BAKITE 289 



different curvatures of the pattern, and he cuts perpendicularly quite through the thin 

 sheet. The pieces thus detached are easily lifted out, and thus the channels are 

 formed which design the white figures on the red cloth. At the bottom of the chan- 

 nels a sufficient number of small perforations are made through the thicker sheet lead, 

 so that the discharging liquor may have free ingress and egress. Thus one plate is 

 finished, from which an impression is taken in the hydrostatic press, by means of 

 printers' ink, on paper pasted upon another plate. Each pair of plates constitutes a 

 set which may be pxit into presses and removed at pleasure. 



BANDOLINE, called also clysphitique and fixature, a mucilage of Carrageen 

 moss ; used for stiffening the hair and keeping it in order. 



BANG or BHANG. When common hemp (Cannabis saliva) is grown in tropical 

 countries, its fibre becomes much less valuable, but its peculiar narcotic resin is 

 much more abundantly secreted. The leaves and capsules of such hemp furnish 

 the substance known as bang, which is largely used in tho East as an intoxicating 

 drug. 



BANTAM-WORK. Carved and painted work in imitation of Japan ware. 



BAOBAB TREE. See ADANSO.MA. 



BAP or BAT. In Leicestershire a dark bituminous shale is so named. 



B ARBADOES TAR. A mineral pitch of a peculiarly odorous character. This 

 bitumen was formerly obtained from Barbadoes ; but several kinds now pass under 

 the name. 



BARBART GUM. Sometimes called Morocco gum. The product of the 

 Acacia gummifera. Imported from Tripoli, Barbary, and Morocco. See ARABIC, 

 GUM. 



BARBERRY. (Berberis, Lat. ; fipinc-wnette, Fr.) It is probable that this name 

 has been given to this plant from its spines, or barbs. The name, Oxycanthits, also 

 given to it, indicates a like origin. 



The barberry is a shrubby plant, common in hedges in England ; sometimes called 

 the pipperidgo bush. The berries are used in housewifery. The wood and bark of 

 this plant contain a yellow colouring-matter which is soluble in water and alcohol, 

 and is rendered brown by alkalis. The solution is employed in the manufacture of 

 morocco leather. The yellow crystalline colouring-principle of tho barberry is 

 termed Beberine. 



It is a common notion among farmers that barberry bushes cause the neighbouring 

 wheat to become blighted. This was long regarded by botanists as nothing more than 

 a popular prejudice, but tho recent researches of Oersted and De Bary have shown 

 that it really has foundation in fact. It is now proved that tho two kinds of fungus, of 

 which one infests the barberry and the other the wheat, though so different as to be 

 placed in distinct genera, are really alternating forms of one and the same species. 

 In one condition of its existence the fungus grows only on the barberry bush, but at 

 a later period of its development it gives rise to an organism which produces the rust 

 of wheat. Hence, a scientific relation is established between the appearance of tho 

 disease and the presence of the barberry. 



BARILLA. (Soude, Barille, Fr. ; Barilla, Ger.) A crude soda, procured by 

 the incineration of the Salsola soda, a plant cultivated for this purpose in Spain, 

 Sicily, Sardinia, and the Canary Islands. In Alicante tho plants are raised from 

 seed, which is sown at tho close of the year, and they are usually fit to be gathered 

 in September following. In October the plants are usually burned. For this pur- 

 pose holes are made in the earth, capable of containing a ton or a ton and a half of 

 soda. Iron bars are laid across these cavities, and the dried plants, stratified with 

 dry reeds, are placed upon them. The whole is set on fire. The alkali contained in 

 the plants is fused, and it flows into tho cavity beneath, a red-hot fluid. By con- 

 stantly heaping-on plants, tho burning is continued until the pits are full of barilla ; 

 they are then covered up with earth and allowed to cool gradually. The spongy 

 mass of alkali, when sufficiently cold, is broken out, and, without any further 

 preparation, it is ready for shipment. Good barilla usually contains, according 

 to Dr. lire's analysis, 20 per cent, of real alkali associated with muriates and sul- 

 phates, chiefly of soda, some lime, and alumina, with very little sulphur. Caustic 

 leys made from it were formerly used in the finishing process of tho hard-soap manu- 

 facture. 



The manufacture of barilla has greatly declined since the introduction of Le Blanc's 

 process for artificially manufacturing soda from common salt. 



BARILLA X>E COBRE. (Copper Barilla.) A commercial name for tho 

 native copper of Corocoro in Bolivia. The copper is obtained in the state of powder 

 by crushing and washing tho red Permian sandstone, which contains tho metal. 



BARZTE. A form of spelling adopted by Dana for tho mineral usually called 



VOL. I. U 



