2. Oils of bergamot and lavender, of each 30 drops; neroli, 15 drops; oils of verbena and cloves, of each 5 drops; essences of musk, ambergris, and jasmin, of each 1⁄2 dr.; rectified spirit of wine (strongest, scentless), 2 fl. oz.; mix. A much-esteemed perfume.
BRA′GRAS. Tar, black resin, and the dregs of strained resin, melted together.
BRAIN (brāne). Syn. Brains‡; Cer′ebrum, L.; Cerveau, Fr.; Gehirn, Hirn, Ger. The soft whitish mass of nerve-matter contained in the skulls of animals, and, in man, supposed to be the seat of the soul and the mind.
Brains. (In cookery.) There appears to be scarcely anything which is at all eatable that the ingenuity and taste of the modern cook does not appropriate to his purposes, and clothe with delectability, or transform into something execrable. We observe that our chef de cuisine—no unimportant personage—has taxed every viscera and brought together every novelty and dainty to humour and excite the appetite. Animals which were guiltless of brains whilst living, are found by him to possess excellent ones when dead, from which he prepares a variety of miniature dishes which are truly novel and inviting. Let frugal housewives for the future carefully value their brains, and apply them to useful purposes in a double sense. When cleaned, washed, blanched, and flavoured with the necessary seasoning, they may be formed into a variety of hors-d’œuvres creditable to any table. Mrs Rundell tells us that “beat up with a little white pepper and salt, a sage-leaf or two (scalded and finely chopped), and the yelk of an egg, and fried, they make excellent cakes, fritters, &c.”
BRAMAELIXIR—GENUINE ASIATIC STOMACH BITTER (Ch. Rama Ayen, Hamburg). Cardamoms, cinnamon, cloves, of each 15 grammes; galangal, ginger, zedoary, pepper, of each 30 grammes; wormwood oil, 15 drops; 90 per cent. spirit, 830 grammes; water, 330 grammes; digest and filter. (Hager.)
BRAN. Syn. Fur′fur, L.; Bran, Son, Fr.; Kleie, Ger. The inner husk or proper coat of the cereal grains, sifted from the flour; appr., that of wheat. Comp. 100 parts of bran contain albuminoid bodies, 13·80; oil, 5·56; starch, fibre, &c., 61·67; ash, 6·11; water, 12·85.
Uses, &c. The bran of wheat, diffused through hot water, is largely employed by the calico-printers to remove the colouring matter from those parts of their goods which are not mordanted. A handful mixed with a pail of warm water forms an excellent emollient foot-bath. Infused in hot water (bran-tea), and sweetened, it forms a popular demulcent, much used in coughs and hoarseness, and which, taken in quantity, proves gently laxative. It also forms an excellent manure, and, from containing the ammonio-magnesian phosphate, is especially adapted as a ‘dressing’ for potatoes. It is frequently mixed with flour, and made into bread (bran-bread), which is eaten by the poorer orders for economy, and by the higher classes because it is recommended by the faculty as being more wholesome than white wheaten-bread.
Bran Mash. Put half a peck of bran or pollard into a bucket and pour on to it enough scalding water to wet it thoroughly; stir well with a stick or work with the hands; and let it stand, covered up, till new-milk warm. If a horse is not in work on Sunday, it is a good custom to give it on Saturday evening a bran mash in lieu of a feed of corn. Bran mash is cooling and slightly laxative. The bran should always be freshly ground. When intended to be nutritive, oats should be scalded with the bran.
BRANDISH’S ALKALINE (Liqueur de potasse des Anglais, Solutio Alkalina Anglica), used in England to add to meat and vegetables about to be cooked, to help in “drawing” tea and coffee, and as a medicine to neutralise acidity of the stomach and lubricate the digestive passages [die Verdanungswege schlüpfriger zu machen]. Preparation:—Crude carbonate of potash 3 parts, wood ashes 1 part, quicklime 1 part, warm water 40 parts. Add to the water the lime, carbonate, and ashes, digest one day, and filter. (Hager.)
BRANDRETH’S PILLS, much used as a purging pill in North America, consist of gamboge, podophyllin, the inspissated juice of pokeberries, saffron adulterated with turmeric, powdered cloves, and peppermint oil. Gamboge is stated to be present in Brandreth’s pills on the authority of two American druggists and one dealer. The action of the pills does not, however, correspond with that ingredient, for in two persons five pills produced no loose stools. (Hager.)