B L I 



othenviff there is no fiippuration ; thefe will tend, as we 

 have expcrienceci, powcrtuUy to carry off an attack of this 

 dilordcr. Firing with a hot iron has alfo been employed 

 with tiie fame view, on the fiirrounding flcin ; and likewife 

 blood-letting from the jngnlar vein, or from the tem- 

 poral artery, or locally from the veffels proceeding from the 

 inner canthus, or anterior angle of the orbit ; as alfo the 

 vcillls pafiing over the fcleiotic coat, which become very 

 mticli enlarged and vifible in this difeafe, as well as thofe 

 in the lining of the lids. 



Mr. Coleman, the very ingenious profcffor of the vete- 

 rinary college, feared up the veffels of the fclerotica with a 

 hot iron, forming an entire circle round the ball of the eye, 

 at fome dillance from the cornea, to prevent all accefs of 

 blood to this part, and fo endeavoured, mechanically, to 

 put a ftop to the infl.imniation ; it was found, liowever, 

 infufReient to deftroy the diforder, and we believe that any 

 hope of relief from this mode of treatment has fince been 

 abandoned ; and for this reafon, perhaps, this experiment has 

 proved infnfiicicnt, that when communication is flopped 

 from the exterior vefl'els, there are others whofe trunks are 

 fhort of thefe, which fupply the fubliance of the cornea ; 

 and others again, out of our reach, on the inlide of the 

 cornea ; but above all, the habit in the parts to difeafe, 

 and the difpofition in the fyllem to generate it, are not 

 overcome, and the morbid tendency is not thereby de- 

 llroyed. 



The farriers, who pra£life medicine, in treating this com- 

 plaint, often remove the lacrynial gland, which they call 

 the haw, from its fnppofcd rtfemblance to this fruit ; and 

 as this part partakes of the inflammation, and is much 

 fwelled, they miilake it for the fource of the diforder. The 

 removal of it, which is ealily done, by drawing it out witli 

 a hook, and cutting it off, occafions a copious difcharge of 

 blood, which, in flight attacks, relieves the eye, and en- 

 courages them in this prattice ; but from our own perfonal 

 experience we have learned, that in cafes of any duration, it 

 is totally inadequate to the removal of the complaint, and 

 the eye mult obvioufly fuffer from the lofs of a part that 

 is neceffary to its well-being: and means lefs injurious to 

 the eye may be equally well employed with as much fuccefs, 

 fuch as we have before pointed out. 



An infufion of the polygonum hydrop'ipir injefted into the 

 noftril, fo as fliglitly to inflame the membranes, produces 

 very good effefts in this complaint. 



It has been obferved, tliat in the human eye, long con- 

 tinued inflammations of the exterior coats rarely produce 

 cataraifts, as they do in the hoife; and the reafon that has 

 been afligned for this is, that the fame blood-veffels which 

 fupply the luuica coiijuniliva and cornea, alfo fupply the lens 

 and the humours of the eye, which they fay is not the cafe 

 with the human, as thefe parts are fupplied from the eye- 

 lids and integuments ; there is, however, in the horfe, a 

 fingnlar propenfity to inflammatory complaints, and to this 

 difpofition, perhaps, it is rather to be attributed. 



In the inflammation of the cornea, which is at- 

 tended with a black, gloffy appearance of this part, there 

 is feldom any increafed difcharge of tears from the eye and 

 nofe ; but in the other kinds which we have before enume- 

 rated, tliere is, in general, a conliderable increafe of this 

 fecretion. When blood-ftreaks, or blotches appear, it is 

 probable that the veffels are ruptured, and that this blood 

 is really in a ilate of extravafation. 



BLINK of the ice, in Sea Langiicige, denotes that bright, 

 white appearance produced by the ice near the horizon, and 

 perceptible, in approaching the ice, long before it is itfelf 

 i'een. This phenomenon has been often remarked by ma- 



2 



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rlners, and is particularly itientioned in Pliipps's (lord Mul- 

 grave's) voyage to the North Pole, p. 70. 



BLINKS, in Botany. See Montia. 



Blinks, among Jncient Sporlfincn, denoted boughs broken 

 down from trees, and thrown in the way wlure deer are 

 likely to pafs, to hinder their running, or rather to mark 

 which way a deer runs, in order to guide the hunter. 



BLINKING of Leer, in Lineolnfhire, fignilies letting 

 the wort fl:and for fome time in the vat, till it hath acquired 

 fome degree of acidity, in order to difpole it to fint-j and 

 be the fooner ready for drinking. 



BLISSOM, among HuJhanJmen, corruptly called blojlm, 

 is the aft of a ram when coupling with an ewe. 



BLISTER, in Pharmacy. BHflersare railed on the fur- 

 face of the body for medicinal purpofes, b) applying, for a 

 number of hours, fome of the moll aftive of the animal or 

 vegetable ftimulants. Of thefe, by far the moll convenient, 

 and that which is almoft univerfally employed, is the can- 

 thnris, or Spnnijh Jli, (Meloe Vejicatorius.) Thefe infedls 

 are found in Spain, Italy, and the fouth of Europe ; they 

 have a longifli body, beautifully brilliant with green and 

 gold. They are gathered, by fliaking the trees which 

 they frequent, and are killed by the vapour of fpirit of 

 wine buint beneath them, or by the fumes of vinegar, after 

 which they are dried in a ftove. In this flate they are 

 brought over without further preparation. 



Cantharides poffcfs fo much acrimony, that in reducing 

 them to powder, the face fliould be covered with a maf!i, 

 to prerent the troublefome fneezing and excoriation of the 

 fauces, from the finer duft flying about. Taken internally, 

 in an over-dofe, they inflame the whole inte.linal canal, in a 

 greater or lefs degree ; and they have a peculiar tendency 

 to irritate the urinaiy organs. Applied to the fldn, they 

 firll inflame the part, but often, with fcarcely any attending 

 pain ; after which they produce a very copious blillcr of clear, 

 ycllowifli ferum beneath the cuticle, which rifes in a large 

 bag. This infeft appears to poffefs this velicaling property 

 in a much larger degree, in proportion to the pain excited, 

 than any other ilimulant ; and hence its peculiar utility in 

 producing this ferous difcharge with the leall pofiible in- 

 convenience to the patient. It is not exaftly known in 

 what part of the infeift the veficatirg property refides, or 

 whether it docs not equally belong to every part. It is not 

 eafily dedrovcd, or impaired by long keeping, if the infedt 

 be unbruifed, and prcferved in a dry place. 



For bliileiing the ikln, the cantharides are firfl finely 

 powdered, and then incorporated, with fome labour, 

 with a finiple mixture of wax and refin melted togetlier, to 

 v-liich fome add a little vinegar, and allowed to grow nearly 

 cold before the flies are added. This is a neceffary pre- 

 caution, fince it is certainly known that a confiderable heat 

 impairs the biifteriiig property. The plaftcr, thus made, 

 fliould be of fuch a confillcnce, as readily to loften with a 

 moderate heat. When ufed, it is generally Ipread uniformly 

 upon leather, of the requifite fize and (hape, by the affill- 

 ance of an iron fpatula, warmed fcarcely more than the 

 hand can bear. 



To increafe the effcft, fome apothecaries fprinkle the 

 plaller with powdered cantharides, after it is fpread on the 

 leather, but this is not neceffary, where the plaller itfelf 

 is good ; and the powder is apt, after vefication, to lodge 

 on the tender cutis, and produce much ntedlefs irritation. 

 As the bliileiing plaller adheres very loofely to the fl-iin, it 

 is ufeful in applying it to children, to maniacal pcrfons, 

 and wherever it is danger of being too foon pulled off, to 

 furround the blifter with a margin of ftrong adhefive 

 plaitei\ 



The 



