Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Volume 1.djvu/228

 B A L

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B A L

Hydroftatisal Balance, is a Machine for determining the fpecifick Gravities of Bodies. See Hydroftatical.

'Balance of Trade, is the Difference between the Value of Commodities bought of Foreigners, and the Value of the native Productions tranfported into other Nations. "Tis neceffary that this Balance be kept in Trading Nations ; and if it cannot be made in Commodities, it muft in Specie.

Balance of a Watch or Clock, is that Part of either, which by its Motion regulates and determines the Beats : The Circular Part of it is called the Rim, and its Spindle the Verge : There belong ■ to it alfo two Pallats or Nuts, which play in the Fangs of the Crown-Wheel : And in Pocket- Watches, that throng Stud in which the lower Pivot of the Verge plays, and in the Middle of which one Pivot of the Crown-Wheel runs, is called the 'Potence : The wrought Piece which covers the Balance, and in which the upper Pivot of the Balance plays, is the Cock : The fmall Spring in new Pocket- Waches is called Regulator. See Clock and Watch.

Balance, one of the Signs of the Zodiack. See Libra.

BALANI, in Natural Hiftory, are certain Excrefcences ufually growing to the Shells of the larger Sort of Sea- Shell-Fifh. See Shell.

BALANUS, or Glans, is fometimes ufed for the Nut of the Yard; fometimes aifo the Clitoris is fo called. It is fometimes alfo ufed for a Suppofitory. See 'Penis, ckc.

BALAUSTINES, in Pharmacy, are the Flowers of the Pomegranate, which are very rough to the Tongue and Pa- late, and very aftringing; they' are therefore ufed in Diar- rheas, and other Fluxes, Hernias, igc.

BALCONY, in Architect ure, a Projeflure beyond the Naked of a Wall or Building, fupported by Pillars, or Con- foles, and encompaffed with a Balluftrade. This Contri- vance is not only made ufe of in Houfes, but alfo in Ships. The Word comes from the Italian, Balcone, and that from the Latin, Palcus, or theGerman, -Talk, a Beam. Covar- ruvias derives it from {Zdhxav, jaccre ; afferting that Bal- conies were originally little Turrets over the Gates of Cita- dels, whence Darts, (gc. were thrown on the Enemy.

BALDACHIN, or Baldaquin, si Piece of Architeaure in Form of a Canopy, fupported with Columns, and fer- ving as a Crown or Covering to an Altar. The Word comes from the Italian, Baldacchino.

BALE, in Commerce, a Pack of Merchandize, of diffe- rent Quantity ; a Bale of Cotton-Yarn is from 3 to 4 Hun- dred Weight, of Raw-Silk from 1 to 4 Hundred, of Lock- ram or Dowlas either three, three and a half, or four Pieces, $$c.

BALISTA, a military Engine in Ufe among the An- tients, fomewhat like our Crofs-Bow, tho much bigger ; it had its Name from gdkheiv, jacere, being ufed in calling of Stones, Sic. in which it differed from the Catapulta, which was ufed only for caff ing Darts and Arrows ; in in other refpects they were alike, and were each bent in the fame manner. Marcellimts defcribes the Balifta thus ; a round Iron Cylinder is faften'd between two Planks, from which reaches a hollow fquare Beam placed Crofs-wife, faften'd with Cords, to which are added Screws ; at one End of this ftands the Engineer, who puts a Wooden Shaft with a big Head, into the Cavity of the Beam ; this done, two Men bend the Engine, by drawing fome Wheels : when the Top of the Head is drawn to the utmoft End of the Cords, the Shaft is driven out of the Balifta, &c.

BALKS, in Agriculture, are Ridges or Banks between two Furrows or Pieces of arable Land : the Word is ufed fometimes for Poles or Rafters over Out-houfes or Barns ; and among Bricklayers for great Beams, fuch as are ufed in making Scaffolds.

BALL AND SOCKET, a Machine contrived to give an Inftrument full play. It confifts of a Ball or Sphere of Brafs, fitted within a conclave Semi-Globe, fo as to be moveable every way, both Horizontally, Vertically, and Obliquely. 'Tis carried by an endlefs Screw, and is principally ufed for the managing of Surveying Inilruments ; to which it is a very neceffary Appendage. Tho antient Balls and Soc- kets had two Concaves, or Channels, the one for the Ho- rizontal, the other for the Vertical Direaion. The French call it Genott, Knee.

BALLAST, in Navigation, any heavy Matter ufed to fink a Veffel to its proper Depth in Water, or to give it a iuft Weight and Counterpoife ; to prevent its Overturning. The ordinary Ballaft is Sand, or Stones flowed in the Bottom, or Hold, next the falfe Keel of a Veffel. The Ballaft is fome- times one half, fometimes a third, and fometimes a fourth Part of the Burden of the Veffel. Flat Veffels require the moll. Mafters of Veffels are obliged to declare the Quan- tity of Ballaft they bear, and to unload it at certain Places. They are prohibited unloading their Ballaft in Havens Roads, &c. rhe Neglea of which has ruin'd many excellent Ports. The Word comes from the Flemifh,Balaft ; theFremb call it Left, and the Latins, Zajlagivm, See Lcftage.

BALLON, in Chymiftry, a French Word for a large round fhort-neck'd Matrafs, or Veffel ufed in Chymiftry, to receive what is diftilled of drawn off by the means of Fire. Ballon is alfo ufed in Architeaure for a round Globe placed a-top of a Pillar, or the like, by way of a Pillar. See Acroter, or Crowning.

. BALLOTING, a Method of Voting at Eleflions, &c. by means of little Balls of feveral Colours, which the. French Call Ballotes. .

BALLS, or Ballets, a frequent Bearing in Coats of Arms, in Heraldry, but never fo calied ; but according to their feveral Colours have feveral Names, as Befants when the Colour is Or ; Plates when it is Argent ; Hurts when it is Azure ; Torteauxes when it is Gules ; Poinds when it is Vert ; Pellets, or Agreffes, when Sable; Golpes when 'tis Purple ; Orcnges when Tanne ; Guzes when Sanguine : which are all the Colours ufually mentioned in Heraldry.

BALLUSTRADE, in Architeaure, an Affemblage of one or more Rows of little turn'd Pillars, high enough to reft the Elbows on, fixed upon a Terras, or the Top of a Building, or elfe to make a Separation between one Part of ir and another. Ttacange derives the Word from Ba- lauftrum, or Balauftrmm, a Place among the Antients where their Baths were rail'd in.

BALM, or Baljam, a kind of Gum, in very great Re- putation in Medicine and Chirurgery; ufed to be liqui- fied by means of Spirit of Wine or Oil, and found a fove- rcign Remedy in the Cure of Wounds and feveral Dif- eaies. The Ladies fet a particular Value on it, in regard when mix'd with the Yolk of an Egg and Spirit of Wine, it makes an admirable Paint. There are various Kinds of Balms cr Balfams, if into the Number hereof we take all thofe which Empirics, or even Phyficians and Chirurgeons call by this Name ; fuch are Jpopteilic Balfams, Stoma- chic Balfams, Beztiardtc, Hyfteric, Vulnerary, Mas,ifterial, &c. But the Genuine, that is, the Natural Balfams, come in a little Compafs, being in great meafure reducible to thefe two, the Balm of Gi leaded Balm or Balfam of 'Peru.

Balm of Gilead, or of the Levant, is held in the great- eft Efteem, tho there are fome who hold that of 'Peru equal to it in Virtue. 'Tis drawn by Incifion from a Tree cMeABalfamum, growing in Egypt and Judea, and which, is held lo precious, that it makes Part of the fpecial Re- venue of the Grand Siguier, without whofe Permiffion none are allowed to be planted or cultivated. The Incifion through which this admirable Juice flows, is made in the Dog-Days ; Theophraflus fays it muft be made with I™ Nails; 'Pliny with Glais, becaufe, lays he, Iron makes the Plant die : Tacitus tells us, that when the Branches are full of Sap, their Veins feem to apprehend the Iron, and flop when the Incifion is made with that Metal, but flow freely when opened with a Stone, or a Piece of broken Pitcher : Laftly, Marmol fays, the Veins muft be opened with Ivory or Glafs. The Juice is white at firft, afterwards becomes green, by degrees a Gold Colour, and when old the Colour ot Honey. It is at firft muddy, but by degrees grows clear, and of the Confiftence of Turpentine. Its Smell is agreeable, and very brisk ; its Tafte bitter fharp andaftringent; it eafily diflblves in the Mouth, and leaves no Stain on Woollen Cloth. The Balfam commonly in TJle is brought hither from Cairo, and is not proper- ly the Gum, or Tears of the Tree, flowing by Inci- fion, for it yields but little that way ; but is prepared torn the Wood and the green Branches of the Tree dif- ftilled; and yet even this is frequently adulterated with Cyprus Turpentine : Bcfides which, there is likewife a Li- quor extracted from the Seed of the Plant, which is fre- quently paffed off for the true Balfam, tho its Smell is much weaker, and its Tafte much bitterer. The Tree is about the Height of a Granada Tree; its Leaves like thole of Rue, always green ; its Flowers white, and in form of Stars, whence fpring out little pointed Pods, in- clofmg a Fruit like an Almond, called Carfobalfamum, as the Wood is called Xylobalfamum, and the Juice Opo- balfamum. See Opo-balfamum.

The Carpoialfamum enters the Compofition of Treacle, having little other Ufe in Medicine : It muft be chofen of an aromatick Tafte and agreeable Smell. See Carpo-balfa- mum. The Xylobalfamum, which like the other Produfts of the Bafam-Tree, is brought from Cairo, is ufed in Troches of Hedycrum. Tis in little Faggots, the Bark' red, the Wood white, and refinous, and aromatick. See Xylo-balfa- mum. There is likewife a Balm of Mecca, which is a dry white Gum refembling Copperas, efpecially when old. Tis brought from Mecca by the Return of the Caravans ot Pilgrims and Mahometan Merchants, who travel there out of Devotion to the Birth-Place of their Prophet. It ha* all the Virtues of the Balm of Gilead, or Judea- and is probably the fame, only harden'd, and its Colour alter'd.

Balfam ot 'Peru is of three Kinds; or rather, one and the fame Balfam has three, feveral Names, ora, Sal-

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