BEN 



BER 



of the muriatic acid. Many of the metal- 

 lic oxides are soluble iu this acid, but not 

 the metals themselves. The benzout of 

 lime has been found in the urine of horses 

 and some other quadrupeds : and to this 

 is ascribed the sub-aromatic smell some- 

 times perceived from the liquid when 

 fresh. The ben/oats in chemical affinity 

 follow tin's order: 



Lime Soda 



Barytcs Ammonia 



Magnesia Alumina 



Potash Metallic oxides. 



BENZOIN, in chemistry, a gum called 

 gum Benjamin ; is brought from the East 

 Indies in brittle masses ot unequal degrees 

 of purity, and varying in colour from yel- 

 low to white. It has but little taste ; but 

 if previously dissolved, it is rather pun- 

 gent and aromatic. Its smell is grateful 

 when rubbed or wanned, and when the 

 heat is increased the resin melts, a white 

 and most fragrant vapour rises, which is 

 easily condensed on the surrounding bo- 

 clic-s into beautiful shining saline needles. 

 These are what are denominated benzoic 

 acid. Benzoin is very soluble in alcohol, 

 but separates on the addition of water. 

 It is one of the most important balsams 

 in modern chemistry, which are consider- 

 ed as resins naturally united with that vo- 

 latile crystallizable acid which has just 

 been mentioned, and which is the same 

 in all natural balsams. The benzoic acid 

 may be prepared either by sublimation or 

 by digestion : that obtained by sublima- 

 tion is remarkably light, feathery, and 

 elastic. When pure, it is quite white ; 

 for the yellowness is owing to its admix- 

 ture with oil. This acid is contained in 

 sty rax and balsam of Tolu, giving them 

 the characters of true balsams. It is like- 

 wise met with, but more sparingly, in se- 

 veral fragrant barks, resins, and other 

 vegetable matters. It generally appears 

 in its proper character when these sub- 

 stances are moderately heated ; or it may 

 be extracted with lime. Benzoic acid, 

 or, as it is called in the shops, flowers of 

 Benjamin, is the chief ingredie'nt of the 

 celebrated "pomade divine," of which, 

 according to Dr. Beddoes, the composi- 

 tion is as follows : 



oz C steeped in water ten 

 Beet marrow 12 < days, and afterwards in 



C. rose-water 24 hours. 

 Flowers of Ben- ) 



jatnin .... 

 Pounded storax 

 Florentine orris 3 

 Cinnamon ..... i ounce. 

 Ciewe jmd nutmeg ditto. 



of each J an ounce. 



The whole to be put in an earthen vessel, 

 closely covered down to keep in the 

 fumes, and being suspended in water 

 made to boil three hours. After which 

 the whole is to be strained and put iu 

 bottles. 



BERBER1S, barberry, in botany, a ge- 

 nus of the Hexandria Monogynia class 

 and order. Essential character : calyx 

 six-leaved; petals six, with two glands 

 at the claws ; style none? berry two-seed- 

 ed. There are four species, of which B. 

 vulgaris is a shrub rising to the height of 

 eight or ten feet. It is a native of eastern 

 countries, and found in most parts of Eu- 

 rope, in woods, coppices, and hedges. In 

 England, chiefly in a chalky soil, as par- 

 ticularly about Saffron Walden in Essex. 

 The leaves of this shrub are gratefully 

 acid. The smell of the flowers is offen- 

 sive when near, but pleasant at a certain 

 distance. The berries are so very acid 

 that birds seldom touch them. They are 

 pickled, and used for garnishing dishes; 

 and being boiled with sugar, form a most 

 agreeable jelly. The roots, boiled in lye, 

 yield a yellow colour; and in Poland they 

 dye leather of a fine yellow with the bark 

 of the root. The inner bark of the stems 

 also will dye linen of a fine yellow, with 

 the assistance of alum. Insects of vari- 

 ous kinds are remarkably fond of the flow- 

 ers of barberry. Linnaeus observed long 

 since, that when bees in search of honey 

 touch the filaments, the anthers approxi- 

 mate to the stigma, and explode the pol- 

 len. Dr. Smith has given the following 

 particular account of this curious pheno- 

 menon. The stamens of such flowers as 

 are open bend back to each petal, and 

 shelter themselves under their concave 

 tips. No shaking of the branch has any 

 effect upon them ; but if the inside of the 

 filaments be touched with a small stick, 

 they instantly spring from the petal, and 

 strike the anther against the stigma. The 

 outside of the filament has no irritability, 

 nor has the anther itself any ; as may ea- 

 sily be proved by touching either of them 

 with a blunt needle, a fine bristle, a fea- 

 ther, or any thing which cannot injure the 

 structure of the part. If a stamen be bent 

 to the stigma, by means of a pair of scis- 

 sors applied to the anther, no contraction 

 of the filament is produced. From all 

 this it is evident, that the spring of the 

 stamens is owing to an high degree of ir- 

 ritability in the side of the filament next 

 the germ, by which, when touched, it con- 

 tracts, that side becomes shorter than the 

 other, and consequently the filament is 

 bent towards the germ. This irritability 



