These disease germs gaining an entrance by means of air, water, or food into the healthy body, and being possessed of extraordinary powers of increase and subdivision, are supposed to set up the particular disease, and at the same time to multiply to an incredible extent by feeding upon the tissues best suited for their support. Further, they are conceived to be thrown off into the atmosphere from the body of the patient, whence they are conveyed as before described into other healthy animal organism, in which, comporting themselves as in the previous case, they set up a similar disease. See Bacteria as originators of disease.
GHEE. A sort of butter used by the natives of India. Prep. Milk is boiled in large earthen pots for an hour or two, then allowed to cool, a little curdled milk called ‘dhye’ being added, in order to make the whole coagulate. After a lapse of some hours the contents of each to the depth of 5 or 6 inches are removed and placed in a larger earthenware utensil, in
which they are churned by means of a piece of split bamboo for about half an hour; then hot water is poured in, and the churning continued for half an hour longer, after which time the butter is found to be formed. When this becomes rancid, it is melted in an earthen vessel, and boiled until all the water has evaporated; after which a little salt or betel-leaf is put into it, and finally it is poured off into suitable vessels in which it can be preserved from the air. Bottles are commonly used for this purpose. See Butter.
GHER′KINS. Syn. Gir′kins. Small cucumbers adapted for pickling. See Pickles.
GILD′ING. Syn. Dorure, Fr. The art or process of covering the surfaces of bodies with a thin film of gold, for the purpose of increasing their durability or improving their appearance. For the sake of brevity we shall briefly notice the leading varieties of gilding, and their applications, in alphabetical order.
Gilding, Burnished. This is distemper gilding to which a ‘face’ has been given with the ‘burnisher.’ It is chiefly employed for the polished portions of the frames of pictures and mirrors, the more prominent parts of statuettes, &c.
Gilding, Chemical. Those varieties in which the film of gold is formed on the surface through the agency of chemical affinity, in opposition to mechanical gilding, in which the gold is made to adhere by the intervention of some glutinous substance.
Gilding, Cold. The articles (copper or brass) to be gilded, after being softened, annealed, and polished in the usual manner, are rubbed with a little gilding powder by means of a piece of cork moistened with a solution of salt in water; after which the work is burnished with a piece of hematite or polished steel. (See below.)
Gilding, Distemper. This is applied to wood, plaster, marble, &c. It is commonly performed in this country by giving the wood, first, a coating of good size, and next, several successive coats of size thickened with finely powdered whiting, Spanish white, or plaster of Paris until a good face is produced; observing to let each coat become quite dry, and to rub it perfectly smooth with fine glass paper, before the application of the following one. When the proper ‘face’ is obtained, the surface is thinly and evenly gone over with gold size, and when this is nearly dry, the gold leaf is applied, and afterwards burnished with an agate or dog’s tooth. The process, as adopted by the Parisian artists, who greatly excel in this species of gilding, is very complicated, and is divided into at least 17 distinct operations, each of which they declare to be essential to its excellence.
Gilding, Electro-. See Electrotype.