Posthumous Letters
Many investigators of psychic science, members of the Society for Psychic Research and others, have left sealed letters, whose contents are known only to the writer. On the death of the writer, and before the letter shall have been opened, an attempt is made by a medium to reveal the contents. By this means it is hoped to prove the actuality or otherwise of spirit communication, for, since only the writer knows what the letter contains, it is presumed that on his death this knowledge can only be communicated through his discarnate spirit. This hypothesis certainly overlooks the fact that the information might be telepathically acquired during the writer's lifetime by a still living person, and so conveyed to the medium. As yet, however, hypotheses are premature, for no attempt of the kind has met with striking success.
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Posting
traveling by means of horses hired at different stations on the journey, system established in England as early as the reign of Ed ward II.
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Postmaster-General
the chief of the postoffice department.
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Postulant
one who asks, demands, or requests; a candidate; specifically, in the Roman Church, one seeking admission to a religious order or congregation. The postulant is bound by the rules of the order to which he or she is seeking admission, but does not wear its dis.
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Postulate
a position, supposition, or proposition assumed without proof, as being self-evident or too plain to require proof or illustration; a thing assumed for the purpose of future reasoning; an assumption. In geometry, the enunciation of a self-evident problem.
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Pot Pourri
a dish of various kinds of meat and vegetables cooked together. Also: 1. A mixture of rose leaves and various spices, kept in jars or other vessels as a scent. 2. A vase or bouquet of flowers used to perfume a room. 3. In music, a medley; a collection of various tunes linked together; together; a capriccio or fantasia on popular melodies. 4. A literrary composition made up of several parts put together without any unity of plot or plan.
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Pot Stone
the name given in Norfolk, England, to certain large flints with large a nucleus of chalk, found in the Upper Chalk. Also, an impure variety of soapstone or compact talc, formerly used for making utensils of various kinds. tribe of
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Potash Lime
a mixture of dry hydrate of potassium and quicklime employed in estimating the nitrogen cona high tained in organic substances. At temperature, it liberates the nitrogen in the form of ammonia.
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Potash Water
an artificial aërated water containing a minute quantity of potassic bicarbonate.
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Potato Disease
a disease or murrain produced by a fungus, Peronospora first attacks the infestans. It generally leaves and stems of the plant, forming brown spots on them in July and August. By this time the fungus, which first penetrated the tissue of the leaf, has thrust forth through the stomates its conidia-bearing filaments. The leaves soon afterward die. Next the tubers are attacked and decay, either in a moist manner, attended by a disagreeable odor, or by a drying up of the tissue. The potato disease first appeared in the United States. In 1845-1847 it caused the failure of the potato crop in Ireland, producing famine. It has never since completely disappeared. When it is prevalent, the potatoes should be powdered with flowers of sulphur before be ing planted.
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Potato Fly
a dipterous insect of the same genus with the radish fly, cabbage fly, turnip fly. In its perfect state it is very like the house fly. The potato-frog fly (Euteryx solani, Curtis) and the caterpillar of the death's-head moth (Acherontia atropos, Linn.) feed on the leaves and stems of potatoes, but rarely do serious damage.
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Potato-flux
If a raw potato is fastened on the end of a bar and thrust into a ladle of cast iron and held there, the escaping steam will cause a violent ebullition, which thoroughly mixes and cleanses the mass. The dirt rises to the surface, and may be removed with the skimmer. See POLLING.
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Potemkin
GREGORY ALEXAN- DROVITCH, a Russian general, a favorite of the Empress Catharine II.; born in September, 1736; descended from an ancient Polish family, and early trained to the military profession. From 1776 till his death, he exercised a boundless sway over the destinies of the empire. In 1783 he suppressed the khanate of the Crimea, and annexed it to Russia. In 1787, being desirous of expelling the Turks from Europe, he stirred up a new war, in the course of which he took Oczakoff (1788). In the following year he took Bender, but as the finances of Russia were now exhausted Catharine was desirous of peace. Potemkin, however, resolved on conquering Constantinople, and went to St. Petersburg to win over the empress to his side (March, 1791); but during his absence Catharine sent plenary powers to Prince Repnin, who signed a treaty of peace. Potemkin died in Nicolaieff, Oct. 16, 1791.
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Potence
A bracket used for supporting the lower end of the balance staff in full plate watches.
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Potential
in electricity, a term that level does to gravity. The potential of the earth is taken at zero. Potential in physics is the sum of each mass-element of the attracting body divided by the distance of that element from the attracted point. Also, capable of being exerted, though not acting at the particular moment.
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Potential Energy
Ability to develop power. A weight or spring when wound possesses potential energy or power to do work. The force multiplied by the distance through which it can pass is the amount of potential energy possessed.
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Potential Mood
that form of a verb which is used to express power, possibility, liberty, or necessity of an action or of being; as, he may go, you should write.
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Potentilla
cinquefoil, the typical genus of Potentillidæ. Flowers white or yellow, rarely red; calyx, five, rarely four lobed, with as many small bracts; petals, five, rarely four; style, short,
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Potenza
a town of southern Italy; in a valley of the Apennines; 103 miles E. by S. of Naples. It is surrounded by a wall, has a fine cathedral, and disused fortifications. Potenza was shaken by earthquakes in 1273, 1694, 1812, and 1857. Pop. (1917) 17,938. 1
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