ANODYNE (α privative, and 0δυw7, pain), denotes etymologically anything which relieves pain. The common usage of the word restricts it, however, to medicines which lessen the sensibility of the brain or nervous system, without acting directly on the cause of pain. The anodynes generally employed are opium, henbane, hemlock, tobacco, stramonium, and*chloroform.

to pour oil upon, Gen. xxviii, 18; xxxi, 13. The setting up of a stone and anointing it by Jacob, as here recorded, in grateful memory of his celestial vision, probably became the occasion of idolatry in succeeding ages, and gave rise to the erection of temples composed of shapeless masses of unhewn stone, of which so many astonishing remains are scattered up and down the Asiatic and the European world. Under the law persons and things set apart for sacred purposes were anointed with the holy oil; which appears to have been a typical representation of the communication of the Holy Ghost to Christ and to his church. See Exod. xxviii, xxix. Hence the Holy Spirit is called an _unction_ or _anointing_, 1 John ii, 20, 27; and our Lord is called the “Messiah,” or “Anointed One,” to denote his being called to the offices of mediator, prophet, priest, and king, to all of which he was consecrated by the anointing of the Holy Ghost, Matt. iii, 16, 17. When we hear of the anointing of the Jewish kings, we are to understand by it the same as their inauguration; inasmuch as anointing was the principal ceremony on such an occasion, 2 Sam. ii, 4; v, 3. As far as we are informed, however, unction, as a sign of investiture with the royal authority, was bestowed only upon Saul and David, and subsequently upon Solomon and Joash, who ascended the throne under such circumstances, that there was danger of their right to the succession being forcibly disputed, 1 Sam. x, 24; 2 Sam. ii, 4; v, 1–3; 1 Chron. xi, 1, 2; 2 Kings xi, 12–20; 2 Chron. xxiii, 1–21. The ceremony of regal anointing needed not to be repeated in every instance of succession to the throne, because the unction which the first one who held the sceptre in any particular line of princes had received was supposed to ...

ANOINTING, the practice of pouring an aromatic oil upon the head or over the whole body, has been in use from the earliest times among Oriental nations, from whom it passed, chiefly in its ceremonial application, to the nations of the west. It served three distinct purposes, being regarded as a means of health and comfort, as a token of honour, or as a symbol of consecration. Reasoning from analogy, it seems probable that anointing was practised for sanative reasons before it became a religious ceremonial, but it is impossible to determine this with certainty. Its adoption as a sanative agent was dictated chiefly by the conditions of climate in the East» Used as it generally was in conjunction with the bath, it closed the pores, repressed undue perspiration, and so prevented loss of strength. It was also regarded as a protection against the heat of the sun, and the oil, being aromatic, counteracted disagreeable smells. The anointing of the head as a token of honour paid to guests and strangers is mentioned in Scripture (Ps. xxiii. 5; Luke vii. 46), and was customary among the Egyptians (Wilkinson’s Ancient Egyptians, ii. 213), the Greeks, and the Romans. Anointing as a symbol of consecration was practised among the Jews from the time of the exodus from Egypt, as part of the ceremonial investiture with the sacred offices of prophet (1 Kings xix. 16), priest (Exod. xxix. 7), and king (1 Sam. ix. 16). It does not seem to have been essential to the consecration of a prophet, and, as each individual holder of the office of priest or king was not anointed, it has been generally inferred that in these cases it was essential only at the consecration of a new line or dynasty. The titles Messiah and Christ, both meaning anointed, are applied to our Saviour as the anti-typical ...