POL 



POL 



ol the world ; the one pointing to the 

 north, the other to the south. See MAG- 

 NETISM. 



POLE, PEHCII, or ROD, in surveying 1 , 

 is a measure containing- sixteen feet and 

 a half. 



POLE, or POLAR star, is a star of the se- 

 cond magnitude, the last in the tail of ur- 

 sa minor. Its longitude Mr. Flamstead 

 makes 24 14' 41" its latitude, 66 4' II". 

 The nearness of this star to the pole, 

 whence it happens that it never sets, 

 renders it of vast service in navigation, 

 &c. for determining the meridian line, 

 the elevation of the pole, and, conse- 

 quently, the latitude of tiie place, Sec. 

 See LATITUDE. 



POLEMONIUM, in botany, a genus of 

 the Pentaudria Monogynia class and or- 

 der. Natural order of Campanaceae. Po- 

 lemonia, Jussieu. There are five spe- 

 cies, chiefly natives of the Cape of Good 

 Hope. 



POLEMOSCOPE, in optics, a kind of 

 reflecting perspective glass, invented by 

 Hevelius, who commends it as useful in 

 sieges, &c. for discovering what the ene- 

 my is doing, while the spectator lies hid 

 behind an obstacle. 



POL1ANTHES, in botany, a genus of 

 the Hexandria Monogynia class and or- 

 der. Natural order of Coronarije. Nar- 

 cissi, Jussieu. Essential character; co- 

 rolla funnel form, curved in, equal, fila- 

 ments inserted into the jaws of the corol- 

 la ; germ at the bottom of the corolla. 

 There is but one species, viz. P. tubcro- 

 sa, tuberose. 



POLICY of assurance, is the deed or in- 

 strument by which a contract of assur- 

 ance is effected. The premium paid for 

 the risk must be inserted in the policy, 

 and likewise the date. Policies for assur- 

 ance against the risks of the sea are dis- 

 tinguished into valued and open policies? 

 in the former the property is assured at 

 prime cost, at the time of effecting the 

 policy; in the latter, the value is not men- 

 tioned, but is left to be afterwards de- 

 clared, or to be proved in the event of a 

 claim. 



POLISHER, or BcRNrsiiEir, among me- 

 chanics, an instrument for polishing and 

 burnishing things proper to take a pol- 

 ish. The guilders use an iron-polisher 

 to prepare their metals before guikling, 

 and the bloodstone to give them the 

 bright polish after guilding. The polish- 

 er used by the makers of spurs and bits, 

 &c. is partly iron, partly steel, and partly 

 wood ; it consists of an iron-bar with 

 a wooden handle at one end, and a 



hook at the other, to fasten it to another 

 piece of wood hoM in the vice, while the 

 operator is at work. In the middle of the 

 bow, withinside, is what is properly call- 

 ed the polisher, being a triangular piece 

 of steel, with a tail, whereby it is rivetted 

 to the bow. The polishers, among cut- 

 lers, are a kind of wooden win-els made 

 of walnut-tree, about an inch thick, and 

 of a diameter at pleasure, which are turn- 

 ed round by the great wheel ; upon these 

 they smooth and polish their work with 

 emery and putty. The polishers for glass 

 consist of two pieces of wood ; the one 

 flat, covered with old hat, the other long 

 and half-round, fastened on the former, 

 whose edge it exceeds on both sides by 

 sozne inches, which serve the workmen 

 to take- hold of, and to work backwards 

 and forwards by. The polishers, used by 

 spectacle-makers, are pieces of wood a 

 foot long, seven or eight inches broad, 

 and an inch and a half thick, covered with 

 old beaver-hat, whereon they polish the 

 shell and horn-frames their spectacle 

 glasses are to be set in. 



POLISHING, in general, the operation 

 of giving a gloss or lustre to certain sub- 

 stances, as metals, glass, marble, Sec. 



POLITICAL arithmetic, is the applica- 

 tion of arithmetical calculation to politi- 

 cal subjects, as the public revenues, num- 

 ber of people, extent and value of lands, 

 taxes, trade, manufactures, &c. of any 

 commonwealth. See STATISTICS. 



POLITY, or POLICY, denotes the pecu- 

 liar form and constitution of the govern* 

 ment of any state or nation ; or the laws, 

 orders, and regulations, relating thereto. 



Polity differs only from politics, as the 

 theory from the practice of any art. See 

 LAW, GOVERNMENT, &c. 



Some divide polity into that which re- 

 lates to the regulations respecting mer- 

 cantile affairs ; and to those which con- 

 cern the judiciary government of the citi- 

 zens : some add other branches, viz. those 

 relating to ecclesiastical and military af- 

 fairs, &c. 



POLL, a word used in ancient writings 

 for the head : hence, to poll, is either to 

 vote or to enter down the names of those 

 persons who give in their votes at an 

 election. 



POLL money, a capitation or tax impos- 

 ed by the authority of parliament on the 

 head or person, either of all indifferently, 

 or according to some known mark of dis- 

 tinction. 



POLLEN, in botany, the fecundating 

 or fertilizing dust contained within the 

 anthers or tops of the stamina, and dis- 



