| BLO | (574) | BLU |
place, by porting troops at all the avenues leading to it, to keep supplies of men and proviſions from getting into it; and by theſe means propoſing to ſtarve it out, without making any regular attacks.
To raiſe a blockade, is to force the troops that keep the place blocked u£, from their ports.
BLOIS, a beautiful city of Orleanois, about 30 miles ſouth-weſt of Orleans; ſituated on the north ſhore of the river Loire, in one of the fineſt countries in France; in 1° 20′ E. long, and 47° 35′ N. lat.
BLOMARY, or Bloomary, in metallurgy, the firſt forge through which iron paſſes, after it is melted out of the ore.
BLONIC, a town of Poland, about 200 miles weſt of Warſaw; in 20° 30′ E. long, and 520. N. lat.
BLOOD, a well known fluid, which circulates through the arteries, veins, &c. of animal-bodies, and nouriſhes all their parts.
Blood is compoſed of a thin watery liquor called ſerum, and a thick red part called craſſamentum, which, when viewed by the microſcope, appears to conſiſt of red globules of a certain determined magnitude. Theſe globules are generally believed to be of the ſame magnitude in all animals that have red blood.
As blood is originally derived from our aliment, it muſt conſiſt of the ſame principles, and conſequently abound with ſalts and oils. The ſalts of the blood of are partly of the fixed neutral kind, and partly ſuch as are rendered ſemi-volatile by the heat and motion to which they are ſubjected: Both irritate the ſenſible nervous parts of animals; for it is well-known that any kind of ſalt applied to the eye gives great uneaſineſs. From theſe qualities of blood the late learned and celebrated Dr Whytt concluded that it muſt be well fitted to communicate a gentle ſtimulus to thoſe ſenſible nerves which terminate on the internal ſurface of the auricles and ventricles of the heart; and conſequently that the contraction of the heart is principally owing to cauſe. The diameter of a red globule is computed to be about 1200 part an inch. See Circulation; and for the analyſis of blood, ſee Chemistry.
Authors are not agreed in regard to the quantity of blood contained in the human body; ſome making it only 10 pounds, whilſt others, make it to be 20, 60, or even 100 pounds: But then theſe laſt comprehend the juices of the lymphatic veſſels under the term blood. As to the quantity of current blood in a horſe, the ingenious Dr Hales found it be, at a low computation, 1105 cubic inches, or 42.2 pounds.
Spitting of Blood. See Hæmoptoe and Medicine.
Ebullition of the Blood, a diſeaſe in horſes, which proceeds from want of exerciſe, and gives riſe to outward ſwellings, frequently miſtaken for the farcin.
Blood running itch happens to a horſe by the blood's being over-heated by hard riding or other labour. As the blood gets between the ſkin and the fleſh, it makes a horſe rub and bite himſelf, and if neglected will turn to a grievous mange.
Blood of Chriſt, the name of a military order inſtituted at Mantua in 1608. The number of knights was reſtricted to twenty, beſides the grand maſter. Their device was, Domine probaſti inc, or, Nihil hoc, triſte, recepte.
Blood of Chriſt is alſo the name of a congregation of nuns at Paris.
Dragon's Blood. See Dragon.
Blood-ſnake. See Anguis.
Blood-ſtone. See Hæmatites.
Blood-wit, a mulct or fine for ſhedding of blood.
Blood-wort, in botany. See Sanguinaria.
Bloody ſflux. See Dysentery, and Medicine.
BLOOM, a maſs of iron after having undergone the firſt hammering, called blomary. See Blomary.
BLOSSOM denotes the flowers of plants, but more eſpecially of fruit-trees.
Blossom, or peach-coloured, in the menage, a term applied to a horſe that has his hair white, but intermixed all over with ſorrel and bay hairs. Such horſes are ſo inſenſible and hard both in the mouth and the flanks, that they are ſcarce valued; beſides, they are apt to turn blind.
BLOW, in law, any kind of ſtroke, whether given with the hand or a weapon. See Battery.
Blow-pipe, or Blowing pipe, a hollow tube, uſed by ſeveral artificers; as enamellers, glaſs-makers, &c.
BLOWING, in a general ſenſe, denotes an agitation of the air, whether performed with a pair of bellows, the mouth, a tube, or the like.
Blowing of glaſs, one of the methods of forming the divers kinds of works in the glaſs-manufacture. See Glass.
It is performed by dipping the point of an iron blowing-pipe in the melted glaſs, and blowing through it with the mouth, according to the circumſtances of the glaſs to be blown.
Blowing of tin denotes the melting its ore, after being firſt burnt to deſtroy the mundic.
Blowing, among gardeners, the ſame with the bloſſoming of plants, or putting forth their flower-leaves.
BLUBBER denotes the fat of whales and other large ſea-animals, whereof is made train-oil.
BLUE, otherwiſe called azure, is one of the primitive colours of the rays of light. See Optics.
Painters Blue is made different according to the different kinds of painting. In limning, freſco, and miniature, they uſe indifferently ultramarine, blue-aſhes, and ſmalt: Theſe are their natural blues, excepting the laſt, which is partly natural, and partly artificial.
In oil and miniature, they alſo uſe indigo prepared; as alſo a fictitious ultramarine. See Ultramarine and Indigo.
Enamellers, and painters upon glaſs, have alſo blues proper to themſelves, each preparing them after their own manner.
Turnſole Blue is uſed in painting on wood, and is made of the ſeed of the turnſole: The way of preparing it is, to boil four ounces of turnſole in a pint and half of water in which lime has been flacked.
Flanders Blue is a colour bordering on green, and ſeldom uſed but in landſkips.
To
