The Senses Fallible Witnesses
The Unionist 1833-09-05
Unionist content
Transcription
THE SENSES FALLIBLE WITNESSES.—When we bathe in the sea, or in a cold bath, we are accustomed to consider the water as colder than the air, and the air colder than the clothes which surround us. Now all these objects are, in fact, the same temperature. A thermometer surrounded by the cloth of our coat or suspended in the atmosphere, or immersed in the sea, will stand at the same temperature. A linen shirt, when first put on, will feel colder than a cotton one, and a flannel shirt will actually feel warm; yet all these have the same temperature. The sheets of the bed feel cold, and the blankets warm; the blankets and sheets, however, are equally warm. A still, calm atmosphere in summer, feels warm, but if a wind arises the same atmosphere feels cool. Now, a thermometer suspended under shelter, and in a calm place, will indicate exactly the same temperature as a thermometer on which the wind blows.
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But can we trust the thermometers?
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See Full Metadata Hide Full MetadataInsulated Mercury and Alcohol Thermometer, 1830-1840
