Organism. Unit of being, animal or vegetable, whether a single cell or group of complex organs; the individual of any species. Micro-organism is used to designate organisms only visible by aid of the microscope without classifying them as animal or vegetable.

Organization of Industry. Increased productivity and diversification of the industrial system, arising not from efficiency of individual laborers, but from division of labor, introduction of competition, and growth of an employing class. Organization of U. S. Army. The present organization comprises 3 Major-generals, the senior commanding the army, the remaining 2 Major-generals and 6 Brigadier-generals commanding the 8 Military Departments into which the country is divided; Depts. of the Adjutant-general, the Inspector-general, the Judge Advocate-general, and the Quartermaster-general; Subsistence, Medical, and Pay Depts.; Corps of Engineers, Ordnance Department, Signal Corps, Record and Pension Office, Post Chaplains, and Military Academy; 10 Regiments of Cavalry, 5 of Artillery and 25 of Infantry. The troops are scattered all over the country in the military posts, not exceeding one regiment at each. The Departments are: 1. Department of the East, comprising New England, N. Y., N.J., Pa.. Del., Md., Va., W.V., N. and S. C., Ga., Fla.. La., Miss., Ala., Ky., Tenn., O., and the Dist. of Col., Headquarters at Governor's Island, N.Y. 2. Department of the Missouri, comprising Mich., Wis., Ind., Ill., Mo., Kan. and Ark., and the Ind. and Ok. Terr., Headquarters at Chicago. 3. Department of Dakota, comprising Minn., N. and S. Dak., and Mont., Headquarters at St. Paul, Minn. 4. Department of the Colorado, comprising Col. and Utah and the Terr. of Ariz. and N. Mex., Headquarters at Denver, Col. 5. Department of the Columbia, comprising Or., Wash. and Idaho and Terr. of Alaska, Headquarters at Vancouver Barracks, Wash. 6. Department of Cal., comprising Cal. and Nev., Headquarters at San Francisco, Cal. 7. Department of Texas, Texas, Headquarters at San Antonio. 8. Department of the Platte, comprising Ia., Neb. and Wy., and part of Idaho not in the Department of the Columbia, Headquarters at Omaha, Neb. There are 84 garrisoned posts and 42 posts not garrisoned. The 10 cavalry have 434 commissioned officers and 6,170 enlisted men, total 6,604: the 5 artillery have 283 commissioned and 4,025 enlisted, total 4,308: the 25 infantry have 877 commissioned and 13,125 enlisted, total of 14,002: the engineer battalion has 13 commissioned and 500 enlisted, a total of 513. The total strength of the army is 2,131 commissioned, 25,000 enlisted, 7 professors and 330 cadets of the Military Academy, 109 Indian scouts and soldiers, or a total of 27,577.

Organ Mountains. 1. Near the e. coast of Brazil, 40 m. n.e. of Rio de Janeiro; their peaks, as seen from Rio, resemble the pipes of an organ. Highest point 7,500 ft. 2. Mountain chain in the w. of Cuba.

Organ of Corti. See CORTI, ORGAN OF.

Organogeny. Production of organs. An organ is a definite, individual portion of organisms or individuals, which does a specific work needed for the welfare and integrity of the person (or bion).

Organography. Study of the organs of plants, i.e., root, stem, leaves, flowers, fruit, seed.

Organo-Metallic Compounds. Substances composed of a metal and an organic radical, as zinc ethide, Zn(C,H)2.

Organ Pipe. Tube of wood or metal, which in an organ contains a column of air capable of being set in vibration by a suitable mechanism at one end, called the mouthpiece. The pitch of the note decreases as the length of the column increases; also if the pipe be closed at the top its pitch is one octave lower than if open. See REED.

Organ Point. In Music, a note, generally in the bass, which is sustained unaltered while a long series of harmonies are woven above it. The effect is most frequently employed to develop a climax toward the close of a composition.

Organum. Early kind of harmony, consisting in a second melody so within that it would parallel a first at the interval of a fifth above or a fourth below.

Orgetorix. Helvetian who induced the migration of the Helvetii into Gaul ab. 59 B.C., though he died before this was accomplished. They were the first to encounter Cæsar.

Orgies. Secret rites or customs connected with the worship of the pagan deities. See BACCHANTES, MÆNADS, and

MYSTERIES.

Oriani, BARNABA, COUNT, 1752-1832. Italian writer, chiefly on astronomy.

Oribasius, 326-403. Greek of Pergamus, physician to Julian. His surviving works were pub. in 6 vols. 1852-76.

vided as to their date. The Vedic hymns, first in origin, were followed by an epic period, in which poets like Valmiki wrote. There are also dramatic works, as the Sakuntala, and a body of romantic poetry. Its most voluminous productions are found in the Brahmanas, the Sutras, and the Upanishads, the commentaries on the Vedas. In Arabic literature two periods are distinctly marked. Of the first, that before Islamism rose, the noted work is Moallakât, dating from the 6th century, a collection of poems by unknown authors. The second period begins with the Koran, and is rich in histories and romances. Persian literature has for its most ancient work the sacred books attributed to Zoroaster, the Zend Avesta. In its later growth the fable and the epic are prominent, and it is specially rich in lyric and elegiac verse. It has also many romances and tales, as the work of Firdausi. The historical novel is said to have originated here.

Oriental Province, or INDIAN PROVINCE. Zoological region including s. Asia and the Indian Archipelago (Borneo, etc.). Characteristic animals are the Indian buffalo, elephant, tiger, and pea-fowl.

Orientation. Process of placing a map or chart so that each line upon it is parallel to the corresponding line upon the ground, or placing a surveyor's transit so that the n. point of the circle coincides with the meridian.

Orientius. Gallic author of Commonitorium, a Christian poem, probably of 5th century, pub. 1888.

Orifice. See CONTRACTED VEIN and FLOW THROUGH AN ORIFICE.

Oriflamme. Banner of red silk, once belonging to the Abbey of St. Denis; made the royal standard by Louis VI. of France in 1124.

Origen, 185-254. Alexandrian presbyter, greatest of the Greek Fathers; called by F. D. Maurice "the man who had done more than all others to promote the study of the divine oracles, the teacher of pagans, strengthener of Christians, converter of nations." He taught at Alexandria and Cesarea, and was a confessor in the Decian persecution.

Origin. Fixed point in bilinear coördinates, determined by the intersection of the axes of reference.

Original Sin. Innate depravity; diseased condition of the soul, inherited from Adam. The Augsburg Confession says that this "is really sin, which condemns and causes eternal death." Arminians regard it as inherent, not as imputed, a defect of nature, not involving guilt.

Orinoco. River of Venezuela. It heads in the Sierra Parime, flows at first w., then n., and finally e. to the Atlantic, which it enters through an extensive delta. Near its head its waters divide, a small portion going off to the Amazon by way of the Casiquiari and Rio Negro. Length ab. 1,550 m. It is navigable for most of its course excepting the rapids, which