BENZOLE LIGHT. 



BERNARDINES. 



form of email crystal*. It give* a bright red colour when acted on 

 i-j - ft :. -. ... ..1 



BEXZOPELARGONIC ACID (C u n a O v C..H.O,), a composite 

 anhydrous acid. [ANHYDRIDES.] 



BEXZOPHENONK. [Bcxxotc GROUP]. 



BEX/OSALICYLIC ACID (C..H.O,. C,.H,0,). [ANHYDRIDES.] 



BEXZOVALERIC ACID (U..H.O,, C...H.O,). [ANHYDRIDES.] 



BEXZOYL, ilYl>KU>E OK iC,.H.O,,H), is the nldchyd of beuzoic 

 acid, and occurs in commerce as the oil of bitter almnntlt. The kernels 

 of the fruit* of the Rmarta and the allied families, contain amygdalin, 

 together with viuulnin. The latter substance in the presence of water 

 acto as a kind of ferment upon the amygdalin, and converts it into 

 the crude oil of bitter almonds. At the same time hydrocyanic acid 

 is formed, which remain* dissolved in the hydride of benzoyl. The 

 best method of purifying the commercial oil consists in agitating it 

 with a mixed solution of a ferrous and ferric salt in the presence of 

 an alkali. The cyanogen is thereby converted into prussian blue, and 

 remains behind on distillation. Pure hydride of henzoyl is a colour- 

 lew highly refractive liquid of aromatic smell and burning taste. Its 

 specific gravity is 1-05 at 58-3 Fahr., boiling point 354 It U soluble in 

 30 parts of water, and in all proportions in ether and alcohol. Ignited 

 in the air it bums with a smoky flame. In the bodies of animals it is 

 converted into hippuric acid. 



Like all other aldehyds, hydride of benzoyl combines with the 

 double sulphites of the alkalis. The bisulphite of ammonia compound 

 hat not been obtained in the pure state. The potash compound 

 crystallises out on agitating the hydride of benzoyl with a solution of 

 bisulphite of potash (of 1-25 sp. gr.). To purify this compound it is 

 strongly pressed between bibulous paper, and recrystallised from 

 boiling alcohol The corresponding soda salt is prepared in a similar 

 manner; ita formula is C.^.O-Na 0,280, + 2HO. The salts of both 

 potash and soda are readily soluble in water, and are easily decomposed 

 by alkalis and dilute acids ; in the former case monobasic sulphites 

 being formed, in the latter alkali salts of the acid employed, sulphurous 

 acid being liberated. In both cases the hydride of benzoyl is separated 

 in the free state. The formation and decomposition of the alkali 

 sulphites of hydride of benzoyl may be advantageously employed to 

 j.urify the latter body completely. 



Hydride of benzoyl quickly oxidises on exposure to the air, being 

 converted into benzoic acid. This is especially the case in the presence 

 of the alkalies which unite with and remove the acid as it is formed. 

 In removing a portion of the oxygen from a confined portion of air, 

 hydride of benzoyl converts the remainder into ozone. Nitric acid, or 

 nitrate of potash, in the presence of strong sulphuric acid, converts 



/IT \ 



hydride of benzoyl into the hydride of nitro-benzoyl I C ltN 4 5 H) 



which is molecularly symmetrical with the hydride. To prepare the 

 hydride of nitrobenzoyl, one part by volume of hydride of benzoyl is 

 agitated with 15 to 20 parts of a mixture of one part of fuming nitric 

 acid and two parts monohydrated sulphuric acid. The heat evolved 

 must be moderated. After complete mixture has been effected, three 

 to four volumes of water are added which precipitate the nitro-com- 

 pound as an oily liquid ; this solidifies after standing a few days, and 

 may be then purified by recrystallisation from boiling dilute alcohol. 

 Hydride of nitrobenzoyl is a colourless solid of feeble odour ; it melts at 

 115, and insoluble in ether and alcohol. It is not volatile when heated 

 alone, but in a stream of gas (hydrogen, nitrogen, carbonic acid) it may 

 be distilled without residue. Like the hydride of benzoyl, the hydride 

 of nitrobenzoyl combines directly with the bisulphites of the alkalis to 

 form solid compounds, which are soluble in water and alcohol, and give 

 up the organic hydride when warmed with dilute acids or alkalis. The 

 alkali bisulphite salts of the hydride of nitro-benzoyl are less soluble 

 than the corresponding combinations with the hydride of benzoyl ; the 

 soda salt contains eleven equivalents of water. [AMYGDALUS.] 



BERBERIXE (C.,H,,N0 10 )? an alkaloid little known, found in the 

 lirrtxrit rulyarit, and in the root of the Coccultu palmatus. It crystal- 

 lises in yellow silky needles. 



BEROAMOT, ESSENCE OF, an essential oil, obtained both by 

 pressure and distillation from the rind of the bergamot, the ripe fruit 

 of the citrut limettii : it is limpid, yellowish, and fluid ; that pro- 

 cured by pressure is not so fluid as that yielded by distillation, but ita 

 odour U more agreeable. 



Essence of bergamot appears to consist of a mixture of two principles, 

 one of which has the formula C M ,H )(1 , whilst the second contains oxygen, 

 and yielded to Soubeiran and Capitame the folio wing analytical results : 



Carbon "M 



Hydrogen 10-8 



Oxygen "'I 



100-0 



Placed in contact with anhydrous phosphoric acid, essence of berga- 

 mot forms phntpknberqamic acid. The crude essence often deposits a 

 camphor-like body called beryaptene, soluble in boiling water, in alcohol, 

 and ether ; ita analysis lesds to the empirical formula C.HO. 



The specific gravity of essence of bergamot is 0-888, its smell re- 

 sembles that of oranges, sod it is used u perfume ; at a little below 

 32' Fahr. it becomes solid. 



Vauquelin made a set of experiments to discover the effects that 



were produced by the mixture of alcohol and this oil, in order that the 

 fraud which is commonly practised of mixing them might be detected. 

 He found that 100 measures of alcohol dissolved SO measures of ..il, 

 but that there were several anomalies in the proportions in which 

 smaller qiiantities of alcohol dissolved the oil. The general results 

 are : 1. That the oil of bergamot may contain 8 per cent, of alcohol, 

 of the specific gravity 0-817, without ita being perceptible when mixed 

 with water. 2. That when it contains a greater quantity of it, the 

 surplus separates, dissolving about one-third of its volume of oil. ". 

 That a small quantity of water mixed with the alcohol diminishes 

 remarkably ita action upon the oil ; since alcohol of specific gravity 

 0-880 dissolves only l-28th of ita volume, while pure alcohol dissolves 

 almost half ita volume. 4. That when we mix alcohol with a \..l,itile 

 oil, a mutual exchange takes place between the two HuiiU, tin- i. 

 of which must vary with the purity of the alcohol : this last dissolves 

 the oil, whilst the oil absorbs the alcohol 5. That when we mix 

 alcohol of specific gravity 0'847, for example, with oil of bergamot, 

 which is, 0-856, the alcohol sinks to the bottom, and the oil Mvim > 

 upon it : this depends upon the oil absorbing a part of the pure 

 alcohol, and thus rendering the remainder more dense, while it be- 

 comes itself more light. 6. That there takes place a kind of decom- 

 position of the water and alcohol by the oil ; from which it may be 

 suspected that, if we were to mix a small quantity of diluted alcohol 

 with a large quantity of volatile oil, the water would be separated, and 

 be precipitated alone to the lower irt of the vessel. Hence we learn 

 that the dealers in perfumes may introduce 8 per cent, of alcohol into 

 them without our being able to detect the fraud by the ordinary 

 means ; but it may be discovered by the assistance of the spirit hy- 

 drometer, as the density will be diminished by about l-l<i()th part. 

 Sulphuric ether does not act on the oil of bergamot like alcohol ; it 

 unites with it in all proportion*, and the fluids do not afterwards 

 separate. 



BERGAPTENE. [BERGAMOT, ESSENCE OF.] 



BERLIN WORK. [EMBROIDERY.] 



BERME, in fortification, is a kind of terrace formed at the foot of a 

 parapet on the exterior side. It is generally in a horizontal position, 

 about the level of the natural ground, and it se]>arates the escarp, or 

 that side of the ditch which forms the face of the rampart, from the. 

 outward slope of the parapet. 



The berme prevents the earth constituting the parapet, wln-u tli i- 

 work is damaged by rain or otherwise, from falling into the ditch. Its 

 breadth is usually from two to three feet, and the ditch being at that 

 distance from the foot of the parapet, the pressure of the latter :i 

 the escarp wall is in some measure diminished, a i-iivum - 

 siderable importance when the soil has not much tenacity. If the 

 berme on the exterior of a bastion or ravelin is from 10 to 15 feet 

 broad, it takes the name of eltemin de rmdt, and serves as a conve- 

 nient post for sentries and as a path for the officers going their 

 rounds to see that the troops are on the alert. It may also be 

 as a station for the defenders, when opposing any attempt at an O]M-H 



lull by preventing the enemy from planting his scaling-ladders 

 against the face of the escarp. Communications to the berm< 

 the interior of the work are by passages through the parapet. It 

 should be protected on the exterior by a hedge or a low wall, and the 

 latter might be pierced with loop-holet for the defence of the ditches 

 and covered-way. 



Vauban, in his treatise on the defence of places, ascribes great 

 importance to the </,,/,,/ <lr nmdes. He observes, that the ruins of 

 the parapet, produced by firing at it from a distance, being retained on 

 this part of the work, increase the height of the escarp, and thus com- 

 pel the enemy, if he would form a practicable lireach, to establish his 

 batteries on the crest of the glacis, in order that he may l enabled to 

 fire at and breach the wall near its foot. A broad beruie is however 

 liable to some objections, for its protecting wall is easily destroyed by 

 the enemy's batteries, and it entails the rampart being wider than is in 

 some cases convenient. Moreover, if the enemy should succeed in 

 gaining it by an escalade, he might form there in good onh 

 mount the parapet in force. It must inevitably happen, also, that the 

 missiles which the defenders might attempt t" roll over the p 

 upon the assailants while in the ditch would be in 1 y the 



berme. Vauban himself states that, at the siege of Gravelines, the 

 besiegers were enabled to blow up the rampart by a mine ; the 

 da nmdet and part of its wall, which had been accidentally left stand- 

 ing, preventing the loaded shells, masses of stone, &c., which were 

 thrown by the defenders over the parapet from falling near the miner 

 who was employed in piercing the escarp. It is evident however that 

 this rampart must have been entirely uuflauked by the collateral works 

 of the place. 



The position of the dumin det rondet i indicated by the unshaded 

 space on the exterior of the parapet along the faces and flanks of the 

 work V, which is given in the article BASTION. 



BERNARDINES, a branch of the Benedictine Order of Religious, 

 more frequently called Cistercians. Their name of Bernardines was 

 derived from St. Bernard, abbot of Clairvaux, or Clarcval, in the 

 diocese of Langres, about A.D. 1118, who was a great promoter of their 

 order. [BERNARD, ST., in Bioo. Drv.] They were called CistmiuH 

 from Cistcrtium or Clteaux, in the bishopric of ChAlons in Burgundy, 

 where the order was begun in the year 1098 by Robert abbot of 



