BOR
B O R
The aflayers have a cuftora of rubbing with borax the infides of vefiels, in which the more precious metals arc to be melt- ed, which always fills up the fmall cavities in their fides, that might otherwife take in a part of the metal?. When gold is melted with borax alone, it makes it pale; but this is obviated by the adding a fmall quantity of nitre, or of fal armoniac. Care muft be taken, however, not to add both thefe falts to- gether, becaufe they would caufe a detonation. The above- mentioned ufe of borax has caufed it to be reckoned, by fome Writers, among the reducing bodies; that is, fuch bodies as re- store metals, however deftroyed, to their priftine form: but this is an error ; for borax does not reduce the deflroyed me tals, but only the fcattered particles of them, while they yet retain their true metallic form. Cramer's Ait of Allaying,
V. Medic
p. 42
Borax, in medicine, is ufed to promote delivery. Efl*. Edinb. Vol. 1. p. 341.
The ufe of borax is that of an incifive and aperient fait, by vir- tue of which it is effectual againft difeafes which proceed from an infpiffation of the humours, and obftruft ions thence arifingJ The dole is a dram.
Its ftimuluSj however, is too weak to be depended upon for prefent relief in a difficult birth, unlefs it be joined with other ingredients of more efficacy. For this reafon, borax is com- monly given in powder mixed with faffron, myrrh, oil of cin- namon, caftor, the volatile fait of amber, and the like. Some advife a few grains of it to be taken in a poached egg, as a provocative to venery.
Borax calcined, is reckoned of fpecific virtue in fluxes of the belly, or the femen, as being a kind of ftyptic earth. The dofe is from a fcruple to half a dram. V. "James's Med. Diet. in voc. Borax is alfo ufed in making Glauber* 's fait. See the article
Gl aubkr's fait. Borax is alfo a name given by fome to the bufomtes, or toadftone; a kind of bezoard laid to be found in the head of that vermin. Savor. Diet. Comm. T. 1. p. 410. See the articles Bufo- nites, and Bezoar. BORBONIA, in botany, the name of a genus of plants, the characters of which are thefe ; the perianthium is compofed of
they ftand difHnguifhed from iiillam, employed in the tillage of the lands. Spelm. loc. cit. See Villain, Cycl.
BORDER, {Cycl.) in gardening, denotes a narrow bed adjoin- ing to a walk, ferving to bound and inclofe the parterres, and prevent their being injured by the feet. Bradt. Bot, Diet. T. 1 . h Mill. Gard. Dift. in voc.
The ufe of borders is to inclofe parterres. They ought always to be laid with a rifing in the middle, by which they will have a better effect to the eye than if quite flat, and their breadth fhould be between four and fix feet.
Bsrdsrs are properly of four forts ; the firft are thofe which are continued about parterres without any interruption, and are wrought with a fharp rifing in the middle, like an afs's back, and planted with low fhrubs and flowers. The fecond fort of borders are thofe which are cut into com- partments, at convenient difhmces, by fmall paffages ; thefe are raifed in the middle, and planted as the former with fhrubs and flowers.
The third fort are fuch as are laid even and flat without flowers, and have only a verge of grafs in the middle, being edged with. two fmall paths, raked fmooth and fanded ; thefe are fome- times adorned with vafes of flowers, of large growth, or flower- ing fhrubs, along the middle verge of grafs. The fourth fort are quite plain, and are only fanded, as in the parterres of orangeries ; and are filled with cafes ranged in re- gular order along thofe borders, which are edged with box on the fides next the walks, and on the other with verges, and grafs-work next the parterre. Sometimes a yew is planted be- tween each cafe, which makes the border appear richer, and the partarres handfomer during the winter feafon. Borden are made either ft rait, circular, or in courts ; and are turned into knots, fcrolls, volutes, and other compartments. The florifts make borders in any part of their gardens, which they ufually edge with green boards ; and this gives them a very neat look : in large parterres, all that is to be expected, is to ftock them well with flowers, that will fucceed one another during the fumnier- feafon. Mill. Gardn. Diet, in voc.
BORE. — The bore of a gun or piece of ordinance is ufed for the chafe or barrel ; though it feems rather to denote the dia-
meter of the chafe. Moor, Treat, of Artill- P. 2. c. 1. p. 26. one leaf, of a turbinated form, of about half the length of the Square-BonE, in fmithery, denotes a fquare fteel point, or fhank flower, and lightly divided into five fegments j thefe are nearly I well tempered, fitted into a fquare focket in an iron wimble, of a fize, and arc pointed, rigid, and prickly ; the flower is of I ferving to widen holes, and make them truly round and fmooth the papilionaceous kind, and is compofed of five petals; the | within. Moxori, Mechan. Exerc. p. 51. vexillum is fhort, obtufe, and reflex; the alae are lightly cor- i BOREAL Signs, in aftronomy, the firft fix figns of the zodiac, dated at the ends, and are fhorter than the vexillum ; the ca- I or thofe on the northern fide of the equinoctial, rina is lunated, obtufe, and compofed of two petals; the fta- BOREAS (Cycl.)— Vitruvius gives the name Boreas to a difFe-
mina are nine filaments, which grow together into a fort of 1 cylinder which runs longitudinally into two parts; the an- 1 therae are fmall ; the germen of the piftil is fubulated ; the 1 ftyle is very fhort, and the ftigma is obtufe and emarginated ; | the fruit is a roundifh pointed pod, containing only one cell, and terminated by a fpine ; the feed is kidney-fhaped. Linncci Gen. Plant, p. 345,
Borbonia Ajlra, a denomination formerly given by fome writers to the filar faculee, on a fuppofition that they were fa- telHtes, orfecondary planets. See Faculee, Cycl. Fromundus mentions a Frenchman, named Tarde, who had written a hook exprefs under the title Af.ra Borbonia. Philof. Traniaft. N" 33c. p. 287.
BORBORIT/E, or Boreoriani, a branch of the antient
rent wind from that mentioned in the Cyclopedia, viz. that which blows from the point which is 60 degrees from the north, towards the eaft. Vliruv. Architect. 1. 1. c. 6. Wolf Lex. Math, p. 267.
The Greeks erected an altar to Boreas 3 . The qualities al- lowed by naturalifts to this wind are coldnefs and drynefs .— [■ VoJ. de Idolol. 1. 3. c. r. a Cafl. Lex. Med. p. 109.] M. Spierlingius-has a treatife in praifeof Boreas c ; wherein he fhews the honours paid to him by antiquity. Boreas, accord- ing to this author, purifies the air, renders it calm and falu- brious, preferves buildings from decay, drives away the plague and other difeafes, expels locufts and other vermin noxious to the grounds d . — [ c Boreas, ejufque Laudes. Hafn. An. 1707. d Trev. Diet. Univ. in voc]
Gnoftics, who, to the other errors of that feet, added this, of BOREASMI, B^uu^i, in antiquity, a feftival at Athens held
denying a future judgment, The word comes from the Greek B^of©-, camum, dirt ; a de- nomination which was not given them on account of the fil- thinefs of their life or manners, but becaufe of a cuftom which obtained among them, of fmcering their faces with dirt and mire, in order, as 'tis faid, to deface the image of God. Jo- fepb.Hypomn. 1. 5. c 14.0. Fabric. Cod. Pfcudep. Vet. Teft. T. 2. p. 307. Trev. Diet. Univ. T. t. p. 1 120. Calv. Lex. Jur. p. 126. Brijf. de Verb. Signif. p. 86. Du Cange, Gloff Grsec. T. 1. p 211. voc. B ^ f <*«J. Ejufd. Gloff. Lat. T. 1. p. 5S8. Praterol. Elench. Hasret. p. 104. Some have alfo given this appellation, by way of reproach, to theMennonites. Bof Diff. de Stat. Europ. §. 26.
BORBOTHA, in ichthyology, a name given by fome authors to the miijlcla fuviatilis, or eel-pout. Sec the articles Mus- tela and Gadus.
BORDAGE, the condition or fcrv'ice of the Bordarii. Sf»lm.
' Gloff p. 85. voc. Bordarii. Du Cange, Gloff. Lat. T. 1. p. 5 g8.
BORDARII.-— The Bordarii, often mentioned in the Domefday inquifit'ion, were diftinft from the fervi and vtllani, and feem to he thofe of a Ids fervile condition, who had a bord or cot- tage, with a fmall parcel of land, allowed to them, on condi- tion they fhould fupply the lord with poultry and eggs, and other fmall provifions for his board and entertainment a . Tho', according to Spelman, the lordarii were inferior to villam, as being limited to a fmall number of acres b . — [ a Kenn. Gloff adParoch Antlq. in voc. b Spdm. Glofl'. p. 85.]
Bordarii alfo denote fcrvants, or workmen, employed about the houfe in the neceflary officcs ; of fetching wood, drawing wa- ter, grinding corn, cleaning yards, and the like; by which Suppl. Vol. L
honour of Boreas, or the north wind, to pacify and prevail on him to be quiet, and fuffer the fouth wind to blow. Meurf. Attic. Left. 1. 2. c. 1. Ejufdem Gnec. Ferial. Scbott.Lex. Antiq. p. zz6, feq.
Others affign a different reafon for the honour paid to Boreas by the Athenians, viz. that, in a fca-fight, a great number of the enemy's (hips had been deftroyed by the north wind, which that people imputed to the kindnefs Boreas had for his wife's native country, having married Orithya daughter of king Ereftheus. Paufan. in Attic. Pott. Archseol, Gnec, 1. 2. c. 20. p. 374.
BORING, the aft of perforating a folid body, or making a hole throughout its whole length or thicknefs. Surgeons fpeak of boring the bones of the fkull, properly called trepanning. V. Junck. Confp. Chir. p. 325. See Tre- panning, Cycl. and Suppl.
Boring birch, and other trees, is praftifed in the fpring for their juice, called alfo tapping and bleeding. Phil. Tranfact. N° 44. p. 880. See Tapping, Cyrt. and Suppl.
Boring ofmajls, from top to bottom, is propofed by Dr. Hook as a means of ftrengthening and preferving them; as this would make them dry and harden the better, and prevent their cleaving and cracking : for want hereof, the outfide drying, when the infide does not, the former ihrinks fafter than the latter can keep it company ; the confequence of which is eafy to forefee. Nought. Collect. T. 3. N° 41 3. p. 33. Boring of water-pipes, -The method of boring alder poles for wa- ter-pipes is thus : being furniftied with poles of a fit iize, horfes, or truflels, are procured of a due height, both to lay the poles, and reft the auger on in boring ; they alfo fet up a lath, where- by to turn the leffer ends of the poles, and adapt them to the 5 H cavities
