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257 



B E R 



grass), and the Hokus odoratus (sweet-scented soft grass), 

 to which hay owes its fragrance when drying. 



The benzoin of commerce, sometimes called Asa dulcis, 

 and vulgarly termed Benjamin, is obtained solely from the 

 I.ithocarpus benzoin, a tree growing in Sumatra (see Mars- 

 den's Sumatra, i. 233), Borneo, Java, &c., from which it 

 flows spontaneously in small quantity, but is obtained in 

 greater abundance by making incisions in the stem beneath 

 where the branches are given off, as soon as the tree has at- 

 tained the age of five or six years. These incisions are re- 

 peated every year for about twelve years, when the tree be- 

 comes exhausted : each tree yields annually about three 

 pounds. When it first flows from the tree it is soft, but 

 gradually hardens by exposure to the air. The finest 

 kind, which is whiter, and often in grains, flows from the 

 youngest trees ; this is called Benzoe amygdaloides. The 

 benzoin which is met with in commerce is generally in 

 cakes or fragments of different sizes, of a yellowish or fawn 

 colour, covered with a whitish powder, intermixed with 

 pieces of wood or leaves. When broken it exhibits a vitre- 

 ous fracture, presenting portions of an almond-like shape, 

 which are whiter than the surrounding portions, transpa- 

 rent, and friable. The more of these white pieces that occur 

 in any specimen, the more it is esteemed : from exposure 

 to the air they assume a yellowish hue. An inferior kind, 

 called benzoe in sortii, is grayish brown, of a dull aspect, 

 not transparent, with many portions of wood and bark inter- 

 mixed with it. 



Benzoin is of the specific gravity of 1'063, is friable and 

 easily powdered, during which process it causes sneezing, 

 has an agreeable balsamic odour, and tastes at first sweetish, 

 afterwards balsamic and stimulating. It melts at a mode- 

 rate degree of heat, and evolves a white smoke and pleasant 

 odour. The fumes which arise consist of benzoic acid, which 

 may be easily condensed in a white flocculent mass, called 

 flowers of benzoin. The odour is attributed by Dr. Thomson 

 to the presence of a volatile oil, which accompanies the 

 acid. 



Benzoin is entirely soluble in alcohol and ether, but in- 

 soluble in fixed or volatile oils. Its alcoholic solution added 

 to water, becomes of a milky appearance. 



Stolze analyzed the white and brown kinds, and found 

 them to consist of 



White Ttentoin, Brown Benzoin, 

 100 parti. 100 parti. 



Yellow resin, soluble in ether 7SV83 8'80 



Brown resin, insoluble in ether (J'25 C9'73 



Benzoic acid . . . 19'80 19'70 



Extractive . . . O'OO 0'15 



Impurities . . . O'OO 1 - 15 



Moisture and loss . . 0'12 0'17 

 A trace of volatile oil. 



In its action on the system benzoin resembles the other 

 balsamic resins, being stimulant and exciting, as well as im- 

 proving the quality of the secretions of the mucous mem- 

 brane of the lungs. It was formerly employed as an expec- 

 torant in chronic catarrh and in asthma; and it may occasion- 

 ally be serviceable when, from deficiency of nervous energy, 

 expectoration is difficult, and ;ui accumulation of mucus takes 

 place in the lungs. It cannot fail, however, to prove hurtful 

 if such accumulation arises from difficult circulation through 

 the lungs, connected with organic disease of the heart, which 

 is frequently the source of the spasmodic symptoms called 

 Mthmatic. It has also been recommended in cases of im- 

 perfect development of cutaneous eruptions, but it cannot 

 be relied on in such cases. 



In the present day it is chiefly employed to yield benzoic 

 acid, and as an ingredient in pastilles, or to burn in censers 

 in Catholic churches. It enters into the composition of the 

 Tinctura benenini compnsita, the use of which is mostly 

 confined to old ulcers: its application to recent wounds is 

 very improper. [See BALSAMS.] A solution of benzoin in 

 alcohol, added to twenty parts of rose-water, forms the cos- 

 metic called Virgin's milk. 



BKNZONE A compound of hydrogen, oxygen, and 

 carbon, obtained by Mr. Peligot from the action of lime on 

 benzoic acid. Its properties have been but little investi- 

 gat-1. 



BERAR. A large province of the Deccan, or south 

 of Hindustan, between 17 and 23 J N. lat., and 7 5 and 

 83 E. long. Thin province or state is under the protec- 

 tion of the English government in India, and governed 

 by a native sovereign, known sometimes as rajah of Berar, 

 but more commonly as rnjah of Nagpore. Berar was 



formerly of much greater extent than it is at present. Ma J 

 jor Rennell thus describes the possessions of the rajah as 

 they stood in 1788. 'The Berar or Nagpore rajah, Moo- 

 dajee Boonslah, possesses the principal part of Berar, to- 

 gether with the province of Orissa. Tire remainder of 

 Berar is held by the Nizam, or Soubahdar of the Deccan, 

 who pays a chout, or fourth part of its clear revenues to 

 Moodajee. On the west and south, the Berar dominions 

 border on, or are intermixed with those of the Nizam : on 

 the north-west and north are the provinces of Bopaul, 

 Gurry-Mundella, &c. tributaries of Poonah ; together with 

 the territories of Adjid Sing. On the east, the Nagpore 

 territories thrust themselves between the British possessions 

 in Bengal, and those in the northern Circars, so as to oc- 

 cupy near 1 80 miles of the country adjacent to the sea ; and 

 of course to break the continuity of their possessions on the 

 sea-coast. Moodajee's dominions a re very extensive, being in 

 length from east to west 550 British miles, and in some 

 places 200 from north to south.' 



At present the rajah's possessions are bounded on the 

 north and east by part of the British dominions under the 

 presidency of Bengal, consisting of the province of Gund- 

 wana, and a territory known as ' the ceded districts on 

 the Nerbudda ;' on the west are the Nizam's dominions, 

 and on the south Aurungabad and Beeder. Its greatest 

 length from north to south is about 290 miles ; the mean 

 length \\ not above 150 miles; its greatest breadth from 

 cast to west is 240 miles, and the mean breadth not above 

 140 miles. 



This reduction of territory has beep brought about at 

 different times since the beginning of the present century. 

 By the treaty of Deogaum in December, 1803, the English 

 acquired from the rajah the province of Cuttack, including 

 the port of Balasore. This cession served to connect the 

 Bengal provinces with the northern Circars subject to Ma- 

 dras, an object which had long been considered desirable. 

 The rajah further ceded the provinces of Sumbulpore and 

 Patna, which were subsequently restored to him, and he 

 also gave up some districts on the Hyderabad frontier, 

 which were made over by the British to the nizam. In 

 1809 Berar was invaded by Ameer Khan, a Patan chief, 

 at the head of a numerous body of undisciplined and licen- 

 tious troops, but he was obliged to retire on the advance of 

 two detachments of English troops to the rajah's assistance. 

 On that occasion a negociation was opened for a subsidiary 

 treaty with Berar, hut it was not until after the death of the 

 then rajah in IS 10 that an alliance of that kind was con- 

 tracted. 



In 1817 the rajah, Appah Sahib, joined the Peshwa in 

 hostilities against the English government. Their forces 

 were, however, speedily dispersed ; the rajah was taken 

 prisoner, and sent under a military escort to Bengal, but 

 while on his march he made his escape. After wander- 

 ing about from place to place for many years, he has re- 

 cently taken up his residence at Joudpore. ' He of course 

 forfeited his throne,' and the government of his dominions 

 was thereupon established in June, 1818, in the person 

 of Bajee Rao Booslah, then a minor. On this occasion 

 a portion of the country was retained by the English in lieu 

 of a pecuniary subsidy, and the remainder was administered 

 by British officers, under the superintendence of the East 

 India Company's political resident at the court of Nagpore. 

 This state of things continued during eight years and a 

 half, when the rajah having arrived at years of maturity, 

 was put in possession of part of his territory of the estimated 

 yearly ralue of 26 lacs of rupees (-260,0001.), the remain- 

 ing portion, which yielded 17 lacs (170,000/.). being re- 

 tained under English management as security for the 

 payment of that part of the rajah's army which had been 

 disciplined and was officered by Englishmen. These dis- 

 tricts have since been given up to the rajah, under an ar- 

 rangement concluded with him in December, 1829, which 

 provided that, instead of his furnishing a contingent of 

 3000 horse and 2000 foot soldiers, he should maintain a 

 force of only 1000 horse, and pay an annual tribute to the 

 East India Company of 8 lacs of rupees (80.000/.) In thus 

 withdrawing from the actual management of the state, the 

 Company's government has stipulated that in case of any 

 gross misrule or oppression being exercised towards his 

 uhjects on the part of the rajah (it is not provided who is 

 to judge when this case shall arise), that government shall 

 be at liberty to resume the management, through its own 

 officers, of districts in which disorders may have been pro- 

 duced by harsh and oppressive acts. 



NO. 237. 



[THE PENNY CYCLOPEDIA.] 



VOL. IV. 2 L 



