DRESDEN, the capital city of the electorate of Saxony, in Germany. It is seated on the river Elbe, which divides it into two parts. One part is called Old Dresden, and the other the New Town, in the German language, New Stadt. They are joined together by a stone bridge, supported by 19 piers, and 630 paces in length. As this bridge was too narrow for the crowds of people that were continually passing and repassing, king Augustus, in 1730, caused two walks for foot-passengers to be built, one on each side, in a very wonderful manner, the one for those that go into the city, and the other for those that return back. These are bordered with iron palisades, of curious workmanship. Upon this bridge a gilded crucifix is placed. Dresden is surrounded by strong and handsome fortifications; and might boast that it never had been taken, nor yet besieged: but this glory was put to an end on December 19. 1745, by the king of Prussia; who
Dresden, who then became master of it, and entered it in triumph the next day.
Dressing.
All the houses of this city are built with square free stone, and are almost all of the same height. They have stone from the neighbourhood of Pirna, about 20 miles from this city, which is readily brought down the Elbe. They have lately finished a large handsome church for the Roman Catholics, which is placed between the Elbe, the bridge, and the castle. In general the houses are high and strong; the streets wide, straight, well paved, clean, and well illuminated in the night; and there are large squares, disposed in such a manner, that Dresden may pass for one of the handsomest cities in the world.
Though this city lies in a low situation, yet it hath agreeable prospects. It is supplied with a prodigious quantity of provisions, not only out of the neighbourhood, but from Bohemia, which are brought every market-day, which is once a-week. The Dresden china-ware, or rather porcelain, has been noted some time for a curious manufacture. E. Long. 13. 34. N. Lat. 51. 12.
DRESSING of HEMP and Flax. See FLAX-Dressing.
DRESSING of Meats, the preparing them for food, by means of culinary fire.
The design of dressing, is to loosen the compages or texture of the flesh, and dispose it for dissolution and digestion in the stomach. Flesh not being a proper food without dressing, is alleged as an argument that man was not intended by nature for a carnivorous animal.
The usual operations are roasting, boiling, and stewing.—In roasting, it is observed, meat will bear a much greater and longer heat than either in boiling or stewing; and in boiling, greater and longer than in stewing. The reason is, that roasting being performed in the open air, as the parts begin externally to warm, they extend and dilate, and so gradually let out part of the rarified included air, by which means the internal succussions, on which the dissolution depends, are much weakened and abated. Boiling being performed in water, the pressure is greater, and consequently the succussions to lift up the weight are proportionably stronger; by which means the coction is hastened: and even in this way there are great differences; for the greater the weight of water, the sooner is the business done.
In stewing, though the heat be infinitely short of what is employed in the other ways, the operation is much more quick, because performed in a close vessel, and full; by which means the succussions are oftener repeated, and more strongly reverberated. Hence the force of Papin's digester; and hence an illustration of the operation of digestion.
Boiling, Dr Cheyne observes, draws more of the rank, strong juices from meat, and leaves it less nutritive, more diluted, lighter, and easier of digestion: roasting, on the other hand, leaves it fuller of the strong nutritive juices, harder to digest, and needing more dilution. Strong, grown, and adult animal food, therefore, should be boiled; and the younger, and tenderer, roasted.