AZU 
phur, mixed together with a little water, 
be put into a glass receiver full of atmosphe- 
ric air, it will in a few days absorb all the 
oxygen, and the remainder will be azote, or 
more properly azotic gas. Phosphorus may 
be substituted for the iron filings and sul- 
phur, and the absorption will be completed 
in 24 hours. Diluted nitric acid, poured 
on muscular flesh, and the heat of 100° ap- 
plied, will furnish azotic gas. By whatever 
means obtained, its properties are always 
the same ; viz. it is invisible and elastic : it 
has no smell ; its specific gravity ,is about 
,98, or, according to Mr. Davy, ,978 ; 100 
cubic inches of it weighs upwards ol 30 
grains ; it cannot be breathed by animals 
without instant suffocation ; and it is not 
sensibly absorbed by water. Azote is a 
constituent part of all animal bodies : it is 
the cause of the production of ammonia; 
and in certain proportions with oxygen, it 
forms the nitric acid : according to the ex- 
periments of Mr. Davy, nitric acid is form- 
ed of 
29.5 of azote 
70.5 of oxygen. 
The composition of nitric acid was disco- 
vered by Mr. Cavendish, and hence is ex- 
plained how the putrefaction of animal mat- 
ters is favourable to the production of nitre. 
It is from this combination that azote ob- 
tained the name of nitrogen, or the base of 
nitric acid : this, indeed, seems the pre- 
ferable term, azote only implying the gene- 
ral property of destroying life, which is 
common to many of the other gases. Azote 
in its different stages of oxydation becomes 
nitrons oxide, nitrous gas, as well as nitric 
acid. 
AZU 
In experiments, azote is detected chiefly 
by its negative properties. Gas may be in- 
ferred to be azotic, if it instantly extin- 
guishes a taper immersed in it, and at the 
same time is not sensibly absorbed by wa- 
ter or liquid alkali ; nor renders lime water 
turbid; which does not blacken the solu- 
tions of lead cr silver ; which mixes with 
oxygen in any proportion, without diminu- 
tion, or the production of red fumes, and 
when so mixed, does not explode by the 
contact of a lighted body. 
AZURE, among painters, the beautiful 
blue colour, with a greenish cast, prepared 
from the lapis lazuli, generally called ultra- 
marine. See Colour. 
With greater propriety, however, azure 
signifies that bright blue colour prepared 
from the lapis armenus, a different stone 
from the lapis lazuli, though frequently con- 
founded together. This colour is, by our 
painters, commonly called Lambert’s blue. 
Azure, in heraldry, the blue colour in 
the arms of any person below the rank of a 
baron. In the escutcheon of a nobleman, 
it is called saphire ; and in that of a sove- 
reign prince, Jupiter. In engraving, this 
colour is expressed by lines, or strokes 
drawn horizontally. This colour may sig- 
nify justice, perseverance, and vigilance ; 
when compounded with 
Or. 'i f Cheerfulness 
Arg. j | Vigilance 
Pur. I I Goodness 
AZURITE. See Lazulith. 
B. 
T> The second letter of the alphabet, 
> and first consonant, is formed in the 
voice by a strong and quick expression of 
the breath, and opening of the lips ; and is 
therefore one of the labials : as a mute, it 
hath a middle power between the smooth 
sound of P, and the rougher sound of F 
and V. 
B is also used as an abbreviation ; thus, 
in music, B stands for the tone above A, as 
B b , or b B, does for B flat, or the semitone 
major above A : B also stands for bass, and 
B. C. for basso continuo, or thorough bass. 
As a numeral, B was used by the Greeks 
and Hebrews, to denote 2 ; but among the 
Romans, for 300, and with a dash over it 
(thus B) for 3000. 
BABOON, the name of that tribe of 
apes which have short tails.' See Simia. 
BABYLONICS, in literary history, a 
fragment of the ancient history of the world, 
ending at 267 years before Christ ; and com- 
posed by Berosus or Berossus, a priest o-f 
Babylon, about the time of Alexander. Ba- 
bylonics are sometimes also cited in ancient 
writers by the title of Chaldaics. The Ba- 
bylonics were very consonant with Scrip- 
ture, as Josephus, and the ancient Christian 
