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 coagulum, 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 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 this cause. The diameter of a red globule is computed to be about 1/200 part of 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 to be, at a low computation, 1105 cubic inches, or 42.2 pounds.

Spitting of Blood. See HEMOPTOE 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 me, or, Nihil hoc, trifle, recepto.

Blood of Christ is also the name of a congregation of nuns at Paris.

Dragon's Blood. See Dragon.

Blood-snake. See ANGUIS.

Bloodstone. See HEMATITES.

Blood-wort, a mulct or fine for shedding of blood.

Bloodwort, in botany. See SANGUINARIA.

Bloody flux. 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 infensible and hard both in the mouth and the flanks, that they are scarce valued; besides, they are apt to turn blind.