/ 
S(SS PED 
that in twelve days it would have laid a 
hundred eggs ; these eggs, hatching in six 
days, which lie found to he their natural 
time, would probably produce liftv males 
and a, many females; and these 'females 
coming to their full growth in eighteen days, 
might, each ol them be supposed, after twelve 
days more, to lay also a hundred eggs ; 
which in six days farther (the time required 
to hatch them) might produce a younger 
brood ol iive thousand ; so that in eight 
weeks a louse might see five thousand of its 
own descendants. 
I he louse, in all ages enumerated among 
tin pests of mankind, has been sometimes re- 
presented as the mere punishment of personal 
negligence, and sometimes commemorated 
as one of the most humiliating concomitants 
of degraded pride ; since, exclusive of the 
memorable and impressive descriptions on 
this subject in the sacred writings, we meet 
with various examples of characters of no 
small degree of eminence who have suffered 
from the attacks of this odious insect. The 
disorder, however, commonly termed plitlii- 
riasis, is probably more owing to want of at- 
tention during the first stages of its appear- 
ance, than to any real constitutional cause in 
the patient; it being entirely contrary to 
the nature of this insect to get under the cu- 
ticle, as commonly supposed ; and utterly 
inconceivable that a complaint merely ex- 
ternal should be able to resist mercurial or 
other preparations outwardly used ; there 
can be little doubt that such cases, whenever 
they occur, would be effectually removed by 
a proper application of a dilute solution of 
mercury sublimate. We must even venture 
to express our doubts whether a real and 
genuine phthiriasis, considered as a primary 
disease, has ever appeared. Notwithstand- 
ing this, we are told by Pliny that Pherecy-' 
des Sirius, Sylla the dictator, and others, have 
died of this disorder. 
The insects of this genus found on qua- 
drupeds and birds, may be considered as al- 
most equalling the number of the animals 
themselves ; since few of either division exist 
without one or more species peculiar to them- 
selves. 
PEDIGREE. See Descent. 
PEDIMENT. See Architecture. 
PEDOMETER, or Podometer, foot- 
.measurer, or way-wiser ; a mechanical instru- 
ment, in form of a watch, and consisting of 
various wheels and teeth ; which, by means 
of a chain, or string, fastened to a man’s 
foot, or to the wheel of a chariot, advance a 
notch each step, or each revolution of the 
wheel ; by which it numbers tlie paces or 
revolutions, and so the distance from one 
place to another. 
Plate Pedometer, See. figs. 1, 2, 3, ex- 
plains one of Spencer and Perkins’s pedome- 
ters or way-wisers, which when worked in the 
pocket ascertains the number of steps made 
by tlie wearer. The external appearance, 
fig. 1 . is somewhat like tiiat of a watch : in 
the place of the watch-chain is a brass lever 
A, figs. 1 and 3, one end of which is bent into 
a hook ; the other has a hole a through it, 
as shewn in fig. 2, and has a cleft cut' in it 
through the hole; through this hole a wire 
passes, which wire is fixed between the two 
studs l) !>, figs. 1 and 2, so as to turn round 
freely ; it also goes through the two arms of 
PED 
the piece B, fig. 2, and is made fast to them so 
that they turn with it the arm .v, which is high- 
er than the other, and lias a narrow opening 
cut in it, into which is jointed a piece of 
steel 1) by a pin through its top ; the end of 
tne lever A lias two small screws in it so as 
to close up tlie hole a, and pinch tlie wire 
which passes through the hole tight. When 
tlie lever A is moved backwards and for- 
wards, it turns the wire by friction, and 
moves tlie piece B up or down till it is stop- 
ped by its leaf d coming either against tlie 
under side of the dial, or against tlie back of 
the case, as shewn in lig. 3. ; the levtr then 
slips round tlie pin. When ihe piece B is 
moved up or down, it pushes or pulls tlie 
piece D in or out of the case: the end of 
this is in two branches ef\ the latter ends 
in tlie plain point, tlie other is bent into a 
hook ; these branches take on each side of a 
small racket wheel, in fig*. 3, which lias 10 
teeth. Yt lien tlie lever A is moved so as to 
draw back the piece D, tlie hook e takes one 
ol tiie teetli of tlie racket wheel n, and moves 
■it round one tooth : at the same time tlie 
point f slips over the sloping side the op- 
posite tooth, and when the piece D is pushed 
m, it also moves the wheel round one tooth 
in the same direction as while the hoof e 
slips over tlie teeth ready for tlie next move- 
ment. The racket in lias a pinion of 6 teeth 
on its under side, which tacks into a wheel 
n of 60 teetli ; on tlie spindle of this wheel 
(which projects through the dial), is fastened 
the long hand i, fig. 1. As the wheel m makes 
one revolution lor ten strokes of. the lever 
A, and its pinion has one-tenth of the number 
of teeth in the wheel n, it is evident that 
100 strokes of the lever will he required for 
one revolution of the wheel n, and hand i. 
I he wlieel n has a pinion of six leaves on it, 
which gives motion to a wheel o of 60 teetli, 
w hich turns r of 60 teeth, on whose arbour 
the hand t, lig. 1. is fastened: the wheel o 
has a pinion of 6 leaves on tlie under side 
of it, which moves a wheel y of 72 teeth, 
which carries the hand s, lig. 1. ; by this ar- 
rangement tlie hand t will turn once round 
for 1000 strokes of the lever A; its dial is 
divided into 10 each, answering to 100, or 
1 revolution of the hand ?’. The index s will 
turn round once for 1200 strokes of the 
lever; and its circle is divided into 12 parts, 
each ot which denotes one revolution of the 
hand t, or 100 strokes of the lever; the 
hands are not fastened to their spindle, but 
can be turned round to set them all to O 
when it is going to be used. The best me- 
thod of placing the machine, is with a case 
upon the thigh, the lever A brought towards 
the button of the waistband, and if possible, 
the joints of the lever over the joints of the 
thigh ; that the lever being over the belly is 
at rest, while the motion of the thigh moves 
the case part of the machine at every step. 
Set all the hands' to O ; and when 100 paces 
are walked, the long hand w ill have made one 
revolution, and the hand will -move to the 
ligure 1, and so on as before described. 
Persons of middle stature are found to make 
about 1000 paces in a mile; but it is best to 
walk a mile several times, observing each 
time by the machine, the number of paces 
each time, and the average of these will 
serve to calculate by. 
PEEK, in the sea-language, is a word used 
in various senses. Thus the anchor is said 
PEE 
to he a-peek, when tlie ship being about t» 
weigh, comes over her anchor in such a man- 
ner that the cable hangs perpendicularly 
between tlie hawse and tlie anchor. To 
heave a-peek, is to bring tlie peek so that 
the anchor may hang a-peek. A ship is 
said to ride a-peek, when lying with Iter 
main and fore-yards hoisted up, one end of 
her yards is brought down to the shrouds, 
and tlie other raised up on end; which is 
ciiielly done when she lies in rivers, lest 
other ships falling foul of the yards should 
break them. Riding a broad peek, denotes 
much tlie same, excepting that the yards are 
only raised to half tlie height. Peek is also 
used for a room in tlie hold, extending from 
the bits forward to the stem : in this room 
men of war keep their powder, and merchant- 
men their victuals. 
PEERS, in our common law, are those 
who are impannelled in an inquest upon any 
man, for tlie convicting or clearing him of 
any offence, for which he is called in question ; 
and tlie reason is, because the course and 
custom ot our nation is, to try every man in 
such a case by his equals, or peers. " 
Peers of the realm, are the nobility of 
the kingdom, and lords of parliament ; who are 
divided into dukes, marquises, earls, viscounts, 
and barons ; and the reason why they arc 
called peers is, because notwithstanding 
there is a distinction of dignities in onr no- 
bility, yet in all public actions they are 
equal, as in their votes of parliament, and 
in passing upon the trial of any nobleman. 
Tt seems clearly, that the right of peerage 
was originally territorial ; that is, annexed to 
lands, houses, castles, See.; the proprietors 
and possessors of which were, in right of 
those estate**, allowed to be peers of the 
realm, and were summoned in parliament to 
do suit and service to their sovereign ; and, 
when the land was alienated, the dignity 
passed with its appendant. Thus tiie bishop’s 
still sit in the house of lords, in right of suc- 
cession to certain ancient baronies annex- 
ed, or supposed to be annexed, to their 
episcopal lands. But afterwards, as aliena- 
tions grew - frequent, the dignity of peerage 
was confined to the lineage of the party 
ennobled; and instead of territorial, became 
personal. Actual proof of a tenure by 
barony became no longer necessary to con- 
stitute a lord of parliament ; but the record 
of tlie writ of summons to him, or hiS ances- 
tors, was admitted as a sufficient evidence of 
the tenure. 
Peers are now created either by writ, or 
patent ; for those w ho claim by prescription 
must suppose either a writ or’ patent made 
to their ancestors, though by length of time 
it may be lost. The creation by writ or the 
king’s letter, is a summons to attend the 
house of peers, by tlie style and title of that 
barony which the king is pleased to con- 
fer ; that by patents is a royal grant to a 
subject, of any dignity and degree of peerage. 
Tlie creation by writ, is the more antient 
way ; but a man is not ennobled by it unless 
he actually takes his seat in tlie house of 
lords ; and therefore tlie most usual, because 
the surest way, is to grant tlie dignity by 
patent, which ensures to a man and his heirs, 
according to the limitations thereof, though 
he never himself makes use of it. 1 Black. 
399 . 
