More than one of these 7 encyclopedias carries each of the following subjects — but every one of them treats it in a sentence or two and then moves on. They are gathered here so the different accounts can sit side by side.
Clotho
Aiton's Encyclopedia: in Grecian mythology, one of the Three Fates. Clotho presided over birth and drew from her distaff the thread of life. Carlyle speaks of "France slashed asunder with Clotho-scissors and civil war," but usually Atropos is considered the one of the Fates who held the scissors and cut the thread of life.
Collier's New Encyclopedia: one of the three Fates or Destinies who are represented by the ancient classical writers as spinning the thread of life. Clotho held the distaff, Lachesis spun the thread of life, Atropos cut the thread when the man was to die.
1000 Classical Characters: The youngest of the three Parcae, who were the daughters of Jupiter and Themis , was supposed to preside over the moment of birth. She held the distaff in her hand and spun the thread of life.
Covered by Aiton's Encyclopedia and Collier's New Encyclopedia and 1000 Classical Characters
Coca
Aiton's Encyclopedia: a shrub growing in Peru and Bolivia. The leaves, sprinkled with lime, are chewed by 10,000,000 Indians of these countries and adjacent parts of Brazil. Coca lessens the pangs of hunger, dilates the pupil of the eye, and gives immediate quickness of step. Mountain climbers claim that it prevents shortness of breath. In some respects the qualities of the leaf resemble those of opium. Its extensive use is parallel to that of opium, betel, and tobacco by other people. Cocaine, a powerful drug obtained from the leaves, is well known to medical science. It is administered to lessen pain and is injected by surgeons to produce local numbness during an operation. See Tobacco ; Betel
Collier's New Encyclopedia: the dried leaf of Erythroxylon Coca, a shrub, 4-8 feet high, growing wild in Peru, and cultivated there on the Andes, between 2,000 and 5,000 feet high. It is used chiefly by the Peruvian miners, who chew its leaves mixed with the ashes of Chenopodium quinoa. It is said to give them great power of enduring fatigue on a scanty supply of food. The officinal preparation in the United States is fluid extract of coca.
Covered by Aiton's Encyclopedia and Collier's New Encyclopedia
Cocaine
Collier's New Encyclopedia: an alkaloid obtained from the leaves of coca. A new and most important discovery to the medical profession was made in 1884, through pure accident, by a German student who had occasion to experiment with hydrochlorate of Cocaine. Getting some by accident in his eye, he was amazed to find that it caused the surface to become insensible to all feeling. The remedy has already been widely employed by ophthalmic surgeons, with brilliant results. Nor has its use been confined to the eye. When applied locally to the interior of the larynx, to the ear (in severe neuralgia), and to other delicate membranes, its effect is the same; pain and irritability are relieved, and the surgeon is enabled to accomplish his purpose without causing any suffering in cases where general anesthesia is not desirable. Cocaine is one of the drugs most commonly employed by drug addicts, and its sale is carefully safeguarded in most States. See DRUG ADDICTION.
Aiton's Encyclopedia: . See Coca 2026 Editor's Note: Cocaine was still a pharmacy article when this was written — though the door was closing (Coca-Cola had removed it in 1903, the Harrison Act came in 1914). See cocaine for the whole arc from tonic to contraband. (Ed: BR 2026-07-01)
Covered by Collier's New Encyclopedia and Aiton's Encyclopedia
Cockatoo
Collier's New Encyclopedia: a genus of birds of the parrot family, but distinguished from true parrots by the greater heights of the bill, and its being curved from the base, and by the lengthened, broad, and rounded tail. A crest of long . and pointed feathers can be erected and expanded like a fan. The true cockatoos are also all of generally whitish plumage, but often finely tinged with ② 1 COCKATOO 1. Roseate Cockatoo. 2. Head of Black Cockatoo. red, orange, and other colors, or mixed with these colors.
Aiton's Encyclopedia: . See Parrot
Covered by Collier's New Encyclopedia and Aiton's Encyclopedia
Cockatrice
Collier's New Encyclopedia: a fabulous monster anciently believed to be hatched from a cock's egg. It is often simply another name for the basilisk.
Aiton's Encyclopedia: . See Basilisk
Covered by Collier's New Encyclopedia and Aiton's Encyclopedia
Cockroach
Aiton's Encyclopedia: a night insect allied to crickets and grasshoppers. The body is flat and oval when seen from above. The insect runs rapidly instead of jumping. Some species are wingless. Our native cockroaches are out-of-doors insects, preferring to live in fields and forests. During the day they conceal themselves under sticks and stones. The pale brown Croton bug or cockroach that hides about water-pipes and infests pantries is an immigrant from Asia. It is thought to have reached Europe and America in ships' cargoes. It is fond of flour and meal. It dreads powdered borax. It may be banished easily by the free use of insect powder.
Collier's New Encyclopedia: generally, any insect of the family Blattidæ, or at least, of the genus Blatta; and specially , the B. orientales, so common in houses, particularly in seaport towns. The cockroach is said to have come originally from India, through the Levant. It is nocturnal in its habits. The eggs are deposited in horny cases, in which they are arranged with much regularity, in two rows, with a central partition, and smaller ones isolating each egg from the other.
Covered by Aiton's Encyclopedia and Collier's New Encyclopedia
Cofferdam
Aiton's Encyclopedia: a contrivance resorted to by bridge builders. A typical cofferdam may be likened to a huge barrel without head or bottom. It is built around the spot where it is desired to erect a pier. Water and mud are pumped out, enabling workmen to enter and lay a proper foundation for the proposed pier. If the river, for instance, be of clay it may be possible to excavate to some depth to secure proper footing. In case it is necessary to go deep into the bottom for a footing the caisson is employed. Not infrequently an engine drives two tight circles of piles, one within the other, and fills the space between the circles of piling with clay rammed down close to make it water-tight. See Caisson
Collier's New Encyclopedia: a water-tight inclosure in a body of water, prepared to expose the bottom for laying a foundation for a pier, abutment or quay. It consists of wooden piles packed with clay, etc., or steel sheet piles driven around an interior framework.
Covered by Aiton's Encyclopedia and Collier's New Encyclopedia
Cognac
Aiton's Encyclopedia: kon'yak, a noted brandy, so called from the town of that name in south-western France. It is made by fermentation and distillation from white grape wine. See Alcohol ; Wine
Collier's New Encyclopedia: (kōn-yak), a town in France, department of Charente; near the river Charente; 22 miles W. of Angoulême. Is famous for the brandy bearing its name.
Covered by Aiton's Encyclopedia and Collier's New Encyclopedia