District Court
a court having cognizance of cases arising within a certain defined district, more specifically as described below. In 1920 the United States was divided into 106 districts for judicial purposes, each State in the Union containing at least one district, and some of them more. For each district there are a judge, a district attorney, a marshal, and deputy marshals. dis- They constitute the officers of the trict courts. These tribunals have charge of the initial administration of justice in cases of offense against the Federal Government, and form a link in the judicial succession that culminates in the Supreme Court of the United States, being as it were the Federal courts of common pleas.
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Ditch
in agriculture, trench a 35,000 usually made along the sides of fields, so all the drains may be led into it, that or along the top of a field to divert surface water. In arable lands, since the general use of small and large pipes, ditches have in many cases been converted into underground drains.
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Dithorba
Brother of Red Hugh and Kimbay of Irish meby those who possess mediumistic powers. dieval legend. He was killed by his niece Macha, and his five sons expelled from Ulster. They resolved to wrest the sovereignty of Ireland from Macha, but she discovers them in the forest, overpowers them by her mesmeric influence, and carries them to her palace on her back. They build the famous Irish city of Emain Macha under her supervision.
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Ditmars
RAYMOND LEE, an American scientist, born in Newark, N. 131,425 J., in 1876. He graduated ed from Bar- 151,912 nard Military Academy in 1891. He was for 5 years assistant curator of ento- 173,901 mology at the American Museum of 194,182 Natural History and in 1899 became curator of reptiles at the New York Zoological Park. He was in charge of the department of mammals at this park from 1910. He was the author of "The Reptile Book" (1907); "Reptiles of the World" (1909). He also contributed numerous articles on entomology and kindred subjects to magazines.
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Dittany
the popular name of the plants of the genus Dictamnus, an herb of the rue family, found in the Mediterranean region. The leaves are pinor rose-colored nate, the large white nate, The flowers are in terminal racemes. whole plant is covered with oily glands, and the secreted oil is so volatile that in hot weather the air round the plant be- D. Fraxinella and comes inflammable. D. albus are found in gardens. The dit- States is Cunila tany of the United Mariana, a labiate plant. The dittany of Crete is Origanum Dictamnus, and the bastard dittany is a species of Marrubium (horehound), both labiates.
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Diu
a seaport situated at the E. extremity of a Portuguese island (7 by 2 miles) of the same name, off the S. coast of Kathiawar; 180 miles N. W. of Bombay. Once an important city of 50,000 inhabitants, it has sunk in importance till now the whole island has but 15,000 inhabitants, mostly fishermen. Some magnificent buildings still attest its ancient splendor, such as the Jesuit College (1601), now a cathedral. The place has been in possession of the Portuguese since 1535, and stood a famous siege in 1545.
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Diuretics
medicines which cause an increase of the function of the kid neys, and consequently augment the quantity of the urine. They are divided by Garrod into sedative, as squills, scoparium, tobacco, colchicum; and stimulant, as juniper, turpentine, copaiba, cantharides, nitrite of ethyl, alcohol, and water. Indirect diuretics, or hydragogue purgatives, as elaterium, cream of tartar, digitalis, gamboge. Lithontriptics, or remedies which alter the quality of the urine and prevent the crystallization and deposition of the ingredients which form gravel and calculi, as carbonates of lithium, potasmineral sium, sodium, and alkaline waters, etc. Diuretics are given (1) to cause an increased flow of urine when the renal secretion is deficient; (2) to eliminate poisons and matters formed in disease from the blood; (3) to produce a larger flow of urine, to hold in solution substances which would be deposited, and form calculi.
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Diuretin
theobromine sodio-salicylate, Na2C14H12N4O5. A whitish, amorphous powder, odorless, and possessing a sweet taste. Soluble in water and alcohol, insoluble in ether or chloroform. Used in medicine as a diuretic in cardiac dropsy and Bright's disease. Often administered in conjunction with digitalis, which prolongs its diuretic action.
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Diver
one of a family of birds, remarkable for their power and habit of diving. The neck is long, the tail is very short and rounded; the wings short; the bill straight, strong, and pointed. They are confined to N. N. latitudes, whence they migrate further S. in the winter season. The largest of the three European species is the great northern diver, but the other two-the red-throated diver, and the blackthroated diver-are perhaps better known, as they are found in abundance in this country. They live on fish, which they follow under the water, propelling themselves along with their wings as well as their feet.
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Dives
the name popularly adopted for the "rich man" in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, from the Vulgate translation.
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Divi-Divi
de-ve'-de-ve', the pods of a legume-bearing tree of the West Indies and South America . The tree is related to Brazil wood. The pods are about an inch wide and three inches long. They are thin and curl up. The color of the best is a golden brown. Divi-divi pods are astringent. They are rich in tannin. They are employed for tanning leather. The tariff on divi-divi has been the subject of more or less sport on the floors of Congress, but the article is duty free. One hundred thirty-four thousand pounds were imported in 1908. The value of importations for the decade ending 1909 was about $85,000.
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Dividend
in arithmetic, a number which has to be divided by another; thus, if we have to divide 20 by 4, 20 is the dividend, and 4 the divisor. In bankruptcy, the fractional part of the assets of a bankrupt which is paid to the creditor in proportion to the amount of the debt which he has proved against the estate of the debtor. In commerce, the sum periodically payable as interest on loans, debentures, etc., or that periodically distributed as profit on the capital railway or other company.
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