BLA 



BLA 



BLACKWELLIA, in botany, a genus 

 of the Dodecandria Pentagynia class and 

 order. Calyx five-cleft, half superior ; 

 corol fifteen" petalled ; capsules one cell- 

 ed, many seeded. There are three spe- 

 cies in the Asiatic islands. 



BLADHIA, in botany, so named from 

 Peter John Bladh, a Swede, a genus of 

 the Pentandria Monogynia class and or- 

 der. Essential character : calyx wheel- 

 shaped, deciduous ; berry containing- one 

 arilled seed. There are three species, 

 all natives of Japan. B. of which japoni- 

 ca has a perennial root, with small fibres, 

 a shrubby stem, flexuoses erect, very 

 thinly branched, from four inches to a 

 foot high. Flowers axillary ; corolla 

 white ; sweet smelling-. 



BLADDER, a thin membranous sub- 

 fetance, found in several parts of an ani- 

 mal, serving- as a receptacle of some 

 juice, or of some liquid excrement, as the 

 urinary bladder, g-all bladder, &.c. See 

 ANATOMY. 



BLADE, in commerce, a slender piece 

 of metal, desig-ned for cutting- : thus, we 

 meet with sword-blade, blade of a chis- 

 sel, blade of a saw, &c. 



BLJEUIA, in botany, a genus of the 

 Tetrandria Monogynia class of plants, the 

 flower of which is monopetalous and 

 campanulated : the tube is cylindric, of 

 the length of the cup, and pervious : the 

 limb is small, and divided into four oval 

 reflex segments : the fruit is an oblong 

 quadrangular capsule, with four cells, 

 containing several roundish seeds. There 

 are six species, all found at the Cape of 

 Good Hope. 



BLAIR (JOHN,) an eminent chronolo- 

 gist, was educated at Edinburgh. After- 

 ward, coming to London, he was for 

 some time usher of a school in Hedge- 

 lane. In 1754 he first published " The 

 Chronology and History of the World, 

 from the creation to the year of Christ 

 1753 ;" illustrated in 56 tables. In 1755 

 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal So- 

 ciety, and in 1761 of the Society of An- 

 tiquaries. In 1756 he published a 2d 

 edition of his " Chronological Tables ;" 

 and in 1768 an improved edition of the 

 same, with the addition of 14 maps of 

 ancient and modern geography, for illus- 

 trating the Tables of Chronology and 

 History ; to which is prefixed a " Disser- 

 tation on the progress of Geography.'* 

 In 1757 he was appointed chaplain to the 

 Princess Dowager of Wales, and mathe- 

 matical tutor to the Duke of York, whom 

 he attended in 1763 in a tour to the conti- 

 nent, from which they returned the year 



after. Dr. Blair had successively several 

 good church livings : as, a prebendal stall 

 at Westminster, the vicarage of Hinck- 

 ley, and the rectory of Burton Cogglesiu 

 Lincolnshire, all in 1761 ; the vicarage of 

 St. Bride's in London, in 1771, in ex- 

 change for that of Hinckley ; the rectory 

 of St. John the Evangelist in Westmin- 

 ster, in 1776, in exchange for the vicar- 

 age of St. Bride's ; in the same year the 

 rectory of Horton, near Colebrooke, 

 Bucks. Dr. Blair died the 24th of June, 

 1782. 



BLAKEA, in botany, so named from 

 Martin Blake, of Antigua, a genus of the 

 Dodecandria Monogynia class and order. 

 Essential character : calyx inferior, six- 

 leaved ; superior, entire ; petals six ; cap- 

 sules six-celled, many-seeded. There 

 are but two species, of which B. trinervia 

 generally grows to the height often or 

 fourteen feet ; but rises higher when it 

 remains a climber, in which state it con- 

 tinues some time. It is one of the most 

 beautiful productions of America. It sup- 

 ports itself for a time by the help of some 

 neighbouring shrub or tree, but it grows 

 gradually more robust, and at length ac- 

 quires a pretty moderate stem, which di- 

 vides into a thousand weakly declining* 

 branches, well supplied with beautiful 

 rosy blossoms on all sides. Is is a native 

 of Jamaica, in cool moist shady places. 



BLANCHING of copper is done various 

 ways, so as to make it resemble silver. If 

 it be done for sale, it is felony by 8 and 

 9 William III. ch. xxvi. 



BLANCHING, in coinage, the operation 

 performed on the planchets or pieces of 

 silver, to give them the requisite lustre 

 and brightness. They also blanch pieces 

 of plate, when they would have them 

 continue white, or have only some parts 

 of them burnished. 



Blanching, as it is now practised, is 

 performed by heating the pieces on a 

 kind of peel with a wood-fire, in the 

 manner of a reverberatory, so that the 

 flame passes over the peel. The pieces 

 being sufficiently heated, and cooled 

 again, are put successively to boil in two 

 pans, which are of copper : in these they 

 put water, common salt, and tartar of 

 Montpelier. When they have been well 

 drained of this water in a copper sieve, 

 they throw sand and fresh water over 

 them ; and, when dry, they are well rub- 

 bed with towels. 



BLANCHING, among gardeners, an ope- 

 ration whereby certain sallads, roots, &c. 

 are rendered whiter than they would 

 otherwise be. It is this : after pruning 



