454 BLITE. 
placed about hisneck. When a blister is applied 
to any of the legs, the litter must be completely 
swept away in order to prevent irritation of the 
blistered part by straws. 
The most active ingredient in the great majo- 
rity of suitable blisters, is pulverized Spanish 
flies. One common blistering ointment for horses 
is compounded of half an ounce of pulverized 
Spanish flies, an ounce of oil of turpentine, and 
four ounces of hog’s lard or simple wax ointment ; 
another is compounded of an ounce of pulverized 
Spanish flies, an ounce of oil of turpentine, two 
drachms of sulphuric acid, and four ounces of hog’s 
lard; and a third is compounded of 14 or two 
ounces of pulverized Spanish flies, half an ounce 
of oil of origanum, two drachms of sulphuric acid, 
two ounces of hog’s lard, and four ounces of com- 
mon tar. The last of these is said to be pecu- 
liarly suitable for removing enlargements of the 
pack sinews or windgalls. Sulphuric acid ought 
to be omitted in every case in which a somewhat 
caustic influence is undesirable. Corrosive sub- 
limate has frequently been recommended as an 
ingredient ; yet, except when very severe blister- 
ing, as in a case of bone spavin, is required, it 
ought in every instance to be omitted, for it is 
very apt to ulcerate the skin, and it leaves a 
permanent mark or blemish. Good mustard, 
made into a paste with hot water, and applied 
hot, often blisters as well as Spanish flies’ oint- 
ment; and ought to be used in inflammation of 
the kidneys, and in any other case in which a 
mischievous operation of Spanish flies is to be 
apprehended. ‘Tincture of croton, and some of 
the preparations of iodine, also make active blis- 
ters, 
BLITE, or StrawsBERRyY Britr,—botanically 
Bluitum. A genus of hardy annual plants, of the 
goosefoot tribe. Two ornamental species, the 
berry-headed and the twiggy, were introduced to 
Great Britain from the warmer parts of Conti- 
nental Eurepe, in the course of the 17th century, 
and have ever since been regarded with consid- 
erable favour. Both grow to the height of about 
two feet, and bear apetalous flowers from May 
till August. The flowers of the berry-headed 
species are produced in small heads from the sey- 
eral joints of the stem, and in a cluster from the 
top; and after the flowers have ceased to bloom, 
the little heads swell to the size of wood straw- 
berries, assume a similar appearance to these 
fruits, and become filled with a purple juice 
which gives a deep purple coloured stain to the 
hands of persons who bruise them. ‘Two other 
species, the goosefoot-like and the petiolate, pos- 
sess no interest; but a curious species, the mari- 
time or sea-side, was introduced a few years ago 
from North America.—An uninteresting species 
of amaranth, with green flowers, of annual growth 
and trailing habit, frequently found on the dung- 
hills of England, bears the name of wild blite,— 
Amarantus blitum. 3 
BLOCKS. Pieces of wood in which sheaves or 
BLOOD. 
pulleys are placed, for the purpose of forming 
tackle, purchases, &c., in various operations in 
naval tactics and architectural constructions. The 
mechanical power is described in the article Pun- 
LeY. Blocks aresingle, double, treble, and fourfold, 
according as the number of sheaves is one, two, 
three, or four. The sheaves are grooved to re- 
ceive the rope, and have in their centre a brass 
bush, or triangular piece of brass, to receive the 
pin on which they revolve. The sides of the 
block are called cheeks. A running block is at- 
tached to the object to be moved; a standing 
block is fixed to some permanent support. Blocks 
also receive different denominations from their 
shape, purpose, and mode of application, which 
cannot be well explained without the use of 
figures. No less than 200 different sorts and 
sizes are made at Portsmouth, England, for the 
royal navy, besides which there are various sorts 
used only in the merchant-ships. The machinery 
for supplying the royal navy with blocks is the 
invention of Mr. Brunel,an American artist. It 
enables 4 men, in a given time, to complete the 
shells of as many blocks as 50 men could do by 
the old method. 
BLOOD. The red fluid contained in the blood- 
vessels of animal bodies. It is found in the mam- 
malia, in birds, in reptiles, and in fishes. In the 
last two classes of animals, the temperature of 
the blood is much lower than in the former, for 
which reason they are distinguished by the name 
cold-blooded, while the others are termed warm- | 
blooded animals. Insects and worms, instead of 
red blood, have a juice of a whitish colour, which 
is called white blood. In the blood, two different 
substances are contained, which are separated by 
coagulation,—the serwm, a fluid like the white of 
an egg, and a thick matter, to which the red 
colour properly belongs, which is much heavier 
than the former, and is called the coagulum. The | 
last may be divided again into two different | 
parts,—into the crwor, or that part of the blood 
which is intrinsically red, and coagulable, and 
lymph or jibrine, to which the coagulation of the 
blood must be ascribed. The jibrine, in young 
animals, is much whiter than in older and stronger 
ones. The blood of the latter contains much 
more azote than that of the former. If the nour- 
ishment of animals is changed, we also find an 
alteration in the constituent parts of their blood. 
It is also changed by diseases. In animals that 
are hunted to. death, or killed by lightning, the 
blood does not coagulate. The blood of birds is 
more highly coloured, and warmer, than that of 
viviparous animals, and coagulates more easily in 
the air. That of reptiles and fishes coagulates 
with difficulty. Aided by magnifying glasses of 
a strong power, one may observe, in examining 
the blood of the living animal, or in blood which 
is newly drawn, that it consists, especially the 
cruor, of little globular bubbles, the globules of 
the blood, as they are called, the diameter of 
which amounts to about the three hundredth 
