continuIty

[Fr. continuité; Prov. con tinuitat: Sp. continuidad; Ital. continuità, all from Lat. continuitas = a connected series, a continuation.] [CONTINUOUS.] 1. Ord. Lang. Uninterrupted connection; union, without a beak or interval. 2. Technically : (1) Med.: Uninterrupted cohesion of the texture of any organ or part of the body. "The solid parts may be contracted by di olving their continuity; continuity; for a fiber, cut through, contracts itself." (2) Geol. (chiefly of time): In the same sense as 1. The doctrine that there never has been a universal destruction of animal or vegetable life in bygone geologic times, and that the gaps which now occur between strata are only local, and if they appear universal, are produced not by such catastrophes as the older geologists imagined to account for them, but by deficiencies in our knowledge. Two great breaks were once supposed to exist-one between the Permian and the Tria ic, which separated the palæozoic from the mesozoic or secondary rocks, and the other between the Chalk and the Eocene, separating the mesozoic and the cainozoic or ter tiary. Both still exist, but intermediate rocks, called the Lignitic series, 4,000 feet thick, have been found in this country, partially filling the latter gap. It is believed that were all the existent strata, including those under the modern oceans, known, and all which have been destroyed by denudation replaced, the first and all other gaps would disappear. The doctrine of geological continuity is e ential to Darwin ism, but it can be and is held also by the advocates of succe ive separate creations. ( Nicholson , & c .) to discu the question of what may be called Nicholson: Palæont. (2d ed.), geological continuity." ii. 46. Solution of continuity: Med.: (See extract.) "That texture or cohesion of the parts of an animal body, upon the destruction of which there is said to be a solution of continuity." -Quincy. For the difference between continuity and con tinuation , see CONTINUATION. con-tin-u-oŭs, a. [Lat. continuus.] [CON TINUAL.] I. Ordinary Language : 1. Joined together, connected; with no interven ing space. they continued to occupy their old positions." Macaulay: Hist. Eng., ch. xix. 5. To remain in connection with, not to leave or forsake. "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued."-1 John ii. 19. with us IMG:content-0781.png:[blocks in formation] Arith. & Alg .: Proportion in which the conseevidence, but not a continuous narrative, quent of the first ratio becomes the antecedent of Cred. Early Roman Hist . (1855), ch. xiii., pt. i., § 2, vol. ii., the second, the consequent of the second the ante p. 361. cedent of the third, and so on; as, 3:6::6:12:: 12:24, . IMG:content-0782.png:[blocks in formation] (1) Crabb thus discriminates between to continue, to remain, and to stay: "The idea of confining one's self to something is common to all these terms; but continue applies often to the samene of action, and remain to the samene of place or situation; the former has most of the active sense in it, and expre es a state of action; the latter is altogether neuter, and expre es a state of rest. We speak of continuing a certain course, of continuing to do, or continuing to be anything; but of remaining in a position, in a house, in a town, in a condition, and the like. There is more of will in continuing; more of nece ity and circumstances in remaining. A person continues in office as long as he can perform it with satisfaction to himself, and his employers: a sentinel remains at his post or station. Continue is opposed to cease; remain is opposed to go. Things continue in motion; they remain stationary, Remain and stay are both perfectly neuter in their sense, but remain is employed for either persons or things: stay for persons only. Remain is often involuntary, if not compulsory: p. 170. stay is altogether voluntary. interruptedorimmetricornormal in form through its whole length. The inflorescence of most plants is continuous, so are the pinnse of most pinnate leaves. The opposite of continuous is interrupted (q. v.). (2) Of stems : Not jointed. It is opposed to articulated. ( Treas . of Bot .) 2. Philol .: (See extract.) "The division of the consonants ". indulgent continuers in sin." Hammond , § 64. *3. One which has the quality of durability, or permanence. "I would my horse had the speed of your tongue, and so good a continuer ." --Shakesp.: Much Ado, i. 1. is in the most natural primary stoppage of the breath at the moment previous to their being pronounced, and which, therefore, cannot be prolonged; and those in pronouncing which the interruption is partial, and which formeike the vowel sounds, be sign at i on of explosive, and can, prolonged ab libitum . The *4. One who causes continuance, durability, or permanence. the latter of continuous."-Dr. Carpenter: Prin. of Human ". the first founder, sustainer, and continuer Physiol., § 941. "Dr. H. More: Exposition of the Seven Churches,