313 
P I L 
A, B, was one inch and a half; the breadth of it, two 
inches and feven-eighths. The perpendicular height of 
the lower fide, from C, its bafts, to the rim D, whence 
the water iffues, was four inches and one-twelfth ; the 
oppofite height of the mouth, A, B, eight inches and 
tlnee-fourths ; an'd the height of the fand on the tide 
marked D, was three inches and one-fixth. 
Although, in experiments of this nature, much depends 
on the relative fize and, purity of the fand, which necef- 
faril-y afford different refults, yet profeffor Parrot has, af¬ 
ter repeated trials, deduced the following conclufions, 
which appear to be well founded and fatisfadbory. i. That 
the difference of the niveau, or water-level, has an effen- 
tial influence on the quantity of the purified water thus 
obtained. 2. That a prolongation of the firatum of fand 
does not confiderably diminifh the produdb of the filtre, 
but remarkably contributes to the purify of the fluid. 
3. That if the water be forced to pafs through the fand 
with increafed velocity, it will be lefs pure than by al¬ 
lowing it a proper time for its paffage. And, 4. That a 
machine of the dimenfions above deferibed, will furnifli 
about three quarts of water in an hour, or eighteen gal¬ 
lons in twenty-four hours. This quantity, however, being 
too large in proportion to the fize of the machine, it is 
advifuble, either to leffen the difference of the water-fall; 
or, which is (till better, to prolong the firatum of fand, 
in order to reduce the filtration of the water to half the 
quantity above dated, and to obtain it in greater purity. 
Thus, a filtering apparatus eighteen inches long from A 
to D, two inches thick, and four broad, would afford 
every hour fix pints of very pure water. If, therefore, 
fo fmall a machine, containing a very moderate firatum 
of fand, and requiring only a difference of two or three 
inches in the height of the water, furnifhes a clear and 
pure fluid, it follows that an apparatus on a larger fcale, 
provided with a bed of fand from five to fix feet long, 
and admitting of a difference from twelve to eighteen 
inches in the fall of the water, might be ufefully employed 
in public wells, hydraulic machines, and even in camps, 
for the fupply of pure and wholefome water for an army. 
A patent has likewife been recently granted to Mr. 
Jofhua Collier, of Southwark, for an ingenious contri¬ 
vance for filtering and fweetening water, oil, and all other 
liquids. Fifh-oil is one of the articles which he had it 
particularly in view to free from all its impurities in fmell, 
tafte, and colour; and the chemical procefs employed by 
him for this purpofe confifts in pouring a quantity of any 
fpecies of fiffi-oi!, or a mixture of different forts of fifh- 
oil, into any convenient veffel, which is to be heated to 
the temperature of no or 120 degrees of Fahrenheit’s 
•fcale, and then adding, of caufiic mineral alkali, of the 
fpecific gravity commonly deferibed as 1-25, or of fuch 
firength that> a phial containing 1000 grains of diftilled 
water will contain 1250 grains of thefe lees, a quantity 
equal to four parts of the 100 by weight of the quantity 
of oil; the mixture is then to be agitated, and left to 
fiand a fufficient time for the falts and fediments to fub- 
fide ; it is then drawn off into another veffel, containing 
a fufficient quantity of frefh-burnt charcoal, finely pow¬ 
dered, or any other fubftance poffefling antifeptic pro¬ 
perties, in a powdered or divided fiate, with an addition 
of a fmall proportion of diluted fulphuric acid, fufficient 
only to decompofe the fmall quantity of faponaceous 
matter fiill fu(pended in the oil, which appears by the 
oil becoming clear at the furface : the contents of this 
veffel are alfo agitated, and the coally faline and aqueous 
particles left to fubfide; after which the oil is paffed 
through proper drainers, and thereby rendered perfectly 
tranfparent and fit for ufe. 
The principle of the drainers confifts in the means ap¬ 
plied to combine hydroftatic preffure, which increafes 
according to the perpendicular height of the fluid, with 
the mode of filtering per afeenjum, thereby procuring the 
jiew and peculiar advantage that the fluid and its 1‘edi- 
Vol. VII. No. 434. 
F I N 
ment take oppofite direflions. A great advantage attend¬ 
ing this invention is, that the dimenfions of the chamber 
in which the fediment is received, may be varied, while 
the filtering furface remains the fame. To adapt the ma¬ 
chines not only to the purpofe of families, work-houfes, 
liofpitals, public charities, the navy, or the merchant 
[prvice, but alfo to all the purpofes of oil-men, of difiil- 
lers, of the laboratory, the brewery, &c. chambers of 
various capacities mult be provided for the fediment and 
precipitated matter. With refpebt to the oii-trade, the 
f'pace required is very great, efpecially for fpermaceti or 
Brafil bottoms. In the various purpofes of the labora¬ 
tory, no limits can be fixed, but all dimenfions will be 
occafionally required: in diftilleries and breweries they' 
may be fmaller in proportion ; and in that defigned for 
water and for domeftic ufe, a very fmall chamber will be 
fufficient. When water is to be fweetened, or freed from 
any putrid or noxious particles, it paffes, in its way to 
the filtering-chamber, through an iron-box, or cylinder, 
containing charcoal finely powdered, or any other anti¬ 
feptic fubftance infoluble in water, the water being forced 
into it by hydroftatic prefiure, through a tube of any 
fufficient height. This box lias two apertures to receive 
and deliver the fluid, and ihefe are opened and clofed by 
cocks, or ferews, or any other method ufed for fuch pur¬ 
pofes, and being affixed to the machirte by other ferews, 
may be eafily detached from the fame. Thus, whenever 
the charcoal begins to lofe its antifeptic properties, the 
box is removed and heated till it is red-hot; by which 
means the foreign matter efcapes through the fmall aper¬ 
tures, after which the box is cooled, and the charcoal 
becomes fvveet, pure, and equally fit for ufe as at firft, 
though the procefs be ever fo often repeated. 
FIL'TRUM,/i [Latin.] In old records, a (trainer, a 
felt hat. 
FI'LUM A'QU JE ,f. the thread or middle of the ftream 
where a river parts two lordfhips : Ft habeant ijlas buttas 
ufque ad fium aqua prceaiElte. Mon. Angl. tom.s.f. 390. File 
du Mer, the high tide of the lea. hot. Pari. 11 Hen. IV. It 
is alfo the middle of any river or ftream which divides 
counties, townfhips, parifhes, manors, liberties, See. 
FILURI'NA, a town of European Turkey, in the pro¬ 
vince of Macedonia : twenty-eight miles north of Edeffa. 
FIM'ASHING, f. with hunters, the dung of feveral 
forts of wild beads. 
FIM'BLE HEMP,/. [corrupted from] Female hemp. 
The light hummer hemp, that bears no feed, which is 
called finale hemp. Mortimer. 
FIM'BRIA,/ [Latin.] A fkirt, edge, or border, fer- 
rated or fringed. 
FIM'BRIATE, adj. \_fimbria, Lat. a fringe.] In bo¬ 
tany, it is applied to a fringed or ferrated leaf. In ana¬ 
tomy, the jagged extremity of the Fallopian tubes. 
FIN, /, [pin, Sax. vin, Dut.] The wing of a fifh ; the 
limb by which he balances his body, and moves in the 
water.—Their fins confift of a number of griftly bones, 
long and (lender, like pins and needles. More. 
He that depends 
LTpon your favours, fwims with Jins of lead, 
And hews down oaks with ruffies. Shakefpeare. 
To FIN, v. a. A term in carving j to cut up a chub or 
clievin. 
FTN-FOOTED, adj. Palmipedous ; having feet with 
membranes between the toes.—It is deferibed like fifli- 
pedes, or birds which have their feet or claws divided; 
whereas it is palmipedous or Jin-footed, like fwans and 
geefe, according to the method of nature in latiroftrous 
or flat-billed birds; which being generally fwimmers, 
the organ is wifely contrived unto the action, and they are 
framed with fins or oars upon their feet. Brozvn. 
FI'NA, a river of Ireland, which rifes in the north 
part of Monaghan, and runs into Lough Erne, about 
three miles north of Belturbet. 
SC 
FI'NABLE, 
