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ACADEMIES OF SCIENCE-ACANTHURUS

Jules Lemaitre.

Anatole France.

Costa de Beauregard.

Gaston Bruno Paulin Paris.

One of the first duties of the newly elected academician is to deliver, before the Academy, a eulogy on the academician to whose seat he succeeds. The Academy is the highest authority on all pertaining to the French language, grammar, rhetoric, or poetry, and a chair in its classic precincts is the supreme ambition of every literary Frenchman. See ACADEMY, Vol. I, p. 74-5.

ACADEMIES OF SCIENCE. American learned societies bearing names other than that of "Academy" will be found at SOCIETIES, Vol. XXII, pp.

222-228.

The AMERICAN ACADEMY OF MEDICINE is composed of fellows and honorary members, the former consisting of physicians possessing an A.B. degree from a respectable college, or giving evidence of training equivalent thereto. Honorary members shall not exceed 5 to each 100 fellows, the qualification being the contribution of important matter to medical science, in addition to standing in the profession. The objects of the Academy are to associate physicians who are alumni of academic or scientific colleges; to encourage persons intending to become physicians to pursue a course of study leading to a bachelor degree; to investigate and discuss the various problems of medical sociology. An official paper, the Bulletin, is published by the Academy. The membership in 1896 consisted of 18 honorary members and 628 fellows.

The NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES is an organization the object of which is to make the knowledge of specialists available for the service of the govern

ment.

The membership is composed of two classes, those in mathematics and physics and those in natural history. Incorporation, by act of Congress, took place March 3, 1863. When called upon by any department of the government the expense of the investigations, experiments, examinations and reports are paid for from special appropriation. The membership in 1896 was 113, composed of 88 ordinary members, I honorary member and 24 foreign associates.

The AMERICAN ACADEMY OF POLITICAL AND SoCIAL SCIENCE was formed in 1889 for the purpose of promoting the political and social sciences. Its growth was rapid, the membership in 1896 being 2,500, including residents of every state, as well as 34 foreign countries. Annual meetings are held in January, the yearly fee is $5, and life membership $100.

The AMERICAN ACADEMY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES, of Boston, is second in point of date among the learned societies of the United States. It was incorporated in 1780, with the object of furthering the study of the antiquities and natural history of the country.

The ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES, of Philadelphia, has one of the largest natural history museums in the world, especially rich in conchology, and a natural history library of 35,000 volumes. It was founded in 1812, and was incorporated in 1817.

The CONNECTICUT ACADEMY OF ARTS AND SCI

ENCES was incorporated at New Haven in 1799. At first only devoted to matters connected with the state of Connecticut, it now embraces the entire field of science and art.

The NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES was incorporated in 1817 under the name of THE LYCEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY, assuming its present title in 1876. The annuals issued by this academy since 1823 have been valuable contributions to the scientific literature of the country.

Baltimore has the Maryland Academy of Science and Literatare, founded in 1837; Cleveland, the Academy of Natural Science, founded in 1852; Indianapolis, the Academy of Science; Madison, the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters, founded in 1870; Minneapolis, the Minnesota Academy of Natural Science, founded in 1873; New Orleans, the Academy of Science, founded in 1853; Rochester, the Academy of Natural Science, founded in 1881; Topeka, the Kansas Academy of Science, founded in 1867.

Academies of science were founded in the following named cities at the dates given: San Francisco, 1853; St. Louis, 1856, incorporated 1857; Chicago, 1857, incorporated 1865; Davenport, 1867.

The term academy is also applied to those collegiate seminaries in which young men are educated for the army and navy. In the United States there are two of these institutions under governmental control-the Military Academy, located at West Point, New York (see ARMY, Vol. II, p. 619), and the Naval Academy, at Annapolis, Maryland (see NAVY, Vol. XVII, p. 301).

ACAJUTLA, a seaport town of the republic of Salvador, Central America. It lies on the Pacific Ocean, about 40 miles west of San Salvador, the capital city. It was once a large and important town, and during the Spanish control the only port of the state. It is still the second in importance in Salvador, and a considerable export trade in Peruvian balsam is carried on. But the town is extremely dilapidated. Aside from the rude huts of the workmen, there exist only the custom-house, the residence of the officer of the port, and a large, ancient warehouse.

ACANTHACEÆ, a large family of gamopetalous plants; many of which, as the Thunbergia, the Justicia and the Aphelandra, are held in high esteem for the beauty of their flowers. They are known by their opposite leaves, irregular corollas, two or four stamens, and two-celled pods, in which the seeds are borne on hooklike projections. ACANTHASPIS, fossil fishes found in the limestone of Ohio. They are buckler-headed, and somewhat resemble Cephalaspis.

ACANTHOPHIS, a small, venomous serpent characterized by a horny spine at end of the tail. The death-adder of Australia is a well-known species of this genus.

ACANTHURIDÆ, a family of fishes which are commonly known as lancet-fishes or surgeon-fishes. They are characterized by the presence of sharp spines on the side of the tail. The name signifies thorn-tailed.

ACANTHURUS popularly known as the Surgeon,

A CAPPELLA-ACCIDENT

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Doctor or Barber, is a tropical sea-fish of the Acanth- of sale. Under a provision in the English statute of urida.

A CAPPELLA, a term used, in music, to signify church or chapel style of music. Modern musicians use the expression more usually to signify a vocal composition sung without accompaniment, as was customary with the musical compositions of the primitive church. When an accompaniment is used, the use of the expression signifies that the instruments are intended to play in unison with the voices.

ACARIDÆ OR MITES, a group of minute animals belonging to the family Acarida, which is the lowest order of arachnids. The itch-mites (Sarcoptes) and the mites living in cheese and flour (Tyroglyphus) are typical representatives of the

group.

ACARUS. On grounds of priority, the name Demodex has been substituted for Acarus. DEMODEX, in these Supplements.

ACCAD OR AKKAD AND ACCADAI. BABYLONIA, Vol. III, pp. 184, 185.

ACCA LAURENTIA OR LARENTIA. ARVAL BROTHERS, Vol. II, p. 671.

frauds (a provision which has been adopted in most of the states of this country) the acceptance must be accompanied by delivery of some part of the goods to create a binding oral contract for the sale of goods. Acceptance of the rent due, or a part thereof, destroys the effect of a notice to vacate premises for default in payment of rent, and is often a waiver of the right to forfeit a lease for other causes. For discussion of acceptance of commercial paper, see Vol. I, p. 82.

ACCEPTANTS OR CONSTITUTIONISTS, the name applied to the Jesuits of France who in 1713 accepted the bull Unigenitus, issued by Pope Clement XI. As opposed to them, the Jansenists, Appellants or Recusants rejected the bull and appealed to a general council.

ACCEPTILATION, literally the bearing of a See receipt, means, in Roman and Scotch law, the imaginary discharge of a debt or other obligation growSee ing out of a verbal contract, with a declaration that the terms of the contract have been fulfilled when See they have not. Hence, by transference to theology, the word is used of the forgiveness of sins by God for the sake of Jesus Christ.

ACCELERANDO, a musical term used to signify a gradually increasing velocity of movement. ACCELERATOR, a term used in the science of ballistics to signify a cannon which has supplementary powder-chambers, the charges of which, exploding in succession after the ignition of the main or primary charge, are intended to accelerate the speed of the projectile. The term is also used, in anatomy, to describe a muscle whose function is to expedite the discharge of urine.. The word is also used, in photography, to describe those chemical substances which shorten the time necessary for the development of sensitized plates or paper.

ACCENT. For the accents used on words and syllables, see ACCENT, Vol. I, pp. 80-82 and SPEECH SOUNDS, Vol. XXII, pp. 381-390. In music the term accent is employed to denote that the stress or emphasis is to be placed by the performer. The first note inside the bar is always accented, while other accents can be placed where wanted by the use of the sign>. A proper grouping of accents will produce rhythm. Arbitrary accentuation can be placed by the performer in executing the composition.

In mathematics various marks of accentuation are employed, feet and inches being denoted by the use of a single and double accent; as, for instance, 30' 10"; i. e., 30 feet, 10 inches. Minutes and seconds, in Minutes and seconds, in horology, are denoted in a similar manner, as are also the minutes and seconds made use of in trigonometry.

ACCENTOR. See Hedge-Sparrow, under SPARROW, Vol. XXII, p. 369.

ACCEPTANCE, in law, is the receipt of, or acquiescence in, something furnished or some act done in recognition or performance of a contract. A person is said to accept an offer, the service of a notice, a bid, the terms of a contract, rent, or goods delivered, when he performs some act indicating acquiescence. By the common law the oral acceptance of an offer of sale constituted a valid contract

ACCESSORY, in painting, is any part of a picture which is not an essential motive or center of interest, but is introduced for the purpose of enhancing the effectiveness of the main object; thus, for example, the furniture, the drapery, and the ground on which the principal subject is represented, are termed the accessories, and a fault of paying too much attention to them is one of the criticisms often applied to painters.

ACCIDENS OR PER ACCIDENS, an expression signifying not inherent in essence or substance. The object to which a quality per accidens is attributed is not affected either by the presence or the absence of that quality, but if it is per se, it is not separable from the object. Thus, if we predicate the two qualities, racer and Arabian, the former is separable without at all affecting the horse, being but an accidental quality, or per accidens, while the latter is inseparable, being per se.

ACCIDENT, IN LAW. An accident, in the strict legal sense, is an injurious happening which occurs unexpectedly in the performance of a lawful act and without negligence on the part of any one other than the person injured. Under such conditions no action, either civil or criminal, can be supported for damages on account of the accident. Generally, when the person who is injured has, through negligence or misconduct, contributed toward causing the accident, he cannot recover damages on account of the injuries sustained unless willful negligence on the part of the defendant contributed to the injury.

Courts of equity have jurisdiction to extend relief in many cases where hardship would arise through accident, as where bonds or notes are destroyed or lost, or have been so defectively executed that they could not be enforced in a court of law. But equity will not relieve a party from the obligations assumed in his contract, which he has undertaken to perform without reserving any conditions, even though performance has become impos

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ACCIDENT OR CASUALTY INSURANCE

sible through inevitable accident. Thus where one undertakes to erect a building, and the building is destroyed by fire, without the fault of any one, before it is completed or accepted, he must rebuild before he is entitled to compensation. And, generally, where demised premises are injured or destroyed by fire or accident, the tenant who has covenanted to pay rent will not be relieved therefrom, and if he has by his lease agreed to keep the premises in repair, he must rebuild, after the accidental destruction of the buildings, at his own expense, in addition to paying the stipulated rent. This rule does not apply when the demised premises are only a part of the building, and it has been altered by statute in some states. See ACCIDENT, Vol. I, p. 83.

ACCIDENT OR CASUALTY INSURANCE IN THE UNITED STATES. From the insurance of persons against injuries from casualties and against death from purely accidental causes, which was undertaken as accident insurance originally in this country, as it had been in Great Britain, the business of casualty insurance has come to include not only personal accident insurance, but several other forms of indemnity for loss from happenings which are problematical, both as to the extent of the loss or the time of occurrence, if at all. Accident insurance proper-i. e., the injury or death of persons from accident--first took form, in the United States, at Hartford, Connecticut, in 1863, by the organization of the Travelers Insurance Company, largely to cover the risk of persons traveling by rail and other public conveyances. A year later the company commenced business, and has continued in the field ever since. In 1866 the Railway Passengers' Insurance Company was also formed at Hartford, and did a large business until 1878, when it was consolidated with the Travelers. In 1874 the Hartford Accident Insurance Company was formed, but soon ceased business. All other purely personal accident companies have been organized since the above date, and all of the latter now in existence were organized since 1883. Until within a very few years the accident business has been conducted by jointstock companies, but since 1881 a large number of companies or associations have appeared and disappeared, formed to do business on the mutual plan. Originally, an entrance or membership fee was charged and an amount fixed as annual dues, all other funds required for the payment of claims being provided by the assessment of members. A good inany of the smaller associations still pursue this plan, but the leading mutual associations now usually collect of the insured, upon the issue of the policy, a definite sum, presumably sufficient to carry the risk during the year, reserving the right, however, under the constitution and by-laws, to assess the members, if necessary. Of these associations, there were, at the close of 1895, 52, great and small, ranging in age from 10 and 12 years to a few months. Of this number the bulk of the business on the mutual plan is transacted by less than twenty companies, many of the younger companies, however, showing signs of a rapid growth.

The stock companies transacting accident insurance as applied to persons numbered 13 in 1895,

and do the larger portion of the business, or just about double that of the assessment companies. Several of these transact a casualty business, covering the liability of employers for injury by accident to their employees, elevator accidents, breakage of plate glass, accidents to steam-boilers, and loss to employers, individual or corporate, by the dishonesty of their employees. Several companies are in the field which transact exclusively a guaranty or surety business. For a consideration, a government or bank employee, or a man assuming a place of trust and financial responsibility requiring a bond of indemnity of any kind, can secure the necessary bond of a guaranty or surety company. This class of companies does a very large and increasing and generally profitable business. PLATE GLASS INSURANCE has also assumed large proportions, although the number of companies engaged exclusively in plate glass insurance is only five. Two or three other casualty companies, however, do a large plate glass business concurrently with other casualty branches. The business in this country dates back to 1867, when the first plate glass insurance company-the United States Plate Glass-was formed in Philadelphia. A year later a New Jersey company entered the field, and three New York companies were organized later, respectively in 1874, 1876 and 1891. STEAM-BOILER INSURANCE has also assumed large proportions and involves a system of rigid inspection by the insuring company. The business was first transacted in this country, in 1866, by the Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company, and since that time the business has become a branch of several other companies doing a general casualty business, two companies only being exclusively devoted to steam-boiler insurance.

Of all forms of casualty insurance, that included under the general term of EMPLOYERS' LIABILITY has made the most rapid advance, as, with one exception, it is in this country the most recent. Burglary insurance is the latest form, transacted by three or four companies, one of them only being organized distinctively as a burglary insurance company. The companies writing employers' liability risks include all but three of those transacting a personal accident business, it being closely akin to that form of insurThe companies engaged in employers' liability insurance also include liability of landlords, of common carriers, public liability and workmen's collective insurance. Two of them also insure against breakage of machinery.

ance.

A class of companies has also come into the field during the nine years (1896), some of them quite recently, to insure titles to real estate and guarantee bonds and mortgages, and one company essays to insure against loss from bad debts. In fact, insurance against almost every substantial form of casualty-using that term in its broadest sense seems at present to be provided for in this country.

The growth of accident insurance proper, in the United States, has been wellnigh marvelous, while the other forms of casualty insurance above named have fully kept pace with it. The following summary, by stated periods since 1879, will fully justify our assertion.

ACCIDENTAL COLORS-ACCOMAC

ACCIDENT INSURANCE.- STOCK COMPANIES.

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Losses Paid.

$563,024 1,148,708 2,184,360 2,731,892

MUTUAL OR ASSESSMENT COMPANIES.-ACCIDENT.

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Paid for Claims.

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in 1880.

1,074,715

Claims Paid.

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an entirely satisfactory basis for rate-making, policy conditions and methods of management generally, but in the spring of the present year (1896) the principal companies succeeded in the formation of a compact, by the terms of which uniform rates are to be charged, based on a combined experience with the several classes of risks, uniform policy contracts used, commissions to agents regulated, and a systematic handling of the business generally adopted. It is believed that safe and satisfactory results will thus be attained. In the evolution of the accident business, as applied to the death or injury of persons, $325,852 the companies have gradually extended the scope of 981,659 the promised indemnity, materially liberalized their policy conditions and removed or modified ambiguous clauses, presenting on the whole a very satisfactory contract, and rapidly increasing their business without increasing the loss ratio. In addition to the payment of a stipulated sum for death by accident, specific indemnity is now guaranteed for the loss of one or of both eyes, one or both limbs, or one or both feet, while by the addition of about one fifth to the ordinary premium rate double indemnity is promised for death or disabling injury while riding upon railways and other public lines of travel. Some companies also agree to pay a stipulated weekly benefit for a partially disabling accident, the usual in$437.779 demnity being for total disability. That the personal accident business has grown since 1879 from less than a hundred and fifty millions of dollars of risks in force to over two thousand millions, with premium receipts augmented from considerably less than one and a half millions to over eight and a half millions of dollars, strikingly shows the trend of the business in the United States. A. H. HULING. ACCIDENTAL COLORS are visionary complementary colors, seen when the eye is suddenly turned away from a bright-colored object upon which it has been fixed. If we look steadily at a red spot on a white ground, and then turn the eye quickly to another part of the ground, a green spot appears.

$563,024 1,474,560 3,166,019 3,806,607

Losses Paid.

2,090,514

Losses Paid.

$159.323
227,631
395,655

Losses Paid.

$37,018
145,381

329 927
417,656

Losses Paid.

$30,256
17,547

142,146
154,502

The entire business above tabulated (assessment accident insurance excepted) for 1895 was transacted by 26 companies, having an aggregate cash capital of $11,729,600. Three of these also transact the business of life insurance in all its branches. Three of the 26 companies are foreign, two being British and one Canadian, the latter transacting exclusively a guaranty business and the two others writing accident, employers' liability and guaranty insurance. Some of the forms of casualty insurance, especially employers' liability in its various forms, have not had a sufficiently extended experience, as to time, to afford

ACCIDENTAL LIGHTS, in painting, the real or artificial combinations of light and shade. When a ray of light throws into prominence the principal part of a picture, it is necessary to connect this. luminous portion with other parts of the picture by picking out, with delicate touches, the various objects represented in it. These rays of light, illuminating the prominent parts of the picture, produce spots of great brilliancy, which increase the beauty of the objects represented. In landscape-painting, the rays of light coming through masses of foliage are termed accidental.

ACCIPITRES OR RAPTORES, an order of birds, which includes the typical birds of prey. The distinguishing characteristics are the strongly hooked bills, which occur elsewhere only in parrots, and the strong four-toed feet, with three toes in front. Eagles, owls, hawks and vultures are representatives of the order.

ACCOMAC OR DRUMMONDTOWN, the capital town of Accomac County, Virginia, within 3 miles of the Atlantic Ocean, and about 95 miles E. of Richmond. It is the center of a fertile agricultural district and is 2 miles from Tasley station, on a branch oper

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ACCOMMODATION PAPER-ACESIUS

ated by the Pennsylvania railroad. Population 1896, correct; as in the case of one party receiving a

512.

ACCOMMODATION PAPER. Accommodation paper is commercial paper, such as promissory notes or bills of exchange, drawn, accepted or indorsed, without consideration, for the purpose of lending credit for the benefit and accommodation of another. Contrary to the general rule which applies to commercial paper, an accommodation drawer, acceptor, and the like, cannot avail himself of the defense of a want of consideration, when this class of commercial paper is held by a purchaser for value, even though such purchaser knew that no consideration passed between the parties to the paper. Any other rule would defeat the purpose of this well-established method of lending credit. See ACCOMMODATION, Vol. I, p. 90.

ACCOMPANIMENT, in music, is the aiding of a solo by other parts, which may consist of a whole orchestra or a single instrument, or even subservient vocal parts. It serves to elevate and beautify the solo part, and is subject to certain rules for composition as well as for performance.

ACCOMPLICE. An accomplice is one who is associated with another in the commission of a crime, whether as principal or accessary. The term accomplice is frequently applied to one of many, equally concerned in a felony, who is permitted to testify against the others concerned in the crime, and thereby receive a lighter punishment than would. otherwise be given. It is not on account of any provisions of the law that an accomplice, who testifies fully and without reserve against those associated with him in the crime, is given a lighter punishment, and in some cases discharged without punishment, but through a judicial custom or practice which has developed for the furtherance of justice.

ACCORD AND SATISFACTION is the substitution of a new agreement between the parties, in satisfaction of the old agreement, and the execution or performance of the new agreement. To constitute a defense to a suit on a contract on the ground of accord and satisfaction, the new agreement substituted must have been fully performed. At common law, accord without satisfaction was not a good defense to a suit upon the original obligation. The payment, by a debtor, of a part of his debt in satisfaction of the entire debt does not constitute a valid satisfaction, even when accepted as such, unless some part of the debt be disputed or contingent, or some other element enters into the transaction which may constitute a valid consideration for the satisfaction. Accord and satisfaction must be by the debtor or his agent, and not by a stranger to the transaction. ACCOUNT, a statement, written or printed, of whatever is subjected to a commercial reckoning, used especially of such a statement of debits and credits, or of receipts and expenditures. A statement of particulars of an open, running and unsettled business transaction, as between a merchant and his customer, is called an account current. An account which has been adjusted, and in which a balance has been struck, is known as an account stated. The same term is also used of an account which, by implication, is presumed to be

statement from another and retaining it without objection. Account, in the common law, otherwise known as account render, is an action— now nearly obsolete -lying against one who refuses to render an account which, by virtue of his position or office, ought to have been rendered. Account stated is a form of action by statute in many states. The only issue raised in this action is, whether or not an account has been rendered and accepted by the debtor. The acceptance may be by express admission of its correctness by the debtor, or by implied acquiescence, through his failure to make objection within a reasonable time. When an acceptance is thus established, the correctness of the various items composing the account cannot be called in question except for fraud or mistake. Courts of equity have general jurisdiction in the settlement of involved and disputed accounts, which are too complicated to be determined in a court of law, but equity follows the law in refusing to interfere with accounts stated. See ACCOUNT, Vol. I, p. 91.

ACCRETION, land gradually formed by water deposits along the shore of a river or sea, belonging, except in cases of sudden formation, to property owners adjacent. If the deposit form an island in a stream, it will belong to the owner of the land on whose side of the stream it is formed, but if the island is situated on the center line, the owner on each side of the stream is entitled to that part of the island which is on the side of the line adjacent to his property.

ACCUBATION, the ancient Oriental practice of eating at meals in a reclining posture, though not mentioned by Homer, was in general use in the historic times of Greece and Rome. The guests lay upon the breast or the left side, upon cushioned couches somewhat higher than the table, three sides of which were usually thus occupied, the middle place being considered the position of honor.

ACCUMULATORS OR SECONDARY CELLS. See ELECTRICITY, § 109, in these Supplements. ACCUMULATION, in law, is the adding to the principal the income or interest of a fund, as provided by will or deed.

ACELDAMA OR AKELDAMA. The name given by the Jews to the field, near the city of Jerusalem, purchased by the chief priests with the thirty pieces of silver for which Judas betrayed Jesus Christ. The "field of blood," as the word means in the original Aramaic, is now shown to travelers on the southern face of the valley of Hinnom and to the southwest of the supposed pool of Siloam. It is also called the "potter's field," and, from its use as a place of interment for friendless strangers, has furnished a synonym now in use in almost every large American city. See Matt. xxvii. 6, 7; Acts i. 19.

ACEPHALOCYSTS, a name sometimes applied to the encysted stage of a certain tapeworm (Tania echinococcus). It was formerly considered an adult parasitic animal. See TAPEWORMS, Vol. XXIII, p. 49.

ACESIUS, a bishop of Constantinople, of the third. century. He favored the teaching of Novatianus.

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