BECCABUNGA 



200 



BEGUAN 



Beccabunga (bek-ah-bung'-gah). A plant of Europe, 

 Veronica beccabunga, formerly much prized in medi- 

 cine. See Veronica. 



Beccaria, Test of. See Tests, Table of. 



Beche-de-mer (bash' -de-mar) [Port. , bicho-do-mar, sea- 

 worm]. The smoked and dried bodies of Holothnria 

 argus, a sea-slug ; valued by the Chinese as a culinary 

 delicacy, and an aphrodisiac. Unof. 



Bechesthesis (bek-es'-thes-is) [/3^£, cough ; aiodqocg, 

 sensation] . The sensation in the throat or air- passages 

 that prompts one to cough. 



Bechic (bek'-ik) [/3t/xik6<;, from /?#f, a cough]. A 

 remedy for a cough ; an antibechic. 



Bechorthopnea (bek-orth-op-ne' '-ah) [/3#£, cough ; 

 bpfidg, straight ; nvetiv, to breathe]. Cough associated 

 with orthopnea. A synonym of Whooping-cough. 



Bechous (bek'-us) [/3^f, a cough]. Pertaining to or 

 affected with cough. 



Bechterew's Nucleus. The accessory auditory nu- 

 cleus. 



Becker's Test. A test for astigmatism, made by means 

 of a set of parallel lines in triplets placed in various 

 meridians. 



Beckmann, Method of. A method for the determination 

 of the depression of the freezing-point. A hard glass 

 tube, from 2 to 3 cm. in diameter, with a lateral pro- 

 jection, is filled with from 15 to 20 grams of the solvent 

 (weighed out accurately in centigrams), and closed 

 with a cork in which are placed an accurate ther- 

 mometer and a stout platinum wire serving as a stirring- 

 rod. The lower part of the tube is attached by means 

 of a cork to a somewhat larger, wider tube, which 

 serves as an air-jacket. The entire apparatus projects 

 into a beaker-glass filled with a freezing-mixture. Cold 

 water will answer for glacial acetic acid and ice- water 

 for benzene. The congealing-point of the solvent is 

 determined by cooling this to from 1° to 2° below its 

 freezing-point ; then by agitation with the platinum 

 rod (after addition of platinum dippings) the forma- 

 tion of crystals is induced. The thermometer rises. 

 When the mercury becomes stationary, the reading in- 

 dicates the freezing-point of the solvent. The mass is 

 allowed to melt and an accurately weighed amount of 

 substance is introduced through the lateral projection. 

 When this has dissolved, the freezing-point is de- 

 termined as before. 



Beclard's Hernia. See Diseases, Table of. B. Opera- 

 tion. See Operations, Table of. B. Suture. See 

 Suture. 



Becorthopnea (bek-orth-op-ne' -ah). See Bechorthop- 

 nea. 



Becquerel's Pills. Pills containing quinin, extract of 

 digitalis and colchicum seeds, for use in gout. 



Becuiba (bek-we' -bah) [native Brazilian name]. The 

 tree Myristica bicuhyba of Brazil. Its nuts afford a 

 " tallow," or balsam, useful in rheumatism and piles. 

 Unof. 



Bed (bed) [AS., bedd\ The couch or support on 

 which the body may rest in sleep ; usually a mattress 

 of straw, hair, or similar substance. B., Air, a mat- 

 tress of rubber or leather that can be inflated with 

 air. B.-bug an apterous insect, Cimex lectularius, 

 that infests filthy bedsteads, and at times is parasitic 

 upon the human body. See Cimex. B.-case, a 

 form of hysteria or hypochondriasis in which the 

 patient, without cause, persistently remains in bed. 

 B.-pan, a large shallow vessel for receiving the 

 alvine discharges from bedridden patients. B.-rest, 

 an apparatus for propping up patients in bed. B.- 

 ridden, confined to bed. B.-sore, a sore produced 

 on any projecting part of the body by prolonged pres- 

 sure against the bed, and by nutritive changes in 



paralyzed parts. B., Water, a rubber mattress con- 

 taining water ; it is used to prevent the formation of 

 bed-sores. 



Bedegar, Bedeguar (bed '-e-gar) [ Ar. , Pers. , baddwar, 

 a white thorn]. An insect-made gall found on rose- 

 bushes of various species. It is astringent, but is not 

 now used in regular medicine. 



Bedlam (bed' -lam) [ME., bedlem, a corruption of Beth- 

 lehem]. A mad-house. 



Bedlamism (bed' -lam-izm) [see Bedlam~\. Insanity. 



Bedlamite (bed' '-lam-it) [see Bedlam]. A madman ; 

 an insane person. 



Bednar's Aphthae. See Aphtha, and Diseases, Table of . 



Bedouin Itch. A synonym of the vesicular variety of 

 Lichen tropicus. 



Bee (be) [AS., bi~\. A genus of insects belonging to 

 the Hymenoptera, commonly used to designate the 

 common Honey Bee, Apis mellifica (a. v.). B. -bread, 

 a preparation of pollen with which bees fill certain 

 cells. (The propolis, or hive-resin, is also incorrectly 

 called bee-bread.) B. -poison, the irritating secretion 

 discharged through the sting of the bee. See Formic 

 Acid. 



Beech (bech). See Fagus. 



Beech-drop (bech' -drop). See Cancer Root. 



Beef (bef) [ME., befe\ The flesh of domestic rattle. 

 Good beef should be of red color, possess firm texture, 

 and be free from unpleasant smell. Beef consists 

 mainly of water 73, fibrin 15, gelatin 4, albumen, 3, 

 fat and other substances 5 per cent. B. -extract, 

 the soluble fibrin of lean meat partly desiccated. B.- 

 measles. See Cysticercus bovis. B.-tea, the soluble 

 extractive matter of beef, made by steeping finely-cut 

 lean beef with its weight of water, and straining. 



Beer (ber). See Malt Liquors. B. -vinegar. See 

 Vinegar. 



Beer's Cataract Knife. A knife with a triangular-shaped 

 blade, for making section of the cornea in the removal 

 of the crystalline lens. B. Operations. See Opera- 

 tions, Table of. 



Beeswax (bez'-waks) . Ceraflava ; wax secreted by bees, 

 of which their cells are constructed ; ordinarily it is a 

 mixture of cerotic acid, myricyl palmitic ester, heptaco- 

 sane, hentriacontane, and several alcohols. The crude 

 melted wax is a tough, compact mass of yellow or 

 brownish color, granular structure, faint taste, and 

 honey-like odor. When bleached it becomes white. 

 Its specific gravity is .959 to .969; its melting-point 

 62 to 64 C. It is used in making candles, oint- 

 ments, and pomades. 



Beet (bet). See Beta. 



Begbie's Disease. See Diseases, Table of. 



Beggiatoa (bed-je-at-o' -ah) [after the Italian botanist, 

 J. Beggiato]. A genus of arthrosporous bacteria 

 founded by Trevisan (1833), consisting of swinging 

 or gliding, milk-white, gray, rosy to violet threads. 

 They decompose sulphur compounds, and store up 

 sulphur granules in their protoplasm. They are found 

 in stagnant, fresh, or salt water, particularly that con- 

 taminated by sewage or factory waste. See Bacteria, 

 Synonymatic Table of. 



Begin's Operation. See Operations, Table of. 



Begma (beg f -mah) [firjyua, a cough: //., Begmata]. 

 A cough ; the matter expectorated by coughing. 



Begonia (be-go'-ne-ah) [after Bigon, a French savant]. 

 An extensive genus of flowering-plants, mostly natives 

 of warm regions. B. octopetala and tomentosa, of 

 Peru, are astringent. B. balmisiana, of Mexico, and 

 various other species are locally prized as alteratives. 

 Unof. 



Beguan (beg'-wan) [native S. America]. A bezoar 

 obtained from the iguana, a large species of lizard. 



