the uppermost or foremost part of the body of an animal. See ANATOMY Index.

HEAD-ache, a most troublesome infirmity in the head, produced by various causes, and attended with different symptoms, according to its different degrees and the place where it is seated. See MEDICINE Index.

Dragon's HEAD, in Astronomy, is the ascending node of the moon or other planet.

HEAD of a Ship, an ornamental figure erected on the continuation of a ship's stem, as being expressive of her name, and emblematical of war, navigation, commerce, &c.

is also used in a more enlarged sense to signify the whole front or fore part of the ship, including the bows on each side: the head therefore opens the column of water through which the ship passes when advancing. Hence we say, head-falls, head-sea, head-way, &c.

Thus, fig. 1. Plate CCL. represents one side of the fore part or head of a 74 gun ship, together with part of the bow, keel, and gunnel. The names of the several pieces, exhibited therein, are as follow:

AA Fore part of the keel, with aa the two false keels beneath it. AC The stem. a a The cat-head. b b The supporter of the cat-head. cc The knight-head, or bollard-timber, of which there is one on each side, to secure the inner end of the bowsprit. dd The hause-holes. ee The naval-hoods, i.e. thick pieces of plank laid upon the bow to strengthen the edges of the hause-holes. f The davit-clock, by which the davit is firmly wedged while employed to fish the anchor. g The bulk-head, which terminates the forecastle on the fore side, being called the beak-head, bulk-head, by shipwrights. H The gun-ports of the lower deck. h The gun-ports of the upper deck and forecastle. I, I, The channel, with their dead-eyes and chain-plates. i The gripe, or fore foot, which unites the keel with the stem, forming a part of either. kk These dotted lines represent the thickness and descent of the different decks from the fore part of the ship towards the middle. The lowest of the three dotted lines / expresses the convexity of the beams, or the difference between the height of the deck in the middle of its breadth and at the ship's side. This is also exhibited more clearly in the MIDSHIP-Frame; where the red curve of the beam is delineated. N. B. These lines must be always parallel to the lines which terminate the gun-ports above and below. mm The timbers of the head, and part of the bowsprit. X The rails of the head which lie across the timbers. OZ Fore part of the main-wale. RX Fore part of the channel-wale. UC The load water-line.

Fig. 2. represents a head-view of a ship, with the Fig. 2. projection HARMONICA. HARPS. PLATE CCL.

No. 1. No. 3. No. 4. No. 2. No. 5.

HELM.

HEAD OF A SHIP.

Fig. 1. Fig. 2.

A. Wilson Sculp! projection of her principal timber and all her planks laid on one side.

It is evident that the fore part of a ship is called its head, from the affinity of motion and position it bears to a fish, and in general to the horizontal situation of all animals whilst swimming.

By the HEAD; the state of a ship, which is laden deeper at the fore end than the after end.

HEAD-Borow, or HEAD Borough, signifies the person who is the chief of the frank pledge, and had anciently the principal direction of those within his own pledge. He was also called burrow-head, bur/shoulder, now boif-holder, third-borrow, tything-man, chief-pledge, and borrow-elder, according to the diversity of speech in different places. This officer is now usually called a high-constable. The head-borow was the chief of ten pledges: the other nine were called hand-borows, or plegi manusae, &c.

HEAD-Mould-fhot, a disease in children, wherein the sutures of the skull, generally the coronal, ride; that is, have their edges shut one over another; and are so close locked together, as to compress the internal parts, the meninges, or even the brain itself. The disease usually occasions convulsions, and is supposed to admit of no cure from medicine, unless room could be given by manual operation or a divulsion of the sutures.

The head-mould-fhot is the disorder opposite to the horse-hoe head.

HEAD-Pence, an exaction of a certain sum formerly collected by the sheriff of Northumberland from the inhabitants of that county, without any account to be made to the king. This was abolished by the statute 23 Henry VI. cap. 7.

HEAD-Tin, in Metallurgy, is a preparation of tin-ore toward the fitting it for working into metal. When the ore has been pounded and twice washed, that part of it which lies uppermost, or makes the surface of the mass in the tub, is called the head-tin; this is separated from the rest, and after a little more washing becomes fit for the blowing-house.

HEAD-Fish, a rope employed to fasten a ship to a wharf, chain, or buoy, or to some other vessel alongside.

HEAD-Land, a name frequently given to a cape or promontory.

HEAD-Dress, amongst the Jewish, Grecian, and Roman ladies, as among ourselves, was various, according to the different periods of time, and the fluctuation of fashion. In general, it principally consisted of their hair differently tricked out. It was usually divided before with a bodkin, into two equal parts; sometimes it was covered with a net, or put into a kind of purse, or tied behind in the form of a knot, or bound back and plaited with ribbands. It was washed with great care; essence and perfumes were applied to it, and gold dust sometimes made use of as powder. Pearls and jewels made a part of their ornaments; and pendants worn in the ear. To cover the defect of hair, periukes were made use of by the gentlemen of Rome. And we read that Otho had a covering of false hair, because he had not much of his own. See HAIR and JEWELS.

Both Grecian and Roman ladies wore têtes. But whether they ever built up their heads so high as the English, or our continental neighbours, will admit of a dispute.