FLA 



FLA 



1712, in one volome folio, containing his 

 observations to the year 1705. 



Thus then, as Dr. Keil observed, our 

 author, for more than forty years, watch- 

 ed the motions of the stars, and has given 

 us innumerable observations of the sun, 

 moon, and planets, which he made with 

 very large instruments, accurately divid- 

 ed, and fitted with telescopic sights ; 

 whence we may rely much more on the 

 observations he has made than on those 

 of formers astronomers, who made their 

 observations with the naked eye, and 

 without the like assistance of telescopes. 



FLANKS of an army, are the troops 

 encamped on the right and left, as the 

 flanks of a battalion are the files on the 

 right and left. 



FLANK of a *>astion,\\\ fortification, that 

 part which joins the face to the curtain. 



FLANNEL, a kind of woollen stuff, 

 composed of a woof and warp, and woven 

 after the manner of baize. Various theo- 

 ries have been adopted to prove the uti- 

 lity of flannel as an article of dress : it is 

 unquestionably a bad conductor of heat, 

 and on that account very useful in cold 

 weather ; this is accounted for from the 

 structure of the stuff; the fibres touch 

 each other very slightly, so that the heat 

 moves slowly through the interstices, 

 which being already filled with air, give 

 little assistance in carrying off the heat. 

 On this subject Count Rumford has made 

 many experiments, from which it should 

 seem, that though linen, from the appa- 

 rent ease with which it receives dampness 

 from the atmosphere, appears to have a 

 much greater attraction for water than 

 any other, yet that those bodies which re- 

 ceive water in its unelastic form with the 

 greatest ease, or are most easily wet, are 

 not those which in all cases attract the 

 moisture of the atmosphere with the 

 greatest avidity. " Perhaps," says he, 

 " the apparent dampness of linen to the 

 touch arises more from the ease with 

 which that substance parts with the wa- 

 ter it contains, than from the quantity of 

 water it actually holds ; in the same man- 

 ner as a body appears hot to the touch in 

 consequence of its parting freely with its 

 heat, while another body, which is really 

 at the same temperature, but which with- 

 holds its heat with great obstinacy, affects 

 the sense of feeling much less violently. 

 It is well known, that woollen clothes, 

 such as flannels, &c. worn next the skin, 

 greatly promote insensible perspiration. 

 May hot this arise principally from the 



strong attraction which subsists between 

 wool and the watery vapour which is con- 

 tinually issuing from the human body ? 

 That it does not depend entirely on the 

 warmth of that covering is clear ; for the 

 same degree of warmth, produced by 

 wearing more clothing of a different kind, 

 does not produce the same effect. The 

 perspiration of the human body being ab- 

 sorbed by a covering of flannel, it is im- 

 mediately distributed through the whole 

 thickness of that substance, and by that 

 means exposed, by a very large surface, 

 to be carried off by the atmosphere ; and 

 the loss of this watery vapour, which the 

 flannel sustains on the one side, by eva- 

 poration, being immediately restored from 

 the other, in consequence of the strong 

 attraction between the flannel and this 

 vapour, the pores of the skin are disen- 

 cumbered, and they are continually sur- 

 rounded by a dry and salubrious atmo- 

 sphere." He expresses his surprise, that 

 the custom of wearing flannel next the 

 skin should not have prevailed more uni- 

 versally. He is confident it would pre- 

 vent a number of diseases : and he thinks 

 there is no greater luxury, than the com- 

 fortable sensation which arises from wear- 

 ing it, especially after one is a little ac- 

 customed to it. " It is a mistaken notion," 

 says he, " that it is too warm a clothing 

 for summer. 1 have worn it in the hot- 

 test climates, and at all seasons of the 

 year ; and never found the least inconve- 

 nience from it It is the warm bath of 

 perspiration, confined by a linen shirt wet 

 with sweat, which renders the summer 

 heats of southern climates so insupporta- 

 ble ; but flannel promotes perspiration, 

 and favours its evaporation ; and evapo- 

 ration, as is well known, produces posi- 

 tive cold." 



FLAT, in the sea-language. To flat in 

 the fore-sail, is to hale it in by the sheet, 

 as near the ship's side as possible ; which 

 is done, when a ship will not fall off from 

 the wind. 



FLATS, in music, a kind of additional 

 notes, which, together with sharps, serve 

 to remedy the defects of musical instru- 

 ments, wherein temperament is required. 



FLATTING, in gilding, is the giving 

 the work a light touch, in the places not 

 burnished, with a pencil dipt in size, in 

 which a little vermilion is sometimes mixt. 

 This serves to preserve and prevent its 

 flawing when handled. See GILDING. 



FLATULENCY. See MEDICINE. 



FLAX. See LINUM. 



