BAL 



BAK 



beam balances without them ; they 

 should then be put on again and after- 

 ward reversed, or each scale hung 

 on the end of the beam opposite that 

 which it before occupied. Equal 

 weights should then be put into the 

 opposite scales, and these should, in 

 like manner, be reversed or changed ; 

 and if the beam maintains its hori- 

 zontal position under all these chan- 

 ges, it may be relied on as being good 

 and perfect. The pivots or fulcrum 

 upon which the beam turns ought to 

 be sharp, or knife-edged, as it is term- 

 ed, and they should be of steel well 

 hardened, as well as the interior of 

 the ring in which they move : this 

 confines the fulcrum to a minute line, 

 and prevents friction. In beams for 

 nice purposes, the pivots ought not 

 to be too much elevated above the 

 centre of gravity ; for, although this 

 centre will generally be found an inch 

 or two below the pivots in strong 

 warehouse beams, in order to bring 

 them to a speedy equilibrium, by 

 which time is saved, yet, for accurate 

 weighing, the nearer the centre of 

 gravity is brought into the straight 

 line that would connect the tops of 

 the two scale eyes and the under 

 side of the pivot the better, although 

 such a beam will occasion great loss 

 of time by its vibrating a long time 

 before it becomes stationary. 



BALL, or BOLUS. In farriery, a 

 well-known form of medicine for 

 horses or other animals, which may 

 be passed at once into the stomach. 

 They should be made of a long, oval 

 shape, and about the size of a small 

 egg, being best conveyed over the 

 root of the tongue by tlie hand. This 

 method of admmistcring medicines is 

 preferable, in most cases, to that of 

 drenches. I subjoin the recipes for 

 a few of those balls most commonly 

 used by the farmer : 



Mild Physic Ball. 



Barbadoes aloes . 

 Powdered ginger . 

 Castile soap . . 

 Oil of cloves . . 

 Sirup of buckthorn 

 form a ball. 



64 



6 drachms. 



2 



2 '« 



20 drops, 

 sufficient to 



Strong Physic Ball. 

 Barbadoes aloes . . 8 drachms. 

 Ginger, powdered 2 " 



Castile soap ... 2 " 

 Oil of cloves ... 20 drops. 

 Sirup of buckthorn sufficient to 

 form a ball. 



Calomel Ball for a Horse. 



Calomel 1 drachm. 



Aloes, powdered . . 6 " 

 Ginger, powdered . 2 " 

 Castile soap ... 2 '• 

 Oil of Cloves ... 20 drops. 

 Sirup of buckthorn sufficient to 

 make into a ball. 



Diuretic Ball. 



Castile soap .... 4 ounces. 

 Nitre, powdered . . 2 " 

 Spirit of turpentine . 4 " 

 Anise seed powder and treacle suf- 

 ficient to make into eight balls. 



Cordial Ball. 

 Cummin seed, powdered 4 ounces. 

 Anise seed, powdered . 4 " 

 Caraway seed, powdered 4 " 

 Ginger, powdered . . 2 " 

 Honey sufficient to make into balls 

 the size of a hen's egg. 



BALM. The plant Melissa offici- 

 nalis, of a pleasant aromatic odour ; 

 its medicinal virtues are trifling. 



BALSAMS. Exudations from cer- 

 tain trees of a resinous nature. 



BANANA. A tall herbaceous, en- 

 dogenous plant, the 3Iiisa sapientum 

 of botanists, having broad convex 

 learS'es with fine oblique veins, and 

 growing in a tuft from the top of a 

 stem formed by the union of the broad 

 bases of the leaves. The fruit ri- 

 pens in succession in large clusters 

 weighing many pounds. It is of the 

 same nature as the plantain. It is a 

 native of the West Indies, where it 

 contributes essentially to the food of 



3ll clsSSGS. 



BANKS OF RIVERS. See Em- 

 bankment. 



BANNER, VEXILLUM. The up- 

 per petal of pea flowers. 



BARB. A general name for horses 

 imported from Barbary. The barb, 

 one of the most celebrated of the Af- 



