Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Volume 1.djvu/784

 FIR

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FIR

For Fife differs i°, According to the Weight of the 'Pa- bulum, or Fuel ; it being a Rule, that the heavier the Fuel or combuftible Matter is, the more vehement, extern pa- ribus, is the fire. Thus, Spirit of Wine affords a weaker and lets dcilruaivc Fire than Oil ; and this, than Pitch, and fo on ; the heavier and groffer, flill the fiercer.

i°, According to the Quantity of the Pabulum.

ject; it being a Rule, that the Heat of the Fire at different JDiftances is reciprocally, as the Squares of thole Diflanccs.
 * °, According to the Diflance of the Fire from the Ob-

4°, By the introducing or blowing of Air into the Fire ; itbein" a Rule, that the Ilrongcr the Current of Air, or Wind, provided it be not fo firong as to break the aerial Fornix or Vault incumbent on the Fire, the more is the Fire incrcas'd.

For a brifk Blowing puts the minute Parts of the Pabu- lum into a greater Motion, whence a greater Attrition arifes, and of confluence, more Fire is collected.

5", According to the Solidity, or Reft [(lance of the Me- dium between the F'ire and the Object : For the more folid the Medium, the greater Quantity of Heat, ceteris pari- bus, docs it receive from the Fire, and communicate to the Object.

Thus, a Vapour Bath communicates much lefs Heat to the Bodies diltillcd by it, than a Water Bath; and this, lefs than a Sand Bath ; and this again lefs than a Bath of Steel Filings; for all Botlies cxpofed to the Fire, grow hot in Pro- portion to their fpecifick Gravities.

Thus, if a piece of Metal be put in Water, and both fet Over the iFire 3 while the Water only grows lukewarm, the Metal fhall be fo hot, as to be pafl touching : And thus, a Key in a Perfpn's Pocket fitting near the Fire, fhall fre- quently be very hot, while his Cloaths themfelves have not

any fenfible Warmth. Indeed, this Rule admits of fome

Exceptions ; for we have Oils, lighter than Water, which yet admit of triple its Degree of Heat, before they boil.

'Tis a great Controverfy in Chymiftry, whether Fire, when applied to Bodies, only feparates and diffolves them ; or whether it docs not alfo change them.

Mr. Soyle, in his Sceptical Chymift, we think, has abun- dantly proved, that Fire alters Bodies ; and that the Parrs or Elements procured from Bodies by Fire, did not exift fuch in the Bodies themfelves. See Elements.

Add, that Fire does not only feparate and decompound ; but it alfo compounds and mixes Bodies. This no body can doubt of, who knows that Fire in ailing on many Bodies, in- finuates aud fixes it felf among them, and fo conftitutes one Body together with them.

This is the Cafe in diffolving of Lead by Fire ; as is evident from the Increafe of the Weight of the Lead: The like is obfervabic in Salt of Tartar, which when firft melted, lofes fomewhat of its Weight ; but as it is calcined further and further, grows Hill heavier and heavier. In like man- ner, Antimony calcined by a Burning Giafs, receives a no- table Acccffion of Weight.

To fay no more, Phofphorus muft derive its mining Mat- ter from the fiery Particles it imbibes in the Diftillation : For no body will imagine that any of that fhining Matter be- fore cxiiled in the human Body. See Phosphorus.

Fire, in Medicine and Chirurgery, is ufed in the fame Senl'e with Cautery ; and is diftinguifh'd into Actual, and 'Potential.

Actual Fire is a hot Iron. There are feveral Difcafes, only to be cured by the Application of Actual Fire; which Method of Cure is practiced with great Succefs in the Eafl Indies. See Burning.

Potential F'ire is that contain'd in Cauftick Medicines. See Caustics, and Cautery.

Fire alfo gives the Denomination to divers Difeafes, as

St. Anthony's Fire, by Phyficians more ufually called Eryfipelas. See Erysipelas.

St. Anthony's Fire is alfo called Holy Fire, or Saccr Ignis; and in an antient Inflrument, belonging to the Hofpital in the Church of St. Anthony, at Marfeilles, it is called Fire of Hell, or Ignis inf emails.

This Diitemper made great Ravages in France, in the XI th and XII"' Century; and it was for the Relief of Per- fons labouring under it, that the religious Order of St. An- thony was founded, in the Year 1093. under the Pontificate of Urban II.

Walking Fire, called alfo Will-with-a-wifp, Jack in a Lantborn, Ignis fatuus, &c. See Ignis Fatuus.

Fire, in Theology, is frequently underftood of the Pu- rtlhment of the Wicked after Death. See Hell, Gehen- na, Purgatory, &c.

'Tis fuppofed the World will perilh at laft by Fire. See Conflagration.

God has made feveral Revelations of himfelf, under the Appearance of Fire : He appeared to Alofcs under the Form of a Fire burning in a Bull. : The Holy Ghofl def- cended on the Apoflles in Tongues of Fire ; and the Camp of the Ifraelites was guided and conducted in the Night- time by a Pillar of Fire,

The Perfians ador'd God under the Image or Reprefcn- tation of Fire ; by realbn 'tis Fire gives Motion to every thing in Nature. They arc faid ro have Fires itill lubiilling, which have burnt above a rhoufand Years.

The Hebrews kept uptheifo/ji Fire in theTemple; and the Vcilals were appointed exprels, to keep up the iacred Fire of the Romans. See Vestal.

Vulcan was worlhip'd among the Antients, and particu- larly the Egyptians, as the Inventor of Fire: And Soer- have has made it highly probable, that the Vulcan of the Heathens was the 'Atbal-Cain of the Hebrews, the firtl who appears to have known the Ufe of Fire; and to have ap- plied it in the Fijfion of Metals, and other Preparations of Chymiftry. Sec Ciiymistp.y.

FiRE-o7<we, a kind of Stone, called alfo Rigate Stone, from the Place whence 'tis chiefly brought : 'tis very good, and much ufed for Chimneys, Hearths, Ovens, Stoves, ($£. See Stone.

Fire Office, fee Office, of Insurance.

Fire Mafter, in our Train of Artillery, Is an Officer that oives Directions and the Proportions of the Ingredients For all the Compofitions of Fire Works, whether for Service in War, or for Rejoycings and Recreations.

The Orders are given to the Fire Workers and Bombar- deers, who are oblig'd to execute them.

Fire Workers, are fubordinate Officers to the Fire Ma- iler, who command the Bombardeers.

They receive the Orders from the Fire Matters, and fee that the Bombardeers execute them.

Fire- .Eater. We have a great Number of Charlctans, who have procured the Attention and Wonder of the Pub- lick, by eating of Fire, walking on Fire, waffling their ■ Hands in melted Lead, &c.

The mod celebrated is our Countryman Richardfon, much talk'd of abroad. His Secret, as related in the journal des Scavans, of the Year 16B0, confifts in a pure Spirit of Sulphur, wherewith he rubs his Hands, and the Parts that are to touch the Fire ; which burning and caute- rizing the Epidermis, hardens and enables the Skin to re- fill the Fire.

Indeed, this is no new Thing : Amb.Pare affures us he had tried on himfelf, that after warning the Hands in ones own Urine, or with Unguentum Aureum, one may fafely wafh them in melted Lead.

He adds, that by warning his Hands in the Juice of Onions, he could bear a red hot Shovel on them, while it dillill'd Lard. ,

Fire Works, or Artificial Fires are Preparations made of Gunpowder, Sulphur, and other inflammable and com- buflible Ingredients, on occafion of publick Rejoycings, and other Solemnities.

The principal of thefc are Rockets, Serpents, Stars, Hail, Mines, Bombs, Garlands, Letters, and other De- vifes. Sec Rocket, Star, Bomb, e^c

The Art of preparing and managing Fire Works, is called Pyrotccbnia. See Pyrotechnia.

Wild Fire, is a kind of artificial or factitious Fire, which burns even under Water; and that with greater Violence than out of it.

It is compofed of Sulphur, Naphtha, Pitch, Gum, and Bitumen; and is only cxtinguiihable by Vinegar, mix'd with Sand and Urine ; or with raw Hides.

Its Motion or Tendency is faid to be contrary to that of natural Fire, and always follows the Direction in which it is thrown ; whether it be downwards, fidewife, or otherwite.

The French call it Greek Fire, or Feu Gregcois, becaufo firft ufed by the Greeks, about the Year 660; as is obl'erv'd by the Jeiuit Petavius, on the Authority of Nicetas, T'heo- f banes, Cedrenus, &c.

The Inventor, according to the fame Jefuit, was an In- gineer of Heiiopolis, in Syria, named Callinicus, who firft applied it in the Sea Fight commanded by Conftantinc_ Pa- gonat, againft the Sarazens, near Cizicus, in the Hcllcfpont-, and with fuch Effect, that he burnt the whole Fleet there- with, wherein were thirty thoufand Men.

But others will have it of a much older Date; and hold Marcus Gracchus the Inventor; which Opinion is fupportcd by feveral Paflages, borh in the Greek and Roman Writers, which /hew it to have been antiently ufed by both thole Na- tions in their Wars. See Scaliger againfl Cardan.

Conflantine's Succeffors ufed it on divers Occafions, with equal Advantage, as himfelf; and what is remarkable enough, is, that they were fo happy as to keep the Secret of the Competition to themfelves ; fo that no other Nation knew it in the Year 960.

Hugh, King of Burgundy, demanding Ships of the Em- peror Leo, for the Siege of F'refne, defired likewife the Greek Fire. Cboricr Hift. dc Daupb.

Fa. Daniel gives us a good Defcriptionof the Greek Fire, in his Account of the Siege of tDamiette, under St. Louis.

Every body, fays that Author, was aflonifh'd with the Greek Fire which the 'furks then prepared ; and the Secret

where-