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BREWSTER BRIAN BORTJ 263 be detected by Rolil's test, which is exceedingly delicate, and consists in boiling unbleached sheep's wool in the suspected beer for eight or ten minutes, and then washing the wool. If picric acid is present to the amount of only one part in 125,000, the wool will have a decided canary color. Chalk is sometimes used to neu- tralize the acid of sour beer. It may be de- taeted by finding more than the usual quantity of lime in the ash. Carbonate of soda is often added to summer beer in kegs, particularly to that which has not been sufficiently fermented, and is liable to become sour. Common salt is frequently used, and can be quite readily de- tected by the taste, and by the thirst it creates. BREWSTER, Sir David, a Scottish physicist, bornatJedburgh, Dec. 11, 1781, died at Allerly, near Melrose, Feb. 10, 1868. He was educated at the university of Edinburgh, where his at- tention was early turned to natural science. In 1807 he received the degree of LL. D. from the university of Aberdeen for his acquire- ments in this department ; and in the following year he projected "The Edinburgh Cyclo- paedia," of which he continued to be the edi- tor until its completion in 1830. In the mean time he continued those special researches into the composition and influence of light which made him famous. For his papers for the royal society of London upon the polarization of light he received several medals, and in 1816 one of the prizes of the French institute for the two most important discoveries in physical science made during the two preceding years. In 1819, in conjunction with Prof. Jameson, he commenced the " Edinburgh Philosophical Journal," which he afterward conducted alone for 16 years under the title of the "Edinburgh Journal of Science." He was also for many years one of the editors of the " London, Edin- burgh, and Dublin Philosophical Journal." From 1827 to 1833 he was engaged in investigat- ing the best means of illuminating lighthouses. In 1830 he received the principal medal of the royal society of London for further discoveries in the polarization of light, and was knighted in the following year. He was chosen principal of St. Leonard's college, Aberdeen, in 1841, and in 1857 he was president of the British asso- ciation for the advancement of science, of which he was one of the founders. In 1859 he was chosen one of the eight foreign associates of the institute of France, and principal and vice chancellor of the university of Edinburgh. For many years he contributed brilliant articles on scientific subjects to the "North British Review " and the " Popular Science Magazine." He made many improvements in the construc- tion of the microscope and telescope, invented the kaleidoscope, brought the stereoscope into scientific and artistic use, introduced the Bude light, and demonstrated the utility of dioptric lenses and zones in lighthouse illumination. Sir David Brewster did more than any other man of his day to popularize the study of nat- ural science. Besides his numerous contribu- tions to periodicals and cyclopaedias, and to the transactions of learned societies, ho wrote "Treatise on Burning Instruments" (1812); "Life and Letters of Euler" (1823); "New System of Illumination for Lighthouses " (1 827) ; "Treatise on Optics," "Letters on Natural Magic," and "Life of Sir Isaac Newton "(1831); "Martyrs of Science" (1841); "More Worlds than One " (1854) ; and " Memoirs of the Lite, Writings, and Discoveries of Sir Isaac Newton " (1855). BREWSTER, William, an elder of the Ply- mouth pilgrims, born at Scrooby, England, in 1560, died at Plymouth, Mass., April 16, 1644. He was educated at Cambridge, and entered the service of William Davison, ambassador in Holland, but presently retired to the north of England, where his attention was chiefly occupied by the interests of religion. He was one of the company who with Mr. Brad- ford attempted to escape to Holland, and were thrown into prison at Boston. Having obtained his liberty, he first assisted the poor of the so- ciety in their embarkation, and then followed them to Holland. Here he opened a school at Leyden for instruction in English, and also set up a printing press. He was chosen a ruling elder in the church at Leyden, and accompanied the emigrants to New England in 1620, where until 1629 the principal care of the church de- volved upon him, though, as he was not an ordained minister, he could never be persuaded to administer the sacraments. BUK/VO BAM'A. See BBIES. BRIALNONT, Henri Alexis, a Belgian military writer, born at Venloo, May 25, 1821. He is the son of Gen. Laurent Mathieu Brialmont, ex- minister of war. In 1843 he left the military academy at Brussels with the rank of sub-lieu- tenant. He was employed as engineer in fortify- ing Diest and Antwerp. In 1847 he became con- nected with the ministry of war, attaining in 1861 the rank of major. His principal work is the Considerations politiques et militaires sur la Belgique (3 vols., Brussels, 1851-'2). His Hwtoire du due de Wellington (3 vols., 1856-'7) is also a work of some importance. BRIAN BORU, or Boroihme ("Brian of the tributes "), the most celebrated of native Irish kings, born about 927, slain at Clontarf on Good Friday, 1014. He was the son of Ken- nedy, king of Munster, and succeeded him in 978. His first exploits were against the Danes of Limerick and Waterford. He confined them within the limits of those cities, and made them pay tribute in pipes of wine. In 1002 he made himself ard-righ, or supremo monarch of Ireland, putting aside the legiti- mate families, the O'Neills and O'Molaghlins, and imposing upon the subordinate kings heavy tributes in cattle, hogs, iron, mantles, and wine. His palace was at Kincora, in county Clare, near the present town of Killaloe. He had also palaces at Tara and Cashel. He caused a road to be constructed round the coast of the whole kingdom. In the latter