SEA 



cover the cavities within ; and after their diftances are marked 

 on the outfide with chalk, they make ufe of another fearcher 

 that has only one point, about which a mixture of wax 

 and tallow is put, to take the imprcflion of the holes ; and 

 if there are any a quarter of an inch deep, or of any 

 confiderable length, the gun is rejected as unferviceable to 

 the government. The gun is thus proved and fearched 

 twice. 



Searcher, in Rural Economy, an implement ufed for 

 boring in fearching for coals, &c. See Borer. 



SEARCHING, the operation of boring or finking 

 into the bowels of the earth, for the difcovery of the 

 different materials which it may contain. For the deteftion 

 of marles, coals, or other fimilar fubftances, the ufe of the 

 borer may be fufficient. But where difficulties arife in per- 

 forming it in this way, from the obltruftion of ftones, &c. 

 a narrow (haft, fuch as a well, may, Mr. Marfhall thinks, 

 be carried down, without much expence, to the depths at 

 which it can be wrought with advantage. See Borer and 

 Marle. 



Searching of Neutral Ships, in Political Econsmy, a prac- 

 tice authorized by the law of nations, in order to prevent the 

 commerce of contraband goods, or fuch commodities as are 

 particularly ufed m war, and the importition of which to an 

 enemy is prohibited. Accordingly Vattel, and other writers 

 of the famedefcriptior, maintain that there is a right of fearch- 

 iiig. Some powerful nations have indeed at different times 

 refufed to fubmit to this. But at prefent a neutral (hip re- 

 tuling to be fearched, would from that proceeding alone be 

 condemned as lawful prize. But to avoid inconveniencies, 

 violence, and every other irregularity, the manner of the 

 fearch is fettled in the treaties of navigation and commerce. 

 According to the prefent cuflom, credit is to be given in 

 certificates and bills of lading, produced by the mafter of 

 the fhip, unlefs any fraud appear m them, or there be very 

 good reafons for fufpecting their validity. 



SEARCHiNG_/br the Stone, called Afo founding, denotes, in 

 Surgery, the operation of introducing a metallic initrument, 

 named a found, through the urctlu'a into the bladder, with 

 a view of afcertaining whether a ftone is really lodged there 

 or not. In this manner, the iurgeon aftually makes the initru- 

 ment ftrike againft any calculus which may be prefent ; and 

 the coUifion produces fucli an impreffion on the fingers of 

 the furgeon, and on the ears of every byltander, as leaves no 

 doubt refpefting the matter of the cafe. Sounding is in 

 faft the only infallible way of learning that the bladder con- 

 tains a (tone. The fymptoms of the complaint refemble 

 thofe of fcveral other difeafes, and may deceive us (fee 

 Lithotomy) ; but when we both hear and feel the collifion 

 of the inlfrument againd the calculus, we obtain that kind 

 of information which does not admit of error. 



The mod advantageous podure for founding is that, in 

 which the patient reclines back upon a fofa, or couch. A 

 chair of large fize, with a back that can be made to fall 

 backwards to a convenient didance, is fometimes ufed, and 

 may be feen in mod of our hofpitals. 



As the done is generally fituated at the lowed part of the 

 bladder, the extremity of a found is ufually not fo curved as 

 that of a catheter, in order that it may more eafily touch any 

 thing fituated immediately behind and below the neck of the 

 bladder. The found is only a particular kind of probe, and 

 as its chief ufe is to convey information through the medium 

 of the organ of touch, its handle (hould be fmooth and 

 highly poiiOied, fo that as many points of its furface as pof- 

 fible may come into contaft with the lingers. 



The found is introduced t-xattly in the fame manner as 

 the Alvcr catheter, cither with the concavity or convexity 



SEA 



of the inftrument towards the abdomen. When the laft 

 method is preferred, as foon as the point has arrived in the 

 perinacum, it is to be kept dationary, whflc the handle i* 

 made to defcribe a femicireular movement downward, fo as 

 to turn the concavity of the indrumcnt towards the pubes, 

 previous to its padage through the membranous and prof, 

 tatic portion of the urethra. This is the plan which the 

 French furgeons have called " Ic tourdemaitre." 



When the extremity of the found is in the bladder, it ii 

 to be pu(hed downward for the purpofe of afcertaining 

 whether the ftone lies beneath its convexity, as is mod com- 

 monly the cafe where one is prefent. If the extraneou« 

 body fhould not be felt in this manner, the beak of the in- 

 drument may be turned fird to one fide of the cavity of the 

 bladder, then to the other. Should the calculus not be 

 touched by thefe movements of the found, the indrument 

 may be drawn forward, for the purpofe of learning whether 

 the done is more anteriorly fituated. Frequently the 

 ftone cannot be felt till the whole of the urine has been 

 expelled, and the bladder has become contrafled. Some- 

 times, the found may be made to hit the done, by inlro> 

 ducing the finger into the rcftum, and thus bringing the 

 extraneous body upward. In this way, the calculus may 

 often be plainly felt by the finger. 



We fhall conclude this (hort article, with earneftly cau- 

 tioning furgeons never to perform lithotomy, unlefs they 

 can didinftly feel the ftone with the found, or ftaff, imme- 

 diately before the operation. 



SEAR-CLOTH, or Cere-cxoth. The word fear- 

 cloth is fuppofed to be a corruption of cere-cloth, and to be 

 derived originally from the Greek xr^®-, <wax. 



In Surgery, it denotes a form of external remedy, fome- 

 what harder than an unguent, yet fofter than an emplafter, 

 though it is frequently ufed both for the one and the other. 

 The fear-cloth is always fuppofed to have wax in its com- 

 pofition, which diftinguifhes, and even denominates it. In 

 effcft, when a liniment or unguent has enough wax in it, it 

 does not differ from a fear-cloth. 



Sear-cloths are a kind of fubftitutes to friftion, and arc 

 fometimes ufed for other purpofes ; the bed are compounded 

 of refolvent drugs, as fuftrou, myrrh, and aloes, incorporated 

 with wax and gums, as galbaiiiim, gum ammoniac, and faga- 

 pemim ; the whole tempered with wine. 



SEARSBURG, in Geography, a townfhip of America, 

 in Bennington county, Vermont ; 1 2 miles E. of Benning- 

 ton. 



SEASE, Seasin, or Sea/ng, in a Ship. See Seize. 

 SEASONING, in Ship-Building, a term api)lied to a 

 fhip kept danding a certain time after (lie is completely tim- 

 bered and dubbed out for planking, which Ihould never be 

 lefs than fix months. 



Seafoned timber or plank is fuch as lias been cut down 

 and converted, or fawn out one feafon at leail, particularly 

 when thoroughly dry, and not liable to ihrink. 

 Seasoning of Timber. See Timber. 

 SEASONINGS, in the Weft Indies, a kind of aguifli 

 didemper, which foreigners are much fubjed to at their firft 

 coming. 



SEASONS, in Cofmography, certain portions or quarter* 

 of the year, didinguiflied by the figns which the fun then 

 enters, or by the meridian altitudes of the (un ; conhqucnt 

 on which, are different temperatures of the air, diftrrcnt 

 works in tillage, &c. 



The word is formed from the Frencli/ij/on, which Mcn.igc 

 derives from the Latin7?,j//'o, whence the Italians have formed 

 Jlngione ; Nicod derives it Ixom fatio, tcmput faiitnii, Jo'^'"'g 



