PIMPERNEL, Anagallis, a genus of plants of the natural order primulacew, having a wheel-shaped corolla, and the capsule opening by division round the middle. The species are elegant little annual and perennial plants, natives chiefly of temperate cli mates. -The flowers are not large, but very beautiful.—The SCARLET PIMPERNEL (A. areensis) is a common plant in Britain, occurring as a weed in fields and gardens; it is common also in most parts of Europe and in many parts of Asia. The flowers are of a fine scarlet color, with a purple circle at the eye. There is a common belief in England, mentioned by lord Bacon, that when this plant opens its flowers in the morning a fine day may be expected; and they certainly close very readily on the approach of rain. They usually open about eight in the morning and close about noon.—The BLUE Pot PERNEL (A. ccerulea) is far less common in Britain but very abundant iu some parts of Europe.—The Boo PIMPERNEL (A. tenella), frequent in bogs in England, but rare in Scotland, is an exquisitely beautiful plant.—Several species are cultivated in our flower gardeus.—Ac•id properties prevail in this genus, and A. arrensis has been used medicin ally in epilepsy, dropsy, and mania.—The name WATER PIMPERNEL is given to samolas valerandi. also called brookweed, another British plant of the same order, with racemes of small white flowers, growing in watery gravelly places. It is supposed to be the samo/us which Pliny says the Druids gathered fasting, with the left hand, and without looking at it, ascribing to it magical virtues in the cure and prevention of diseases in cattle. Its geographic distribution extends over almost all the world.
PM, As a requisite of the toilet, etc., pins were first used in Britain in the latter part of the 15th .c. ; they were at first made of iron wire, but in 1540 brass ones were imported from France by Catharine Howard, queen of Healy VIII. Several inventions, however, were previously in use for holding together parts of the dress, such as buckles, brooches, laces, clasps, hooks, etc. At first pins were made by filing a point to a proper length of wire, and then twistine•. it piece of fine wire around the other extremity, or fix. i:.g it after twisting, in order to form a knob or head ; • and ultimately these operations were so skillfully conducted that a completely round head was made of very small size, and scarcely showing the nature of its construction. Some pins are still made in this Way. It is how many operations are needed to complete so small an article. They are as follows: 1. Straightening and Cutting the Wire.—The straightening is neces• nary, because the wire-drawers coil the wire as they make it upon a cylinder, and when it is unrolled the coils It is therefore drawn through an arrangement of upright iron reds which completely straighten it, after which it is cut into lengths of 30 ft., and these are again reduced to lengths of four pins. 2. Pointing.—This is done by two operations and different workmen, each standing at a separate grindstone; the first is the rough grinder, and the second the finisher. Each holds with the thumb on the palm of the hand a number of the wires amounting to 30 or 40, and by a movement of his thumb lie manages to make the wires turn round so as to make a point to each as he holds them to the grindstones, the second of which, being of a fine material, gives them a smooth finish; they are then reversed and the other end pointed. 3. Cutting.—The length of a
single pin is cut off of each end of these pieces; the intermediate portions are. handed back to the pointers, and each end receives a point, after which they are divided into two, and thus the four pin piece is reduced into single pin lengths, each having a point. 4. Twisting the Heads.—These are made of very thin wire. which is coiled twice by means of a lathe around the end of another piece of wire the same thickness as the pins. 5. CiWing the Heads.—The bead being formed on the thin wire it is handed to Another workman who cuts it off; these two operations tire performed with great rapidity, so gnat, indeed, that as many as 12,000 have been made.in an hour. 0. the Heads.—This is softening them by putting some thousands into an iron ladle, and after snaking them red hot, plunging them into cold water. 7. Stamping or Shaping the Heads. —This ,is pressing the heads into a better shape by means of a small lever press, and at the same time fixing them on the pins; a good worker will do as ninny as 12,000 to 15,000 per day. 8. Yellowing or Cleaning the Pins.—This is done by a process which is often called souring; it consists in boiling them for about half an hour in the 'dregs of sour Leer or a solution of argot or cream of tartar, and then washing them in clean water. 0. Whitening or Tin ning.—In this process a large copper pan is used, and in it is first placed a layer of about six pobnds of the cleaned or yellowed pins, and over these• a layer of grain-tin to the amount of about eight pounds. Several alternate layers of pins and tin are put in one vessel, and then by a pipe arranged inside the copper pan water is gently poured in, and goes through the pipe to the bottom, first rising up through the different layers so gently as not to disturb them. Fire is now applied to the bottom of the pan, and when it is nea•ly•boiline• its surface is sprinkled with a quarter of a pound of cream of tartar, and the whole is slowly boiled for half an hour, then poured into a strainer and shaken to separate the pins from the grain-tin and liquid; by this process a thin deposit of tin has been thrown on the pins which are now white instead of yellow; without the souring this world not take place, it being essential that they should be quite free from any oxidation or soil. 10. Washing--The. pins are now thoroughly washed iu pure water. 11. Drying and Polishing.—They are now pit into a large leathern bag with a quantity of bran and violently shaken backward and forward by two men. 12, Win vowing.—The bran is nest separated by fanning. 13. Pricking the Papers to receive the Pins.—This is now clone by an ingenious machine, through which the papers are passed, and which, at regular intervals, arranged according to the size of the pins, pinches up fold of the paper, and at the same time pricks the holes to receive the pins, and then places the pins in their places. Formerly this required a separate operation. Thus 14 persons were required to make and put up for sale a pin, and in some manufactories this is still the case; but in all the large establishments machines are now employed, and an immense reduction of hand labor is effected by them.