D A N 
DAP 
483 D A M 
to damasks. It is chiefly usef for table 
linen. 
Damask is also applied to a very fine 
steel, in: some parts of th^ Levant, chiefly at 
Damascus in Syria; whence its name, ft is 
used for sworn and cutlass-blades, and is 
finely tempered. See Steel. 
DAMASKEENING, or Dam a.s kin g, the 
art or operation of beautifying iron, steel, &c. 
by making incisions in them, and tilling them 
up with gold and silver wire; chiefly used 
for adorning sword-blades, guards, and gripes, 
locks of pistols, &c. Damaskeening par- 
takes of the mosaic, of engraving, and of 
carving: like the mosaic, it has inlaid work; 
like engraving, it cuts the metal represent- 
ing different figures; and as in chasing, gold 
and silver are wrought in relievo. There are 
two ways of damasking: the one, winch is the 
finest, is when the metal is cut deep with 
proper instruments, and inlaid with gold and 
silver wire ; the other is superficial only. 
DAMASONIUM, a genus of the hexan- 
tlria class and order. The spathe is one- 
leafed; perianthium one-leafed, three-part- 
ed ; berry ten-celled, inferior. There is one 
species, a native of India. 
DAMELOPRE, a kind of bilander, used 
in Holland for conveying merchandize from 
one canal to another, being very commodious 
for passing under the bridges. 
DAMIANISTS, in church history, a 
branch of the antient acephali severita?. 
They agreed with the catholics in admitting 
the fourth council, but disowned any distinc- 
tions of persons in the Godhead ; and profess- 
ed one single nature, incapable of any differ- 
ence ; and yet they called God the Father, 
Son, and Holy Ghost. 
DAMPS, in natural history, are certain 
noxious exhalations issuing from some parts 
of the earth, and which prove almost instant- 
ly fatal to those who breathe them. These 
damps are chiefly observed in mines and 
coal-pits : though vapours of the same kind 
often issue from old lavas of burning moun- 
tains; and in those countries where volca- 
noes are common, will frequently enter 
bouses, and kill people suddenly without the 
least warning of their approach. In mines 
and coal-pits they are chiefly of two kinds, 
called by the miners and colliers the choke 
and fire damps (see Air) ; and both go un- 
der one general name of foul air. The choke- 
damp is carbonic acid gas ; and usually in- 
fests those places which have been formerly 
worked, but long neglected, and are known 
to the miners by the name of wastes. No 
place, however, can be reckoned safe from 
this kind of damp, except where there is a 
due circulation of air ; and the procuring of 
this is the only proper means of presenting 
accidents from damps of all kinds. The 
choke-damp suffocates the miners suddenly. 
Being heavy, it descends towards the lowest 
parts of the workings, and thus is dangerous 
to the miners, who can scarcely avoid breath- 
ing it. The fire-damp, which seems chiefly 
to be composed of hydrogen gas, rises to the 
roof of the workings, as being specifically 
lighter than the common atmosphere ; ancl 
hence, though it wall suffocate as well as the 
«ther, it seldom proves so dangerous in this 
way as by its inflammable property, by 
which it ‘often takes fire from the candles, 
and explodes with great violence. 
In the Philosophical Transactions, No. 
1 19, there is an account of some explosions 
by damps of this kind, on which we have the 
following observations: 1. Those who are in 
(lie place where the vapour is fired, suddenly 
find themselves surrounded with flames, but 
hear little or no noise ; though those who are 
in places adjacent, or above-ground, hear a 
very great one. 2. Those who are surround- 
ed by the inflamed vapour feel themselves 
scorched or burnt, but are not moved out of 
their places, though such as unhappily stand 
in the way of it are commonly killed by the 
violence of the shock, and often throw n with 
great force out at the mouth of the pit ; nor 
are the heaviest machines found able to resist 
the impetuosity of the blast. 3. No smell is 
perceived before the fire, but a very strong 
one of brimstone is afterwards felt. 4. The 
vapour lies towards the roof, and is not per- 
ceived if the candles are held low ; but when 
these are held higher, the damp descends like 
a black mist, and catches hold of the flame, 
lengthening it to two or three handfuls ; and 
this appearance ceases when the candles are 
held nearer the ground. 5. The flame con- 
tinues in the vault for several minutes after 
the explosion. 6. Its colour is blue, some- 
thing inclining to green, and very bright. 
7. On the explosion of the vapour, a dark 
•smoke like that proceeding from fired gun- 
powder is perceived. 8. Damps are gene- 
rally observed to come about the end 
of May, and to continue during the heat of 
summer. They return several times during 
the summer season, but observe no certain 
rule. 
Among the other uses to which oxygen 
might be applied, Mr. Cavallo reckons that 
of securing people from the dangerous effects 
of damps in mines, and other subterraneous 
places. “ If a large bladder,” says he, “ into 
which a solution of lime in water is intro- 
duced, is filled with dephlogisticated air (oxy- 
gen gas), and a small wooden or glass pipe is 
adapted to its neck, a man may hold that 
pipe in his mouth, and may breathe the de- 
phiogisticated air ; and thus equipped, lie 
may venture into these subterranean places, 
amidst the various elastic fluids contained in 
them. A large bladder of dephlogisticated 
air will serve for above a quarter of an hour, 
wfliich is a length of time sufficient for va- 
rious purposes ; besides, if longer time is re- 
quired to be spent in these places, a person 
may have two or more bladders of dephlo- 
gisticated air along with him, and may shift 
as soon as the air of one is contaminated. 
Without the necessity of any more compli- 
cated apparatus, the bladders full of dephlo- 
gisticated air may be kept stopped by putting 
corks into the glass or w ooden pipes that are 
tied to their necks. This air might also be 
used for diving-bells.” 
DANAE, in antiquity, a coin somewhat 
more than an obolus, used to be put into the 
mouths of the dead, to pay their passage 
over the river Acheron. 
DANCE, a silly amusement of the idle 
and thoughtless. 
DANCETTE, in heraldry, is when the 
outline of any bordure or ordinary is indented 
very largely, the largeness of the indentures 
being the only thing that distinguishes it 
from indented. 
DANK, a piece of silver current in Persia, 
and some parts of Arabia, weighing the 16th 
part of a drachm. It is also a weight used 
bv the Arabians to weigh jewels ami drugs. 
DAPHNE, spurge-laurel, a genus of the 
monogynia order, in the octaudria class of 
plants, and in the natural method ranking 
under the 31st order, vepreculax There is 
no calyx ; the corolla is quadrifid and wither- 
ing, inclosing the stamina. The fruit is a 
monospennous berry. There are 28 species, 
of which the following are the most remark- 
able: 
1. Mezereum, the mezereon or spurge- 
olive, is a low deciduous shrub. It is a na- 
tive of Germany, and has been discovered 
in this country in some woods near Andover 
in Hampshire. Of this elegant plant there 
are four varieties: 1. the white; 2. the pale 
red ; 3. the crimson; and 4. the purple-flow- 
ering. Ilanbury is very lavish in praise of 
these shrubs. He says, “ they have each 
every perfection to recommend them as flow- 
ering shrubs. In the first place, they are of 
low growth, seldom rising to more than three 
or four feet in height, and therefore are pro- 
per even for the smallest gardens. In the 
next piace they will be in bloom when lew 
trees, especially of the shrubby tribe, pre- 
sent their honours. It will be in February, 
nay sometimes in January ; then will tile 
twigs be adorned with flowers all around 
from one end to the other. Each twig has 
the appearance of a spike of flowers of the 
most consummate lustre ; and as the leaves 
are not yet out, whether you behold this tree 
near or at a distance, it has a most enchant- 
ing appearance. But this is not all: the 
sense of smelling is peculiarly regaled by 
the flowers ; their spicy sweetness is diffused 
around, and the air is perfumed with their 
odours to a considerable distance. Many 
flowers, deemed sweet, are not liked by all ; 
but the agreeable inoffensive sweetness of the 
mezereon has ever delighted the sense of 
smelling, whilst the lustre of its blow' has 
feasted the eye. Neither is this the only 
pleasure the tree bestows ; for besides the 
beauty of the leaves, which come out after 
the flowers are fallen, and which are of a 
pleasant green colour and an oblong figure, 
it will be full of red berries in June, which 
will continue growing till the autumn. Of 
these berries the birds are very fond ; so that 
whoever is delighted with those songsters, 
should have a quantity of them planted all 
over the outsides of his wilderness quarters.” 
2. Cnidium, the flax-leaved daphne, is a 
low deciduous shrub ; a native of Italy, 
Spain, and about Montpellier. This species 
seldom grows higher than three feet. The 
branches are very slender, and ornamented 
with narrow, spear-shaped, pointed leaves, 
much like those of the common flax. The 
flowers are produced in panicles at the ends 
of the branches : they are small, come out 
in June, but are rarely succeeded by seeds in 
England. 
3. Cneorum, the spear-leaved daphne, 
is a very low deciduous shrub; a native 
of Switzerland, Hungary, the Alps, and 
the Pyrenean mountains. This rises with a 
shrubby branching stalk, to about a foot or 
afoot and a half high. The leaves are nar- 
row', spear-shaped, and grow irregularly on 
the branches. The flowers are produced in 
clusters at the ends of the little twigs: they 
make their appearance in March, are of a 
purple colour, and possessed of a fragrance 
