LAW.
Sherpa Any member of a mountain-dwelling people of Nepal and of Sikkim state, India. Sherpas are of Tibetan culture and descent and speak a Tibetan dialect. They make a living spinning and weaving wool, along with farming and cattle breeding. They have won international renown as porters in the high Himalayas. They number about 120,000.
Sherrington, Sir Charles Scott (b. Nov. 27, 1857, London, Eng.—d. March 4, 1952, Eastbourne, Sussex) English physiologist. By studying animals whose cerebral cortexes had been removed, he showed that reflexes are integrated activities of the total organism, not based on isolated “reflex arcs.” Sherrington’s law states that when one set of muscles is stimulated, muscles opposing their action are inhibited. He showed that the role of proprioception in reflexes that maintain upright posture against gravity is independent of cerebral function and skin sen¬ sation. His work influenced the development of brain surgery and treat¬ ment of nervous disorders, and he coined the terms neuron and synapse. His classic work is The Integrative Action of the Nervous System (1906). In 1932 he shared a Nobel Prize with Edgar Adrian (1889-1977).
sherry Fortified wine of Spanish origin. It takes its name from the prov¬ ince of Jerez de la Frontera in Spain. Essential to its taste is the action of flor, a mildewlike growth encouraged by a slight exposure to air after fer¬ mentation. Also unique is the solera system of blending wines of many vintage years. Sherry is fortified after fermentation with high-proof brandy to 16-18% alcohol. It is served primarily as an aperitif, though sweeter, heavier sherries are used as dessert wines.
Sherwood, Robert E(mmet) (b. April 4, 1896, New Rochelle, N.Y., U.S.—d. Nov. 14, 1955, New York, N.Y.) U.S. playwright. Sherwood was a magazine editor in New York City and a member of the Algonquin Round Table, the centre of a New York literary coterie. He examined the pointlessness of war in his first play. The Road to Rome (1927). Idiot’s Delight (1936), Abe Lincoln in Illinois (1938), and There Shall Be No Night (1940) won Pulitzer prizes. In 1938 he cofounded the Playwrights’ Company, which became a major producing company. During World War II he wrote speeches for Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt and headed the over¬ seas branch of the Office of War Information (1941-44). His book Roosevelt and Hopkins (1948) won a Pulitzer Prize. Many of his plays were adapted for film; his original screenplays include The Best Years of Our Lives (1946, Academy Award).
Sherwood Forest Woodland, Nottinghamshire, England. A former royal hunting ground that is known for its association with the legendary Robin Hood, Sherwood Forest formerly occupied almost all of western Nottinghamshire and extended into Derbyshire. Today a reduced area of woodland remains between Nottingham and Worksop.
Shetland Islands or Zetland Islands Island group (pop., 2001: 21,988), Scotland. The Shetlands comprise some 100 islands located 130
Lancaster, Ohio, U.S.—d. Oct. 22,
John Sherman
COURTESY OF THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, WASHINGTON, D.C.
© 2006 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
Shetland pony ► Shilluk I 1739
mi (210 km) north of the Scottish mainland and about 400 mi (640 km) south of the Arctic Circle. They form the Shetland administrative region; the region’s capital is Lerwick. Fewer than 20 of the islands are inhabited. The northernmost part of Britain, the islands have fjordlike coasts and a climate warmed by the North Atlantic Current. The Norse ruled the Shet- lands from the 8th to the 15th century. In 1472 the islands, with Orkney, were annexed to the Scottish crown. They are famous for their livestock, which includes the Shetland pony and the Shetland sheep. The latter’s fine wool is used in the distinctive Shetland and Fair Isle knitted patterns. The North Sea oil industry has contributed to the economy.
Shetland pony Breed of pony that originated in Scotland’s Shetland Islands. Well adapted to the islands’ harsh climate and scant food supply, Shetlands were used as pack horses. Around 1850 they were taken to England to work in coal mines and to the U.S., where a more refined pony suitable for children was developed. Except for certain dwarf ponies, the Shetland is the smallest breed of horse. Its average height is about 40 in. (102 cm; Shetlands are not measured in hands). Shetlands are long-lived and need little care; they are gentle and even-tempered if properly trained.
Shetland sheepdog or sheltie Breed of sheepdog developed from a Scottish working dog to herd the small sheep of the Shetland Islands.
The sheltie resembles the rough- coated colue but in miniature; it stands 13-16 in. (33^11 cm). Sturdy and agile, it is noted for its herding ability, intelligence, and affectionate nature. Its long, straight coat is gen¬ erally black, brown, or blue-gray with black mottling.
Shevardnadze \,she-v3rd-'nad- zo\, Eduard (Amvrosiyevich)
(b. Jan. 25, 1928, Mamati, Georgia,
U.S.S.R.) Soviet foreign minister (1985-90, 1991) and head of state of Georgia (1992-2003). He rose in the Komsomol hierarchy to become first secretary of its central commit¬ tee in Georgia (1957-61). He later served as a member of the Soviet Union’s Central Committee (1976) and a full member of the Politburo (1985). As foreign minister under Mikhail Gorbachev, he implemented the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan in 1988, new arms treaties with the U.S., and the Soviet Union’s tacit acquiescence in the fall of the commu¬ nist regimes of eastern Europe (1989-90), while promoting the reform policies of glasnost and perestroika. After the Soviet Union’s collapse, he returned to the newly independent republic of Georgia, where he was elected chairman of the State Council (an office then equivalent to presi¬ dent) in 1992 and later that year chairman of parliament. He fought orga¬ nized crime and tried to find solutions for separatist violence in the Georgian provinces of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. After surviving an assassination attempt in August 1995, he was elected president of Geor¬ gia in November. His government faced numerous problems, including a failing economy and charges of corruption and cronyism. In addition, several elections were marred by allegations of irregularities and fraud. Faced with growing unrest, Shevardnadze resigned in November 2003.
Shi'a See ShTite shiatsu See acupressure
Shibusawa Eiichi X.shs-bii-'sa-wa-'a-i-cheV (b. March 16, 1840, Musashi province, Japan—d. Nov. 11, 1931, Tokyo) Japanese industrial¬ ist and government official. The son of wealthy peasants, he received samurai status from the shogun Tokugawa Yoshinobu (1837-1913). Fol¬ lowing the Meiji Restoration in 1868, he worked in the finance ministry of the new government. In 1873 he left to become the first president of Dai-ichi Bank (now Dai-ichi Kangyo Bank). In 1880 he organized the Osaka Spinning Mill, a major industrial success. He also created a cotton- spinners’ zaibatsu, or cartel, to help the industry and make mutually advan¬ tageous arrangements with shippers and merchandisers, a practice common in industrializing Japan. He helped create and manage many other companies, founded the Tokyo Chamber of Commerce and Bank¬ ers Assn., and, after retiring, was active in social welfare causes.
shigella \shi-'gel-3\ Any of the rod-shaped bacteria that make up the genus Shigella, which are normal inhabitants of the human intestinal tract and can cause dysentery, or shigellosis. Shigellae are gram-negative (see