alligation

[In Ger. alligation; Sp. aligacion; Lat. alligatio = a tying to; ad = to, and ligatio = a tying, a binding.] 1. The act of tying together; the state of being tied together. 2. Technically. Arith .: A division of arithmetic which treats of the proce for finding the value of compounds consisting of ingre 160 dients differing from each other in price. It is divided into medial and alternate . Medial alligation is when the quantities and prices of the several ingredients are calculated to determine the value of the mixture, and Alternate when from the value of the separate ingredients and the value of their mixture is deduced the quantity of each which enters into the compound. Alternate alligation has three varieties: (1) Alligation simple , when the question is unlimited with respect to the quantities both of the simples and of the mixture; (2) alligation partial, when the question is limited to a certain quantity of one or more of the simples; and (3) alligation total , when the question is limited to a certain quantity of the mixture.