The Meta-Encyclopedia

Single-source entries: S (126)

Each of these 11 subjects appears in only one of the 6 encyclopedias on this shelf. None is long enough to carry a page by itself, so they are gathered here by letter. Anything that grows moves out to a page of its own.

Stralsund

a seaport of Prussia; on a narrow strait called the Strela Sound, which divides the mainland from the island of Rügen; 67 miles N. W. from Stettin. It forms an island, connected with the mainland by bridges. Down to 1873 the place was a fortress of the first class. Many of the houses are finely gabled, which gives the town a quaint and ancient look. The most interesting building is the town house (1306), with a museum of antiquities from the island of Rügen. Stralsund carries on a large export trade in malt, corn, fish, wool, coal, groceries, etc., and manufactures leather, gloves, mirrors, earthenware, sugar, starch, oil, and playing cards. Pop. about 35,000. It was founded in 1209, and became one of the most important members of the Hansa. During the Thirty Years' War it successfully withstood terrible siege a (1628) by Wallenstein; but in 1678 it capitulated to the Great Elector after a furious bombardment. It again opened its gates to Prussia and her allies in 1715, to the French in 1807, and to the Danes and others in 1809. The town was held by the Swedes from 1628 to 1814; in the year following (1815) Denmark gave it up to Prussia.

Only in Collier's New Encyclopedia

Stramonium

a common thorn apple. It is a stout, ill-scented weed widely diffused on both sides of the Atlantic. In Virginia the stramonium is called James-town weed or jimson weed. A powerful drug is extracted from the leaves and seeds. This extract is a narcotic, and has much the same effect as belladonna, to which, indeed, stramonium is a near relative. The drug, stramonium, is a remedy for convulsions, epilepsy, and certain forms of mania. The leaves are smoked to relieve asthma. It is said that the priests of the Delphic oracle took stramonium to produce the frenzy with which they were supposed to be inspired.

Only in Aiton's Encyclopedia

Strangury

a symptom of various affections of the urinary organs. It consists in a frequent and irresistible desire to pass water, the urine being discharged in small quantity and accompanied with scalding, cutting pains in the urethra, which sometimes extend to the bladder, the kidneys, and the rectum. Strangury may be caused by idiopathic urethritis, by gonorrhea, or by such irsu ritating ing substances as cantharides and oil of turpentine, or by gravel or calculus in the bladder.

Only in Collier's New Encyclopedia

Stransky

JOSEF, an orchestral conductor, born in Czecho-Slovakia, in 1872. He was educated in the universities of Prague and Leipzig, and studied music at the latter city and at Vienna. From 1898 to 1903 he was conductor at the Opera in Prague. From 1903 to 1910 he was conductor of the Opera at Hamburg. He followed this with service in orchestras in Berlin and Dresden. In 1911 he was appointed conductor of the Philharmonic Society of New York. He composed songs, many operas, and much orchestra music.

Only in Collier's New Encyclopedia

Strap

The belt, of leather or other material, used for lifting cores into the mould. Also, a strip of flat iron screwed fast to a pattern for the purpose of pulling it out of the sand. A hole at the top serves to insert the hook, and a toe set in under the bottom materially assists the short screws which bind it to the pattern. Straps are always best when they are inlaid flush with the face. Long iron straps with two or more tapped holes are to be preferred for securing sweeps to the spindle-arm; they are better than washers and nuts, especially when each bolt has a hole forged at the end for a pointed bar, instead of the usual head for the wrench. See BELT; SWEEP-BOARD.

Only in The Encyclopedia of Founding

Strategy

the science, as distinguished from the art of war; the direction of a campaign; the combination and employment of his available forces, by a commander-in-chief, to bring a campaign to an end, end, as distinct from the minor operations by which it is sought to effect that result, and which are subsidiary to the general plan (See TAC- TICS). Also the use of artifice, stratagem, or finesse in carrying out any project.

Only in Collier's New Encyclopedia

Strathmore

the general name given to the extensive valley of Scotland which stretches N. E. from Dumbartonshire to Kincardineshire, having on one side the Grampians and on the other the Campsie, Ochil, and Sidlaw Hills; but it is popularly limited to the district which stretches from Methven in Perthshire to Brechin in Forfarshire.

Only in Collier's New Encyclopedia

Stratigraphy

that department of geology which deals with the disposition or arrangement of strata, or the order in which they succeed each other.

Only in Collier's New Encyclopedia

Strauss, David Frederick

David Frederick (1808-1874), a noted German theologian and writer. Strauss was educated at the universities of Tubingen and Berlin. While lecturing in the University of Tubingen he wrote a Life of Christ in which he sought to prove that the gospel history is mythical in character,--that Christ is hardly to be regarded as an historical character. This work was translated into many languages and created quite a storm. It cost Strauss his university position. Later he was appointed to a professorship in Zurich, but there was so much opposition that he was pensioned and dismissed. He spent the remainder of his life at Stuttgart, Darmstadt, and elsewhere, writing works chiefly controversial in support of the position taken in his Life of Christ.

Only in Aiton's Encyclopedia

Straw Bail

worthless security furnished by an offender against the law for his appearance for trial, the bonds given being fraudulent statements of property owned by the person offering it.

Only in Collier's New Encyclopedia

Streator

a city in Lasalle co., III.; on the Vermilion river, and on the Burlington Route, the Chicago and Alton, the Wabash, the New York Central, the Chicago, Ottawa and Peoria, and the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fé railroads; 93 miles S. W. of Chicago. It is the trade center of a large agricultural and coal district. There are also valuable clay deposits in the city. Here are a high school, public library, park, waterworks, street railroad and electric light plants, several National banks, and a number of daily and weekly newspapers. The city has extensive glass works, foundries, machine shops, flour mills, planing mills, brick works, etc. Pop. (1910) 14,253; (1920) 14,779.

Only in Collier's New Encyclopedia