SCHORL

(Swed. scorl, 6re///e.) A mineral usually occurring in black prismatic crystals; it is brittle, and has much lustre, and becomes electric by heat and friction. See Tourmaline. SCIiENOIDS, Scicenoides. The name of a family of Acanthopterygian fishes, of which the genus Scieena is the type. This fjimily is nearly allied to the Percoids; but both the vomer and paLitine bones are without teeth; the bones of the head are generally cavernous, and the muzzle more or le enlarged and obtuse. SCIATICA. {GT.ia-xi(>v,the hip.) A rheumatic affection of the hip joint. SCIENCE (Lat. scient i a), in its most comprehensive sense, is applied to the knowledge of many, methodically digested and arranged so as to become attainable by one. The knowledge of reasons and their conclusions constitutes abstract, that of causes and effects and of the laws of nature natural science. The term science is, however, more particularly used in contradistinction to a7-t and literature. As distinguished from the former, a science is " a body of truths, the common principles of which are supposed to be known and separated, so that the individual truths, even though some or all may be clear in themselves, have a guarantee that they could have been discovered and known, either with certainty or with such probability as the subject admits of, by other means than their own evidence." (See Art.) As distinguished from literature, science is applied to any branch of knowledge which is made the subject of investigation with a view to discover and apply first principles. (See Literature.) The various sciences will be found under their particular heads. [s. 1102]