BRI 



BRO 



genius and invention, as we here for the 

 first time meet with several of the most 

 important discoveries in the mathematics, 

 and what have hitherto been considered as 

 of much later invention ; such as the Bi- 

 nomial Theorem ; the Differential Me- 

 thod and Construction of Tables by Dif- 

 ferences ; the Interpolation of Differen- 

 ces, with Angular Sections, and several 

 other ingenious compositions." 



This great man died at Oxford in 1630, 

 and was buried in the Chapel of Merten 

 College, highly respected by his contem- 

 poraries, by many of whom his character 

 was drawn with great ability : by Ought- 

 red he is designated as the mirror of the 

 age for his great skill in geometry : the 

 learned Barrow extols his ability, skill, 

 and industry, particularly in perfecting 

 the invention of logarithms, whtch,without 

 his care, might have continued an imper- 

 fect and useless design. Dr. Smith re- 

 presents him as easy of access to all, free 

 from arrogance, moroseness, envy, ambi- 

 tion, and avarice, a contemner of riches, 

 and contented in his own situation, pre- 

 ferring a studious retirement to all the 

 splendid circumstances of life. 



BRIMSTONE. See SULPHUR. Casts 

 of medals have been taken off on a corn- 

 position, of which the chief ingredient is 

 sulphur, and hence they are called sul- 

 phur casts. By this means the most cu- 

 rious antiques may, to all useful purposes, 

 be indefinitely multiplied. The compo- 

 sition is thus described: melt eight ounces 

 of sulphur over a gentle h're, and with it 

 mix an equal quantity of fine vermilion, 

 stir it well together, and it will dissolve 

 like oil, then cast it into ihe mould, which 

 is first to be rubbed over with oil. When 

 cool, the figure may be taken, and, touch- 

 ed over with aquafortis, it will look like 

 fine coral. 



BRIONI/V, alba> a root used in medi- 

 cine, which lias been l,ong known to con- 

 tain a considerable portion of starch, and 

 a bitter principle soluble in water and 

 alcohol. It has lately been examined by 

 the French chemists by maceration ; the 

 starch was separated and obtained in a 

 state of purity. The bitter principle ap- 

 peared to possess the properties in a very 

 pure state. It was also found to contain 

 a considerable portion of gum, which is 

 precipitated by the infusion of galls, and 

 which Vauquelin denominates vegeto- 

 animal matter, some woody fibre, a small 

 portion of sugar, and a quantity of super- 

 malate of lime, and phosphate of lime. 



BRISTLE, a rigid glosssy kind of hair, 

 found on swine, and much used by brush- 

 makers,shoe-makers, saddlers, and others. 



They are chiefly imported from Russia 

 and Poland. There is a heavy duty upon 

 these. 



BRITTLENESS, a quality of certain 

 bodies, by which they are subjected to 

 be easily broken by pressure or percus- 

 sion. Brittle bodies are extremely hard ; 

 a very small percussion exerts a force on 

 them equivalent to the greatest pressure, 

 and thus they are earily broken. This 

 effect is particularly remarkable in glass 

 suddenly cooled, the brittleness of which 

 thereby is much increased. In the new 

 arrangement of Chemistry, the metals are 

 distinguished into those that are more or 

 less brittle, as one of their leading cha- 

 racteristics. 



BRIZA, in botany, a genus of the Tri- 

 andnaDigynia. Natural order of Grami- 

 na or Grasses. Essential character : ca- 

 lyx bivalve, many -flowered; spikelet dis- 

 tinct, with heart-shaped obtuse valves, 

 the lower of which is minute. There are 

 six species: briza minor, small quaking 

 grass, is an annual, according to Linnaeus 

 and Villars : by Fludson, and in the Kew 

 Catalogue, it is marked as perennial. The 

 culms are about a foot and a half in height ; 

 and the panicles are very much branch- 

 ed. Native of Germany, Switzerland, 

 the South of France, Italy, and Britain. 

 It flowers from June to August. B. me- 

 dia has a perennial root ; culm upright, 

 six or seven inches high in a dry soil, but 

 in wet places it rises to two or three feet, 

 having four or five knots on it. The pa- 

 nicle is handsome, spreads very much 

 when in flower,-and has two spikelets on 

 each branch, placed on such long slender 

 pedicles, as to shake with the least air or 

 motion ; each spikelet is composed of 

 seven, eight, or nine florets, is heart- 

 shaped, flatted, shining, smooth, varying 

 in colours, usually variegated with green, 

 white and purple. This beautiful grass 

 is common in dry pastures in most parts 

 of Europe. It flowers from May to July. 



BROADSIDE, in the sea-language, de- 

 notes a volley of cannon, or a general dis- 

 charge of all the guns on one side of a 

 ship at once. 



BROCADE, a stuff of gold, silver, or 

 silk, raised, and enriched with flowers, 

 foliages, and other ornaments, according 

 to the fancy of the merchants or manu- 

 facturers. 



BROCCOLI, a kind of cabbage culti- 

 vated for the use of the table. See BRAS- 

 SICA. 



BROKER, a name given to persons of 

 several and very different professions, the 

 chief of which are exchange-brokers, 

 stock-brokers, pawn-brokers, and bro- 



