conversion disorder formerly hysteria In psychology, a neurosis marked by extreme emotional excitability and disturbances of psychic, sensory, vasomotor, and visceral functions. The earlier concept of hyste¬ ria was used frequently in the first half of the 20th century to explain a wide variety of symptoms and behaviours observed particularly in women. (The term hysteria derives from the Greek word for womb, reflecting the Greeks’ belief that the condition resulted from disturbances
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460 I conveyor belt ► Coolidge
of the uterus.) Disorders with symptoms similar to those of conversion disorder include factitious disorder, dissociative identity disorder, and per¬ sonality disorder (histrionic type).
conveyor belt One of various devices that provide mechanized move¬ ment of material, as in a factory. Conveyor belts are used in industrial applications and also on large farms, in warehousing and freight-handling, and in movement of raw materials. Belt conveyors of fabric, rubber, plas¬ tic, leather, or metal are driven by a power-operated roll mounted under¬ neath or at one end of the conveyor. The belt forms a continuous loop and is supported either on rollers (for heavy loads) or on a metal slider pan (if loads are light enough to prevent frictional drag on the belt). Motors operating through constant- or variable-speed reduction gears usually pro¬ vide the power.
convolvulus See bindweed
convoy Vessels sailing under the protection of an armed escort. Since the 17th century, neutral powers have claimed the right of convoy in war¬ time, providing warships to escort their merchantmen and keep them secure from search or seizure. In World War I the British organized trans¬ atlantic convoys protected by a cordon of warships; the same system pro¬ tected Allied shipping from German submarines during the Battle of the Atlantic in World War II. During the Iran-Iraq War (1980-90), oil tank¬ ers transiting the Strait of Hormuz into and out of the Persian Gulf were escorted by warships of the U.S. and other Western navies.
Conway, Thomas (b. Feb. 27, 1735, Ireland—d. c. 1800) General of the U.S. army during the American Revolution. Sent by France to aid the Revolutionary army, he fought in the Battles of Brandywine and German¬ town, then was promoted to major general by Congress, against the advice of George Washington. Conway advocated Washington’s replacement as commander in chief by Horatio Gates; his “plot,” called the Conway Cabal, was exposed, and he was forced to resign.
cony or coney Any of certain unrelated animals, including two mam¬ mals and two fishes. One mammalian cony is more commonly called a pika. The name cony was once applied to the rabbit and is still sometimes used in the fur business to indicate rabbit fur. The cony of the Old World and the Bible is an unrelated mammal, the hyrax. A variety of whitefish is also called cony, as are certain varieties of sea bass.
Cook, James known as Captain Cook (b. Oct. 27, 1728, Marton- in-Cleveland, Yorkshire, Eng.—d. Feb. 14, 1779, Kealakekua Bay, Hawaii) British sailor and explorer. He joined the Royal Navy (1755) and in 1763-67 surveyed the St. Lawrence River and the coast of Newfound¬ land. In 1768 he was appointed commander of the first scientific expe¬ dition to the Pacific. Sailing on the HMS Endeavour , he found and charted all of New Zealand and explored the eastern coast of Australia. That voy¬ age (1768-71) produced a wealth of scientifically collected material and was also notable for Cook’s successful prevention of scurvy among crew members. Promoted to commander, he was sent with two ships to make the first circumnavigation and penetration into the Antarctic. On that expe¬ dition (1772-75), which ranks as one of the greatest of all sailing-ship voyages, he successfully completed the first west-east circumnavigation in high latitudes. On a third voyage (1776-79) in search of a Northwest Passage around Canada and Alaska, he was killed by Polynesian natives on Hawaii.
Cook, Mt. See Mount Cook National Park
Cook, Thomas (b. Nov. 22, 1808, Melbourne, Derbyshire, Eng.—d. July 18, 1892, Leicester, Leicestershire) British innovator of the con¬ ducted tour. A Baptist missionary, in 1841 he arranged for a special train to be run to a temperance meeting; this was probably the first publicly advertised excursion train in England. He began to arrange excursions on a regular basis, and in 1856 he led his first grand tour of Europe. In the early 1860s he became an agent for the sale of travel tickets; with his son, John Mason Cook (1834-99), he founded the Thomas Cook & Son travel agency. In the 1880s the firm also organized military transport and postal services.
Cook Inlet Inlet, Gulf of Alaska in the northern Pacific Ocean. Bounded by the Kenai Peninsula on the east, it extends northeast for 220 mi (350 km), narrowing from 80 to 9 mi (129 to 14 km). Anchorage is situated near its head. It is a salmon and herring fishing ground and an oil field.
Cook Islands Island group (pop., 2005 est.: 13,900), southern Pacific Ocean. Located roughly 2,000 mi (3,000 km) northeast of New Zealand,
the 15 islands, scattered from north to south over some 900 mi (1,450 km) of ocean, are divided into a southern group of nine islands, includ¬ ing Raratonga (the seat of government), and a northern group of six. All in the northern group are true atolls; most in the southern group have vol¬ canic interiors. They were probably settled by Polynesians from Tonga and Samoa; there is evidence of a highly organized society c. ad 1100. Capt. James Cook explored many of them during the 1770s. Established as a British protectorate in 1888, they were annexed by New Zealand in 1901. Self-government in free association with New Zealand was achieved in 1965.
Cook Strait Strait, separating North and South islands of New Zealand. Extending from the Tasman Sea to the Pacific Ocean, it is about 14 mi (23 km) wide at its narrowest point and averages 420 ft (128 m) in depth. Both shores are lined with steep cliffs, and that of South Island is deeply embayed. Treacherous currents and fierce storms present serious hazards to navigation. Capt. James Cook explored the strait in 1770.
Cooke, (Alfred) Alistair (b. Nov. 20, 1908, Salford, Lancashire [now in Greater Manchester], Eng.—d. March 30, 2004, New York, N.Y., U.S.) British-U.S. journalist and commentator. Cooke settled in New York City after studies at the University of Cambridge and at Yale and Harvard uni¬ versities. From the late 1930s he provided lively and insightful interpre¬ tations of American culture and history to British audiences in newspapers and radio broadcasts. His weekly radio program Letter from America (1946-2004) was one of the longest-running series on radio; One Man’s America (1952) and Talk About America (1968) collect many of its texts. His television programs include Omnibus (1956-61) and the BBC- produced series America (1972-73). He hosted television’s Masterpiece Theatre from the 1970s to the early ’90s.
Cooke, Jay (b. Aug. 10, 1821, Sandusky, Ohio, U.S.—d. Feb. 18, 1905, Ogontz, Pa.) U.S. financier and fund-raiser for the federal government during the American Civil War. He entered a Philadelphia banking house at age 18 and opened his own in 1861. That same year, he floated a $3 million war loan for the state of Pennsylvania. During the next four years he organized the sale of hundreds of millions in bonds for the federal gov¬ ernment. Cooke’s effort to finance construction of the Northern Pacific Railway in 1870 led to his firm’s failure, but he rebuilt his fortune within a decade.
Cooke, Sam(uel) (b. Jan. 22, 1931, Clarksdale, Miss., U.S.—d. Dec. 11, 1964, Los Angeles, Calif.) U.S. singer and songwriter. The son of a Baptist minister, Cooke started his career singing gospel music. Switching to rhythm and blues and soul music, he had a series of hits, including “You Send Me,” “Wonderful World,” “Cupid,” “Twistin’ the Night Away,” and “Bring It on Home to Me.” Cooke was shot to death in a Los Angeles motel room.