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perform. These pins and staple's, by the revolution of the barrel,act upon the keys within, and give admission to the wind from thebellows to I he pipes. The barrel-organ is generally portable; andso contrived that the same action of the hand which turns the bar-rel, supplies the wind by giving motion to the bellows.

Organ, The Hydraulic, denotes a musical machine that

lays by water instead of wind. Of these there are several in

taiy, in the grottos of vineyards. Ctesebes of Alexandria, whoJived in the time of Ptolemy Euergetes , is said to have inventedorgans that played by compressing the air with water, as is stillpractised. Archimedes and Vitruvius have left us descriptions ofthe hydraulic organ. In the cabinet of Queen Christiana is abeautiful and large medallion of Valentinian , on the reversewhereof is seen one of these hydraulic organs; with two men, oneon the right, the other on the left, seeming to pump the waterwhich plays it, and to listen to its sound. It has only eight pipesplaced on a round pedestal. The inscription is placea spetri.

ORGANICAL, in the ancient music, was that part performedby instruments. See Music. The organical comprehendedthree kinds of instruments, viz. the wind-instruments, as trumpets,flutes, hautboys, &c. stringed instruments, as lutes, lyres, violins,harpsichords, &c. and pulsative instruments, or those played bybeating with the hands or sticks, as drums, &c. See Trum-pets, &c.

Organicai. Part, is that part of an animal, or plant, destinedfor (lie performance of some particular function.

Organicai. Disease, a disease in an organical part of thebody, whereby its function is impeded, suspended, or de-stroyed.

Organical Description op Curves, the method of de-scribing them on a plane by means of instruments. SeeCurve.

ORGANO, in music, signifies the thorough bass. It is usuallyscored with figures over the notes for the harpsichord, bass-viol,and lute.

Organo Picciolo, a chamber or little organ, used to play ina small room ; being about two or three teet high, that is, itslargest pipe is that length: it is made in a small bullet like the po-sitive, or little organ of a church.

OKGANY. See Origanum.

OHGANZINE, in commerce, a description of silk usually im-ported from Italy into this country. It is of the utmost import-ance to the manufacturer, as none of the principal articles couldbe fabricated without it; and the Italians , aware of this, long keptthe ail of throw ing it a most profound secret. It was introducedinto this country by the enterprise and skill of Messrs. Thomasand John Lombe, the latter having at the risk of his life, and with-wonderful ingenuity, taken a plan of one of these complicatedmachines, in the King of Sardinia 's dominions, from which, on hisreturn, they established a similar set of mills in the town of Der-by ; and in consideration of the great hazard and expence attend-ing the undertaking, a patent was granted to Sir Thomas Lombe,in 17IS, for securing to him the exclusive privilege of workingorganzine for the term of 14 years; hut the construction of build-ings and engines, and the instruction of the workmen took up somuch time, that the 14 years were nearly expired before he couldderive any advantage from it, in consequence of which he peti-tioned parliament, in 1731, to grant him a further term ; but par-liament considering it an object of national importance, grantedhim the sum of 14,000/. on condition that lie should allow a per-fect model of the machinery to he taken, and deposited in theTower of London for public inspection. Similar mills were, inconsequence, set up in different parts of the country ; but owingto the difficulties that were experienced in procuring raw silk ofthe proper size for the organzine, the exportation of which fromItaly was prohibited, and to the mills having subsequently foundemployment for other purposes, the quantities worked into organ-zme, for many years, bore scarcely any proportion to the importsfrom Italy ; it has, however, been since revived and improved, inconsequence of which it is now carried to a very considerable ex-tent.

ORGASM, [from c{y«w, to swell,! in medicine, denotes vio-lence or turgescency, and is used for ecstacy or impetuous desireof coition, occasioned hy a turgency of the seminal vessels, whichare no longer abie to restrain their contents. The ancients also

extend orgasm to the other humours, and even excrements,winch being accumulated, demand excretion. Quincy uses or-gasm for an impetuous or too quick motion of the blood orspirits; whereby the muscles are distended with an uncommonforce.

ORGAZ, a town of Spain , in New Castile, with a fort, 15 milesS. of Toledo. Lon. 3. 22. YV, Lat. 39. 3(1 N.

ORGIA, [from fury,] feasts and sacrifices in honour nfBacchus, held every third year, and chielly celebrated by wilddistracted women, called Baccha;.

OUGIVA, a town of Spain,, in Granada, 25 miles S. ot Gra-nada . Lon. 3. 50. YV. Lat. 36. 43. N.

OKGON, a river of Chinese Tartary, which runs into the Se-linque, in Lon. 124.0. E. Lat. 50. 0. N.

OIIGUES, in the military art, are thick long pieces of wood,pointed at one end, and shod with iron, clear one of another ;hanging each by a particular rope or cord, over the gateway of astrong place, perpendicularly, to be let fall in case of the approachof an enemy.

Orguks is also used for a machine composed of several harque-buss or musket-barrels bound together, by means whereof severalexplosions are made at the same tune. It is used to defend breachesand other places attacked.

ORCYA, [ojyw®,] an ancient Grecian measure containing sixfeet.

OR I A, a town of Naples, in Otranto , at the foot of the: Appennines; 40 miles N. V\ r . of Otranto . Lon. 17. 48. E. Lat.40. 39. N.

OR1AGO, a district of Italy , in Paduano.

Oriago, an agreeable market-town, in the above district, onthe S. bank of the Brenta.

ORIBASIA, in botany, a genus of the monogynia order, andpentamlria class ol plants; natural order, Stella!a;. Corolla small,tubulated,-monopetalous; pericarpium a globular berry, groovedlongitudinally, qumquelocular, one-seeded. There are six species,all natives of the warmer parts of America .

OUICHALCIl, OR1CHALCUM, or AURICHALCUM,a metallic substance resembling gold in colour, but very inferior invalue. It was well known to the old Romans, who often took ad-vantage of its resemblance to gold ; for some sacrilegious charac-ters, who could not resist the temptation of taking gold from tem-ples and other public places, choose to conceal their guilt by sub-stituting oriehaicum for It. It was thus that Julius Cai.-ar acted,when he robbed the capitol of 3000 pounds weight of gold ; inwhich he was followed by Vitellius , who despoiled the temples oftheir gifts and ornaments, and put this interior metal in their place.Respecting the etymology of the word there is great diversity ofopinions. Those who write it aurichalcum think it is composedof the Latin word aurum, gold, anti the Greek-x re *x“f, brass orcopper. The most general opinion is, however, that it is com-posed of a mountain, and ya\xns, alluding to its being foundin mountains. See Mem. of the Lit. and Philos. Soc. of Manch.vol. ii.

ORICL T M, or ORICUS, an ancient town of Epirus , with agood harbour, on the Ionian Sea .

ORIENT, or PORT L’ORIENT, a handsome sea-port-town of France, in the department of Morbihan , and late provinceof Bretagne , on the bay of St. Louis. Lon. 3. 22. \Y. Lat. 47.45. N.

Orient, or Oriens, in geography and astronomy, the east, oreast-point of the horizon; thus called, because it is the point wherethe sun rises.

ORIENTAL, situated towards the east with regard to us, inopposition to occidental.

ORIFICE, the mouth, or aperture of a tube, pipe, or othercavity. In anatomy, this term is particularly applied to themouths of the several ducts, vessels, and other cavities, as of thebladder, uterus, stomach, &c. See the article Bladder , &c. Itis also used for the aperture of a wound, or ulcer.

ORIGANUM, ORIGANY, or MARJORAM, a genus ofthe gymnospermia order, and didynamia class of plants; naturalorder, Y'erlicellatie. Strobile four-cornered, spiked, collectingthe calvxes. There are twelve species, with several varieties.

O. thcTAMNUs, Dittany of Crete, holds the first rankamong the medicinal plants produced in Crete . The praises be-stowed