New-York tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1841-1842, 1841-12-28


/ n,,,,sic.l reason So II l. the operations o. the
"a are extremely subtle, and if we want an ex-
! ,Isr,rioa of them, must b. content with ene
1r.,yn from their essential nature Is well might
I -. cor7plan OF the solution OF problem in math-
ena;jcs, because it Is naiernathical. OF iai=
explanation because it is metaphysical. One fact
I +, most ccrtan-;hat neither the Sun and Moon
nor their appearances are larger when near the
horizon than wien in the higher regions Of the dr-
mament his Is perhaps, in the whole range Of
OF science, the most striking o: the ia!lscies Of
which the senses are continually guilty, and when
The operations OF the mind are repaired perPcth-
ally 10 correct.
Another noJ uncommon tallacy Of The senses re-
ters to the conclusions wsch we arrive with re
ference - the sense of touch. " men NC toucA
any object We sensible Of cold Or warmth aud
we are accustomed to sny that this ortlat Is waraa
or cold according as We feel ii. Nothing can be
more in discordance with fac; than the results OF
such evidence Suppose yourself il q room where
there IS no fire. and at this ot the year
ouch with your hands any metalc object-the
ire-irons for instance; you Immediately become
| impressed with the conviction that the iron IS cold
| rouch then the cloth upon the table-snd You be-
| lcye il, warmer than the iron. Touch the bare
.abe or the foor and you believe it less cold than
! INC iron and les than the cloth. Now It
you could imbed thermometer in the iron. the
table and the cloth you would find tha THIS ustru
ment would tell ii far different tale from the teucA
1t would tel you that there was precisely the same
temporal, ~ them Ill. It's aphysical truth thai
tnc three bodies are Of exactly the same tempera-
tre. Now, YOU may say, OF what USE IS lie truth
/ il deceiyes ss in this most egfegous manner /.
1t Is OF much use. The same Providence that has
supplied Us with TINS instrument for certain impo-
.a.t purposes, has also, for the sane end, supplied
5n intellect 10 correct lis errors. Hear now the
I. asons why these objects seem to the vi
iorch, Of different temperatures, while they are all
Of the same
The human bedy has certain fixed temperature,
general, higher than that oi the temperature TO
which it Is usually expo ed, certainly higher than
would be found in any room in which was no ire,
1t TINS season OF the year. All bodies, IN refer
ence to heat, have ccrain properties which, IN or
der 10 clear NJ the matter, /, may be necessary to
EXPLAIN in = few words. They have certain pow
Or. of coGduciion which are different IN different
,odics. If TWO bodies of different temperature be
| ,aced in contact, the heat will be conducted from
the the other, with a different degree Of ia
tiiily in different bodies until both be OF the same
temperature. Suppose the hand, Of tempera-
tura by TIE thermometer Of 100, be put in con
act with piece OF iron whose temperature is but
60. The iron, then, being good conductor OF
neat, would rob he hand Of It's superior tempera-
| turc which viii lose tho heat given to the iron
with rapidty proporlioned TO lis conducting pow
er. Now suppose the hand to be placed upon
piece OF wood al the ter. peraturc, which IS
good u coS.luctor and yci has It certain con-
Quoting power the heat OF the hand will not be
.ost 20 fast. Finally place the hand upon the
blanket, which is likewise al the temperature OF
co.; the heat now scarcely lost at all. Nay, al
Ter keeping it upon the blanket for lirle time, il
will cease to lose any. Now what docs this amount
TO- in explaining why the iron Is colder than the
wood and the wood colder than the cloth SIM
ply this neither OF these objects is colder than
ttc otter, but has he power of conducting the
neat from the hard more rapidly than another;
ind the sense OF colds produced, not by any rcal
degree Of cold bur by the conducting power carry
ing the heat away from the hand-and It's loss Civ
NJ the sensation of cold You ee hos easy, then,
by the application of one or two scientific princi-
pics the allacy of TINS sense Is explained.
This leads me TO another observation respecting
expedicnts 10 which we all resort with refernce
heat and cold The whole theory OF clothing
rests upon the facts and principles to which
nave Just adverted. The human body is by some
nscrutablc arrangement; supplied with Internal
fountain Of heat, BY which its temperature is
L. The fountain of heat owes its origin to the same
unknown principle as organization itself. The
iuct Of It's existence, and that it is capable Of sup
plying certain quantity of the caortc principle.
arc all that we can know. This amount Of heat is
essential to the well-beng, health aud comfort
the human body if we lose it TOO fast the sensa
ton of cold is produced: ii it is suffered to
BASS away at all, we become sensible of fever
The atmosphere is subject to various vicss,ude.
II heat and GELD, aud from both, man is compelled
20 defend himself. How shall he do ii He
rounds himself with clothing, made of non.con-
luctng materials, such as flannel, cotton, &c The
fleet OF TIL, is 10 keep the body at its natural
rcmperatue by placing barrier between 1t ana
tho ntmosphcre-not allowing the heat OF the body
TO pass off from the surface Ii the external air
on the other hand be hot the same covering which
prevents the natural heat from passing away him
lcrs the external heat from entering. Hence IL
not climates as well as in cold persons accus-
toned 10 wear flannel clothing, to produce oPFo-
ste effects IN the two
Another point in the theory OF clothing Is de-
serving OF notice. Nothing Is more conducive TO
The regular temperature OF the body than free
evaporation. The surface OF the body Is Gd-
mrabc piece Of mechanism. The skin Is an IN
s,rument to which few present have given tbs
attention it deserves. 1t j. filled with minute
capillary tubes, which continually send forth the
eilluyia which ought to escape. If you cover the
body with substance which i, non-conducter
not only of heat but also OF air, in seeking TO pre-
serve the regular temperature of the body YOU
obstruct the escape OF those principles which ought
to pass Freely away. Hense flannel is mostly used
Tor clothing US pores open and the ai readily
passes while heat or " makes It's escape lhroughit
with reluctance and difficulty. When the CLOTHS
winch have been called .Nac6iRt0SbeS from the name
Of their discoverer first came into use, it seemed
mat people never could have enough OF them.
d.. ..c .uc--. I'D h,. n.cinlIy .hnn.lna-