B A L 



It is a matter of common remark, fliat the wound will gene- 

 rally heal without any fuppuration, by fimple union of the 

 divided parts. However, it is highly probable that the bal- 

 fam arts, in this cafe, princioally as a cement to keep the 

 divided lips in more complete re-union, and to exclude the 

 external air; for the Oimc applfbation to the furface of an 

 opeti lacerated wound, is known by every furgeon frequently 

 to bring on extreme pain and inflammation, and to increafe 

 all the danger of too exteniive -fuppuration or gangrene. 

 The natural balfams are fome milder than others, but all 

 have a certain degree of acrimony, which renders their in- 

 difcriminate ufe in injuries of the body extremely hazardous ; 

 though under due management they may be of eflential fer- 

 vice. But fcarcely a fingle circumilancc which recommends 

 their external ufe, can apply to internal ulceration or rupture 

 oi vefTels. The healing power depends chiefly on the mode 

 of application, the degree of topical ilimulus, and probably 

 the exclufion of external air ; and hence, the value which 

 has been fet on balfams as internal vulneraries is entirely loft. 

 A languid indolent ulcer io the kidney might perhaps be 

 afTilfed by local ftimulating remedies, but when the remedy 

 mud enter the ftomach, and pervade all the vefllls mixed 

 with and diluted by the common circulating fluid, the 

 remedy is no longer local, and the irritation which it pro- 

 duces, is either counterafted during the circulation, or is 

 equally diR"ufcd over the whole fyftem. Balfams, therefore, 

 though they are by no means to be defpifed, are no longer 

 viewed with that degree of partiality whicli the older phy- 

 ficians entertained for them, and repeated experience has 

 (hewn them to be fometimes abfolutely ufclefs, and often 

 pofitively detrimental in internal ulceration of the lungs, 

 kidney, or other difeafes for which they have been long 

 celebrated. 



BALSAMINA, or Balsam, in Botany. See Impa- 



TIENS. 



BALSAMITA. See Achillea, Chrysanthemum, 

 and Tanacetum. 



Balsamita, in the Materia Medtca. See Tanace- 

 tum. 



Balsamita, in Entomology, a fpecies of Aphis, that 

 feeds on the tanacetum baljamita. Miill. Zool. Dan. — The 

 general colour i<! black ; abdomen green ; eyes red. 

 "BALSAMON, Theodore, in Biography, an eminent 

 mailer of the canon law, flouriflied in the Greek church to- 

 wards the clofe of the twelfth centurv. He was appointed 

 guardian of the laws and records, i. e. Nomophylax and 

 Chartophylax, of the church of Conftantinople ; and he 

 was nominated by the Greek church to the patriarchate of 

 Antioch ; but this fee being fei7,ed by the Latins, never 

 came into his polfeffion. By the emperor Ifaac Angelus 

 Comnenus he was flattered, for ferving his own purpofes 

 in favour of Dofitheus, with the hope of being advanced 

 to the patriarchate of Conftantinople ; and thus feduccd, 

 he maintained, in the aflembly of the prelates, that the 

 tranilation of the patriarch of Jtrufalem to this elevated fta- 

 tion, was agreeable to the canon law, and the prelates ac- 

 quiefced in his opinion. But after this exercife of ingenuity 

 and violation of confcience, he was deceived and difap- 

 pointed ; for Dofitheus was preferred, upon the authority 

 of his decifion. Balfamon wrote fevcral learned works on 

 canon law ; particularly " Commentaries on the Apoftolical 

 Canons, the General and Particular Councils, and the Ca- 

 nonical Letters of the Greek fathers," printed in folio,- in 

 Greek and Latin, at Paris, hi 1620 ; and in two volumes 

 folio, in " Beveregc's Pandefts of Canons," printed at 

 Oxford in 1672. He alio wrote a *' CoUeftion of Eclcfia- 

 ftical Couftitutions, which, may be found in Greek and 



B A L 



Latin in " Juftelli Bibliotheca Canom'ca," and other learned 

 works. Fabr. Bibl. Grac. t. v. p. 33. t. ix. p. 184. t. xi; 

 p. 47. t. xii. p. ^03, &c. 



BALSA NO, in Geography, a town of Italy, in the king. 

 dom of Naples, and province of Bari ; fevcn miles fouth of 

 Bari, 



BALSAS, a town of South America, in Peru, in the 



jurifdicfion of Caxamarca, near the river Maragnon. 

 Balsas, in Navigation. See Catamaran. 

 BALSEY Cliff, in Geography. See Bawdsev. 

 BALSHAM, HuoH de, in Biography, an Englifh di- 

 vme, bifliop of Ely, and founder of St. Peter's coikge, or 

 Pcter-houfe, in Cambridge, was born, probably, at Balfliam 

 in Cambridgtfhire, towards the beginning of the thirteenth 

 century. In 1247, he was nomiiiated by the monks of the 

 Benedictine monaftery of Ely, of which he was fub-prior, to 

 the fee of Ely : but Heniy III. refufcd to confirm the no- 

 mination. Balfliam appealed to the pope, and the bufinefs 

 remained for ten years undecided. At laft, however, the 

 pope and monks prevailed. When the prelate was fcated 

 ill liis fee, he projefted the laudable defign of providing edu- 

 cation forpoor feholars, and inftituted a college, fince known 

 by the name of Pcter-houfe. He died at Dodington, in 1 28(5, 

 and was buried in the cathedral church of Ely. By his 

 will he left many books to his feholars, and 300 marks for 

 erecting new buildings. By an inftrumcnt, dated in 1 291, his 

 memory is annually celebrated in his college. The diftinflion 

 of jurifdidliou between the chancellor of the univcrfity of 

 Cambridge, and the archdeacon of Ely, was fettled in 

 1276 by this prelate. Biog. Brit. 



BALSIO, in Ancient Geography, a town of Spain, twenty 

 miles from Turiafo, near the Iberus, and fouth-eaft of Cala- 

 guriis. 



BALSORA, in Geography. See Bassora> 

 BALTAGI, amo-ig the Turks, porters, and hewers of 

 wood, in the court of the grand fignior; who alfo mount on 

 horfeback, wtien llie emperor rides out. Part of them 

 alfo, who for that purpofe muft be caftrated, keep watch 

 at the gates of the firft and fecond courts of the feragho. 

 Thefe laft are called capigi, and their commander capigi 

 pafcha. 



BALTAS, in Geography, a town of Courland, 20 miles 

 eaft of Seelburg. 



BALTAZAHINI, in Biographv, an Italian performer 

 on the violin, who feems firft to have brought that inftru- 

 ment into favour at the court of France, before anv iio- 

 nourable mention is made of it elfewhere in that kingdom. 

 He wasfent, I J77, at the head of a band of violin players from 

 Piedmont, by marflial Briflac, to Catharine de Medici?, and 

 appointed by that princefs her firft valet de clianibiie, and 

 fuperintcndant of her mufic. The violin, however, feems to 

 have been well known and in general ufe in Italy at tluV 

 time, as Montague, who was at Verona in i j8o, fays tliat 

 there were organs and violins to accompany t'lc mafs in the 

 great church. Journ. du Voyage. Baltazarini having contri- 

 buted greatly to the cmufement of the royal family and 

 nobility, by his ingenuity in fuggelling magnificent plans, 

 machinery, and decorations, for balets, divertifements, and 

 other dramatic reprefentations, received the quaint title of 

 Je Beau-joyeux. See Balet cfe la Roync. 



BALTCHATSKO, a town of Siberia, 48 miles caft of 

 Krafnoiardc. 



BAI-TEATUS, in Entomology, a fpecies of Cimf*- 

 (Spino/iis) that inhabits South America. It is oblong, fer- 

 ruginous, with a tranfverfc yellow line, aud many teeth on- 

 the hinder thighs. Fabricius. Gmelin. 



Baiteatl'E^ 



