Cooley's Cyclopaedia of Practical Receipts Volume I Part 112

The amount of fluids should be restricted, and he should be fed and watered at least an hour before going to work. A mild physic ball should also be occasionally administered.

Dogs suffering from asthma should be subjected to the same treatment. To a full-sized dog ten drops each of ether and tincture of belladonna may be given every hour during an attack of spasm until the breathing becomes easier.

=BRO'MA.= _Prep._ 1. Pure cocoa, 1 lb.; sugar and sago-meal, of each 4 oz.; mix. British arrow-root (_i. e._ carefully prepared potato-starch) is often subst.i.tuted for the sago.

2. As the last, but using fine wheat flour in lieu of sago-meal. Made into a beverage in a similar way to cocoa.

=BRO'MAL.= C_{2}Br_{3}HO. A colourless, oily liquid, obtained by the action of bromine on alcohol. Sp. gr. 334; boiling point above 212 F.

Like chloral it yields a solid hydrate with water. Because of its powerful irritant properties it seems unlikely to prove useful, either as a hypnotic or as an anaesthetic.

=BRO'MIDE= (-mid). _Syn._ BRO'MURET*, HYDROBRO'MATE*; BROMI'DUM, BROMURE'TUM, HYDROBRO'MAS, L.; BROMIDE, BROMURE. Fr. A chemical compound of bromine with another radical.

_Prop._, _&c._ The soluble bromides give white precipitates with nitrate of silver, acetate of lead, and protonitrate of mercury. That from the first of these is insoluble in dilute nitric acid and in ammonia water unless concentrated; and it has a slight yellowish tinge, changing to a violet on exposure to the light. A few drops of liquid chlorine poured upon a bromide, followed by agitation of the mixture with a little sulphuric ether, furnishes an ethereal solution of bromine. [For the other bromides see the respective bases.]

=BRO'MINE= (-min), (_bromos_, a stink). Br. _Syn._ BROME*; BRO'MIUM, BROMIN'IUM, L.; BRoME, Fr. An elementary substance, discovered by M.

Balard, of Montpellier, in 1826.

_Prep._ 1. A current of gaseous chlorine is pa.s.sed through the uncrystallisable residuum of sea-water called bittern, which then a.s.sumes an orange tint, in consequence of bromine being set free from its combinations; sulphuric ether is then agitated with it, and the mixture is allowed to stand, in a close vessel, until the ethereal portion floats upon the surface. This is a solution of crude bromine, and for common purposes the ether may be at once evaporated by a very gentle heat. To render it pure, caustic pota.s.sa is added in excess to the ethereal solution, or the latter is agitated with a solution of pota.s.sa, by which means bromide and bromate of pota.s.sium are formed. The whole is evaporated to dryness, and submitted to a dull red heat. The residuum is next powdered and mixed with pure peroxide of manganese; the mixture having been placed in a retort, sulphuric acid (diluted with half its weight of water) is poured in. Red vapours immediately arise, and condense into drops of bromine, which are collected by plunging the neck of the retort nearly to the bottom of a small receiver containing a little very cold water. The bromine forms a stratum beneath the water, and may be collected and at once put into a stoppered bottle; or it may be further purified by distillation from dry chloride of calcium.

2. Leisler's patent for a method of obtaining bromine consists in decomposing the lye containing the bromine salt by heating it with hydrochloric acid and bichromate of potash in a leaden still having an earthenware head. The volatilised bromine with the vapour of water is conducted into a receiver containing iron turnings, bromide of iron, which dissolves in the water contained in the receiver, being formed. The bromide of iron so produced is either converted into other metallic bromides by the usual processes, or the bromine is obtained in a separate state from the iodide by treatment with sulphuric acid and bichromate of potash.

3. Large quant.i.ties of bromine are extracted from the mother liquor of carnallite, a double chloride of magnesium of pota.s.sium occurring in enormous quant.i.ties in a bed of clay in the neighbourhood of Sta.s.sfurt, near Magdeburg. The mother liquid of the carnallite at 35 B. is first freed as much as possible from the chloride of calcium it contains, by means of refrigeration. It is next evaporated down until it acquires a density of 40 B. Frank says it cannot be concentrated to the above extent, because of a waste of bromine resulting from the formation of hydrobromic acid produced by the decomposition of the lye, owing to its being overheated at the bottom of the pan. Upon being cooled to 25 C. a quant.i.ty of chloride of magnesium crystallises out, whilst the remaining liquor contains from 03 to 05 of bromine as bromide of magnesium. The liquor is then put into a sandstone apparatus such as is used for the preparation of chlorine, and the requisite quant.i.ty of manganese and hydrochloric acid being added, steam is poured into the apparatus. After about a quarter of an hour the bromine is evolved in the form of vapour, which becomes condensed by being made to pa.s.s through a leaden worm cooled in water, and is finally collected as liquid bromine in Woolff's bottles.

The crude bromine so obtained is purified by redistillation in gla.s.s retorts. It is stated that the sandstone apparatus can be charged six times in 24 hours. In order to free the bromine from the presence of any chloride it is shaken up with a solution of bromide of pota.s.sium.

The chlorine unites with the pota.s.sium, forming chloride of pota.s.sium and liberating an equivalent quant.i.ty of bromine in so doing. Dr Frank suggests the use of earthenware worms in preference to leaden ones, these latter being acted upon and corroded by liquid bromine. In Dr Frank's bromine works at Sta.s.sfurt the distillation is conducted in cubic stoneware vessels, having a capacity of about three cubic metres. These vessels are surrounded with belts of iron, in case of the occurrence of fracture. It was found that few stones answered the purpose required of them, as by reason of their porous nature they permitted the chloride of manganese formed during the distillation to ooze through. To remedy this the stones had to be coated with tar, a process which entailed a very serious loss of bromine, from the formation of bromine compounds with the hydrocarbons of the tar, as well as a contamination of the bromine with the tar. Subsequently Dr Frank found in the neighbourhood of Porta Westphalia a stone which answered the purpose without requiring the previous objectionable and expensive preparation with tar.

It seems that the workmen discard the respirators which are provided for their use in the bromine works, and merely tie a cloth over the mouth and nose (sometimes neglecting this precaution) when decanting the bromine.

To lessen the evil effects of the vapours upon the health of the workmen under these circ.u.mstances, the building is rendered as airy as possible by being thoroughly ventilated throughout. No workmen afflicted with asthma or with any catarrhal affection are employed, whilst those engaged are strictly prohibited from taking spirituous liquids in any form, a custom which begets an irritability of the mucous membranes, which is found to be exceedingly dangerous; on the contrary, a generous diet, and one consisting of an abundant use of bacon and b.u.t.ter, was found very beneficial.

Bromine is sometimes contaminated with chlorine, iodine, and occasionally bromide of carbon. A small quant.i.ty of the bromine agitated with a solution of soda, in such proportion that the fluid is made very slightly alkaline, forms a colourless solution, which, if coloured by the further addition of a small quant.i.ty of the bromine, does not become blue on the subsequent addition of a cold solution of starch. This shows the absence of iodine. Chlorine may be detected by adding a small quant.i.ty of the suspected bromine to some warm solution of potash in a capsule, evaporating, drying the residue, and distilling with bichromate of potash and sulphuric acid. Bromide of carbon has a higher boiling-point than pure bromine.

_Prop., &c._ A dark, reddish-coloured, volatile liquid, having an odour intermediate between that of chlorine and iodine, but much more suffocating and offensive. It solidifies at about 19, and boils at about 145 Fahr. It is slightly soluble in water, more so in alcohol, and abundantly so in ether. Its aqueous solution bleaches like chlorine, but less powerfully. With hydrogen it forms HYDROBRO'MIC ACID; and with the bases, compounds called BRO'MIDES. Its sp. gr. is 2976; that of its vapour, 539.

_Tests._ It is readily recognised by its colour, odour, and volatility, and by the colour of its vapour; by its giving a yellowish-white precipitate with nitrate of silver, which is turned violet by the action of light; and by its solutions giving an orange or yellow colour to starch, and a red tinge to solution of chloride of gold.

_Uses, &c._ Bromine possesses very similar medicinal properties to iodine, and has been administered in goitre, scrofula, &c., in the form of an aqueous solution composed of 1 part of bromine to 40 of water, of which 5 or 6 drops is the dose; but it is more usually given under the form of bromide of pota.s.sium (which _see_). The compounds of bromine are also largely used in photography in the manufacture of certain coal-tar colours, and in scientific chemistry the solution has also been used as a lotion. Bromine is a good disinfectant. It is very poisonous; the antidotes, &c., resemble those for iodine. See BROMIDE, SOLUTIONS, &c.

=BROMOCHLORALUM= (Tilden & Co., New York), for the removal of bad smells, as a disinfectant, and antiseptic. A fluid, sp. gr. 143, containing 275 per cent. of solid matter. The latter consists of 185 per cent. of aluminium chloride, with chalk and a considerable quant.i.ty of alkaline salts. Free bromine is not present. (H. En{?}demann.)

=BROm.o.f.oRM= (CHBr_{3}). A colourless liquid obtained by distilling bromide of calcium with alcohol. It has a sp. gr. of 290; and boils at 3056 F., emitting a vapour having a density 8632. It is somewhat similar in properties to chloroform, but much more irritating; hence it has been rarely employed medicinally.

=BROMTHEE--BRAMBLE TEA= (?)--is a mixture of 5 parts lime flowers _c.u.m bracteis_, 5 parts senna leaves, 5 parts acacia flowers, 8 parts cort.

frangulae, and 2 parts sa.s.safras chips. (Hager.)

=BROHCHI'TIS= (brong-ki'). [L.; prim. Gr.] In _pathology_, inflammation of the mucous lining of the bronchia or smaller ramifications of the windpipe. In its milder form it is popularly called a 'cold on the chest.'

_Symp._ The usual symptoms are hoa.r.s.eness, dry cough, and a slight degree of fever, followed by expectoration of mucus, at first thin, and afterwards thick and copious. In the severer forms there is more fever, cough, and oppression at the chest, &c.

_Treatm._ It generally yields to small and repeated doses of ipecacuanha and antimonial diaph.o.r.etics; a light diet and mild purgatives being at the same time adopted, but in every case it is safer to have recourse to medical aid.

HORSES.--Finlay Dun prescribes the following:--Tincture of aconite, inhalation of the vapour of water, ether and belladonna, carbolic acid, sulphurous acid, mash diet, salines, chlorate of potash, the salts of ammonia, chloral hydrate, mustard externally, warm clothing, but cool air.

Symptoms very similar to those of bronchitis are frequently caused in calves and young cattle by the presence in the bronchii of threadworms or filaria. The cause is generally removed by the administration of a dose or two of oil of turpentine, given at intervals of a day or two.

=BRON'CHOCELE= (brong'-ko-sele). See GOITRE.

=BRONZE.= [Eng., Fr., Ger.] _Syn._ aeS, L.; BRONZO, It. An alloy of tin and copper, remarkable for the exactness of the impressions which it takes by moulding and stamping, as well as for its great durability. It has hence been always extensively employed in the casting of buts, medals, statues, &c. In ancient times, when the manufacture of steel was ill-understood, cutting instruments were commonly made of it. It was also the general material of coins of small value; a use which, of late years, has been revived in several of the states of Europe, and still more recently in the coinage of these realms. Bell-metal, gun-metal, and speculum-metal are mere varieties of bronze.

_Prep._ On the small scale this alloy is prepared in crucibles; but for statues and larger works on reverberatory hearths. The fusion of the mixed metals is conducted as rapidly as possible under pounded charcoal, and the melted ma.s.s is frequently stirred together to produce a perfect mixture before casting.

The proportions of the materials so vary in different castings that it is almost impossible to say precisely what quant.i.ties are the best. The following are given as examples:--

_a._ For EDGE-TOOLS:--Copper, 100 parts; tin, 14 parts. When skilfully hardened and tempered this alloy is capable of receiving an edge nearly equal to that of steel.

_b._ For GILDING:--1. Copper, 82 parts; zinc, 18 parts; tin, 3 parts; lead, 2 parts.

2. From copper, 83 parts; zinc, 17 parts; tin, 2 parts; lead, 1 part.

_c._ For MEDALS:--1. Copper, 89 parts; tin, 8 parts; zinc, 3 parts. This alloy a.s.sumes a beautiful antique appearance by age, and takes a sharp impression by stamping.

2. (M. Chaudet.) Copper, 95 parts; tin, 4 or 5 parts. This is also excellent for any small castings.

_d._ For MORTARS:--Copper, 93 parts; lead, 5 parts; tin, 2 parts.

_e._ For STATUARY:--1. Copper, 88 parts; tin, 9 parts; zinc, 2 parts; lead, 1 part.

2. Copper, 82-1/2 parts; zinc, 10-1/2 parts; tin, 5 parts; lead, 2 parts.

These are very nearly the proportions of the celebrated statue of Louis XV.

3. Copper, 90 parts; tin, 9 parts; lead, 1 part.

4. Copper, 91 parts; tin, 9 parts.

For a gold varnish for bronze objects refer to BRa.s.s.

_Obs._ Several a.n.a.lyses have been made of ancient cutting instruments, from which it appears that the proportion of tin varies from 4% to 15%; a fact which tends to prove that more depends upon the exact mode of tempering the alloy than on the relative proportions of the ingredients.

Lead and zinc are inadmissible in bronze for this purpose. One or two per cent. of iron may, nevertheless, be added with advantage. The ancient bronze used for springs contained only 3% to 4% of tin. The edges and lips of bronze mortars must be carefully tempered by heating them to a cherry red, and then plunging them into cold water, as unless so treated they are very apt to be broken in use. See BELL-METAL, BRa.s.s, GUN-METAL, &c.

=Bronze'-powder.= _Syn._ BRONZE. A name given to various powders having a rich metallic appearance, which they retain when applied on varnish, or when mixed with it, as in surface bronzing.

_Prep._ 1. GOLD-COLOURED:--_a._ From Dutch-foil, reduced to an impalpable power by grinding. Cheap and looks well, and is very durable when varnished.

_b._ From gold-leaf, as the last.

_c._ Precipitated powder of gold.

_d._ From verdigris, 8 oz.; tutty powder, 4 oz.; borax and nitre, of each 2 oz.; bichloride of mercury, 1/4 oz.; grind them together, make the mixture into a paste with oil, and then fuse it; when cold, roll it into thin sheets or leaves, and grind it as in No. 1.