BAB 



BAB 



cubic inches of it weighs upwards of 30 

 grains ; it cannot be breathed by animals 

 without instant suffocation ; and it is not 

 sensibly absorbed by water. Azote is a 

 constituent part of all animal bodies : it is 

 the cause of the production of ammonia ; 

 and in certain proportions with oxygen, 

 it forms the nitric acid : according to the 

 experiments of Mr. Davy, nitric acid is 

 formed of 



29.5 of azote 

 70. 5 of oxygen. 



The composition of nitric acid was dis- 

 covered by Mr. Cavendish, and hence is 

 explained how the putrefaction of animal 

 matter* is favourable to the production of 

 nitre. It is frm this combination that 

 azote obtained the name of nitrogen, or 

 the base of nitric acid : this, indeed, seems 

 the preferable term, azote only implying 

 the general property of destroying life, 

 which is common to many of the other 

 gases. Azote, in its different stages of 

 oxydation, becomes nitrous oxide, nitrous 

 gas, as well as nitric acid. 



In experiments, azote is detected chief- 

 ly by its negative properties. Gas may 

 be inferred to be azotic, if it instantly ex- 

 tinguishes a taper immersed in it, and at 

 the same time is not sensibly absorbed by 

 water or liquid alkali ; nor renders lime- 

 water turbid; which does not blacken 



the solutions of lead or silver; which 

 mixes with oxygen in any proportion, 

 without diminution, or the production of 

 red fumes ; and when so mixed, does not 

 explode by the contact of a lighted body. 



AZURE, among painters, the beautiful 

 blue colour, with a greenish cast, pre- 

 pared from the lapis lazuli, generally call- 

 ed ultramarine. See COLOUB. 



With greater propriety, however, azure 

 signifies that bright blue colour prepared 

 from the lapis amenus, a different stone 

 from the lapis lazuli, though frequently 

 confounded together. This colour is, by 

 our painters, commonly called Lambert's 

 blue. 



AZURE, in heraldry, the blue colour in 

 the arms of any person below the rank of 

 a baron. In the escutcheon of a nable- 

 man, it is called sapphire ; and in that of 

 a sovereign prince, Jupiter. In engraving, 

 this colour is expressed by lines, or 

 strokes drawn horizontally. This colour 

 may signify justice, perseverance, and 

 vigilance ; when compounded with 



Or. ^ fCheerfulne&s 



Arg. j I Vigilance 



G , uh Lit signifies J Readiness 

 \ er. r | Enterpnze 



Pur. Goodness 



Sab. J ^Mournfulness. 



AZURITE. See LAZULITH. 



B. 



BThe second letter of the alphabet, 

 9 and first consonant, is formed in the 

 voice by a strong and quick expression 

 of the breath, and opening of the lips, 

 and is therefore one of the labials : as a 

 mute, it hath a middle power between 

 the smooth sound of P, and the rougher 

 sound of F and V. 



B is also used as an abbreviation : thus, 

 in music, B stands for the tone above A, 

 as B 1 *, or b B, does for B flat, or the semi- 

 tone major above A : B also stands for 

 bass, and B. C.for basso contlnuo, or tho- 

 rough bass. As a numeral, B was used 

 by the Greeks and Hebrews, to denote 

 2 ; but among the Romans, for 300, and 

 with a dash over it (thus B) for 3000. 



BABOON, the name of that tribe of 

 apes which have short tails. See SIMIA. 



BABYLON1CS, in literary history, a 

 fragment of the ancient history of the 

 world, ending at 267 years before Christ, 



and composed by Berosus or Berossus, a 

 priest of Babylon, about the time of Alex- 

 ander. Babylonics are sometimes also 

 cited in ancient writers by the title of 

 Chaldaics. The Babylonics were very 

 consonant with scripture, as Josephus, 

 and the ancient Christian chronologers, 

 assure us ; whence the author is usually 

 supposed to have consulted the Jewish 

 writings. Berosus speaks of an universal 

 deluge, an ark, &c. He reckons 10 gene- 

 rations between the first man and the de- 

 luge, and marks the duration of the seve- 

 ral generations by saroi, or periods of 223 

 lunar months ; which, reduced to years, 

 differ not much from the chronology of 

 Moses. 



The Babylonics consisted of three 

 books, including the history of the an- 

 cient Babylonians, Medes, &c. but only a 

 few imperfect extracts are now remaining 

 of the work, preserved chiefly by Jose- 



