tīze, v.t. [Eng. aristocrat: -ize.] To render aristocratic. ( Ogilvie .) *ăr-is-toc-ra-ty, s. [ARISTOCRACY.] čar-is-to-lō-chi-a ( Mod . Lat . ), ar-is-tolo-chỹ ( Eng .), s. [In Fr. aristo loc he ; Sp. aristoloquia ; Ital. aristolochia , aristo logia ; Port. & Lat. aristolochia; Gr. ἀριστολόχεια ( aristo loc he i a ) = an herb promoting childbirth: ἄριστος ( aristos ) = best, and λοχεία (locheia) = child-birth.] A. Ordinary Language. ( Of the form aristolochy.) Birthwort; any plant of the genus Aristolochia. [See B.] "Aricoloquia, 1., aristolochy: hartwort."-Fernan dez: Spanish Dict. (London), 1811. The American Dictionary and Cyclopedia B. Bot . ( Of the form aristolochia.) A genus of plants, the typical one of the order Aristo loch i aceæ, or Birthworts. They have curiously inflated irregular flowers, in some cases of large size; these consist of a tubular coloured calyx, no corolla, six stamens, one style, and a six-celled capsular fruit, with many seeds. One species, the A. clematis , or Common Birthwort, a plant with pale-yellow tubular flowers, swollen at the base, is naturalised among old ruins in the east and south of England. Most of the Aristolochias are emmenagogue, especially the European species, A. rotunda , longa , and clem at it is, and the Indian A. Indica ; the last-named species is also antarthritic. A. bract eat a is anthelmintic; when bruised and mixed with castor-oil it is used in cases of obstinate psora. A. odor at is sima , of the West Indies, is alexipharmic. The A. fragrant is sima of Peru is given in dysenteries, fevers, rheumatism, .; A. serpent aria (the Virgin i an Snake-root), besides being given in the worst forms of typhus fever, is deemed of use against snake-bite; as is also A. trilobata . ( Lindley .) The Treasury of Botany points out that faith in the efficacy of some Aristolochia or other, as an antidote to the poison of serpents, prevails in America, Egypt, and India, its existence in regions so remote from each other affording strong evidence of its truth.