Bay Rum. One of the highly valued American head-washes, pleasant in use, cooling and cleansing, and promoting the growth of the hair. It is prepared by distilling rum from the leaves of Myrica acris (called “Bayberry” in America).
BDEL′LIUM (dĕl′-yŭm). The commercial name of two gum-resins:
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Bdellium, Af′rican. Syn. Bdellium, Africa′num, L. From the heudola′tia africa′na (Guillem.), a terebinthaceous tree, of Senegal.
Bdellium, In′dian. Syn. In′dian myrrh, False m.; Bdellium (of Scripture); Bdellium in′dicum, L. From am′y̆̆ris commiph′ora (Roxb.), or balsamoden′dron Roxbur′gii, a terebinthaceous tree of India.
Prop., &c. Once considered slightly deobstruent; sometimes used as a pectoral and emmenagogue, and, externally, as a stimulant and suppurative. It is now seldom met with in this country.
BDELLOM′ETER (dĕl-). Syn. Mechan′ical leech; Bdellom′etrum, L.; Bdellomètre, Fr. In surgery, a contrivance combining the principle of the cupping-glass, scarificator, and exhausting-syringe in one small instrument.
BEACH’S (Dr) Specific against Hemorrhoids and Stomach Complaints of all kinds. A tin box containing about 160 grammes of a fine sulphur-yellow powder, and imbedded in it a vial with 40 grammes of a brown clear fluid. The powder is a mixture of 7 parts of washed flowers of sulphur, 21⁄2 parts cream of tartar, 1⁄6 part of an inferior kind of rhubarb, finely powdered. The drops consist of a solution of brown sugar in strong spirit, with traces of various ethers. (Hager.)
BEAD (bēde). Syn. Glob′ulus, sphær′ula, &c., L.; Grain (de collier), &c., Fr.; Bethe, Perle, &c., Ger. A little ball or spheroid pierced for stringing; any very small globular body‡; a bubble (‡ or tech.). A number of the first mounted on a thread or ribbon form a ‘string of beads’ or ‘chaplet.’
Materials, Manufac., &c. Beads are often formed of coral, gems, jet, pearls, porcelain, rock-crystal, &c.; but much more frequently of white and coloured glass. The mode in which these last are produced is as follows:—Glass tubes, appropriately ornamented by colour, reticulation, &c., are drawn out in various sizes, and from 100 to 200 feet in length. These tubes are cut into two-feet lengths, and then, by means of a steel knife, divided into pieces having, as nearly as possible, the same length as diameter. The resulting small fragments or cylinders are next well stirred with a mixture of sand and wood ashes, in order to prevent the closure of the perforations and their adhering together during the subsequent part of the process. They are then placed in a revolving cylinder and gradually heated until they become sufficiently spherical. They are next sifted from the sand and ashes, sorted into sizes, first by means of sieves, and afterwards by hand, and are lastly either put up in weighed parcels or strung by women and children for the market.