Brass Mirrors
Important: Safety Warning This page describes trade processes that use dangerously toxic materials such as cyanide solutions, mercury amalgams, or strong acids. These processes require training, equipment, and precautions far beyond what the text describes. This information has been left in for historical purposes but should not be acted upon. These mirrors are of classical antiquity, and were made from an alloy known as speculum metal, which produces a very hard metal with great reflecting power; but it is now very seldom met with. A good speculum metal, very white and hard as steel, is composed of equal parts of copper and tin. Copper 7, tin 4, zinc 3, form an alloy of a light yellow color, possessing much lustre. This alloy is sometimes made from copper 2, tin 1, with the addition of 1/16 arsenic. Lord Rosse's composition was: copper 252.8, tin 117.8. See SPECULUM METALS; ROSSE'S TELESCOPE; BRASS.
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Brass Scraps
Old brass, judiciously selected, may be made to do excellent service. As the regulation mixtures for the several articles made in brass are pretty much the same all over, it is a simple matter to make such choice from the old scraps as will almost answer present needs very often by making such additions as are necessary to bring the mixture up to the required standard in any of the metals which the scrap may be lacking in. Another important feature in using scrap-brass is to remember that, when it is melted over again, more or less of the zinc and lead oxidizes and wastes; this, of course, changes the original proportions, and must be made good by additions of the above metals. For old brass that has been remelted more than once, it is well to add 1 pound of lead to 16 pounds of scrap; a little less will do when the metal has not been recast. Brass borings and turnings may be melted with little or no waste by packing the crucible full and hard, using a cover and luting it well. Add a little lead when melted. See BRASS; CRUCIBLE.
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Brass-tempering
Brass containing the least zinc is the softest and most easily wrought but, with a proportion of one fourth, brass is still perfectly malleable when cold. Hammering increases or creates elasticity in brass, destroys its flexibility, adds considerably to its durability, and imparts magnetic power. If it is desired to draw the temper again, heat to a cherry-red, and immerse the article in water. See BRASS; TEMPERING. Brass to Dull.--See DULLED BRASS.
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Brasses
MONUMENTAL, large plates of brass, or of the mixed metal called latten or laton, inlaid on slabs of stone, and usually forming part of the pavement of a church. The figure of the person intended to be commemorated was generally represented either by the form of the brass itself, or by lines engraven on it. Such, however, was not always the case, an ornamented or foliated cross, with other sacred emblems, being frequently substituted for the fig- Nor was the practice of imbedding ure. them in the pavement uniform, as they were sometimes found elevated on what were called altar tombs.
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Brassey
THOMAS, an English engineer and railroad contractor, born in Baerton, Cheshire, Nov. 7, 1805. At the age of 16 he was apprenticed to a surveyor, whom he succeeded in business. After building parts of the Grand Junction and the London and Southampton railways, he contracted, in 1840, in partnership hip with another, to build the railway from Paris to Rouen. In a few years he held under contract, in England and France, some 10 railways, involving a capital of $180,000,000, and employing 75,000 men. In partnership with Betts and Peto he undertook the Grand Trunk of Canada, 1,100 miles in length, including the great bridge at Montreal. His army of men were employed in nearly every part of Europe, South America, Australia, India, etc. He amassed great wealth, but continued to be generous to the needy, and modest and simple in his tastes and manners. Sir Arthur Helps wrote his "Life" (1872). He died in Hastings, Dec. 8, 1870.
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Brassica
a genus of cruciferous plants containing several well known culinary herbs. Among the most familiar may be mentioned brassica oleracea (sea cabbage), the original of the cabbage of our gardens, B. monensis, the wall flower cabbage; and the B. campestris, or common wild navew. The B. napus, the rape or cole seed, and the B. rapa, or common turnip, have here and there rooted themselves spontaneously, producing a belief that they are indigenous in localities in which they did not originally exist. The colza of the Dutch is B. campestris; B. præcox, is the summer rape of the Germans; and B. elongata is cultivated in Hungary for its oil.
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Brassicacee
an order of plants more generally called cruciferæ (crucifers). It is placed by Lindley under his cistal alliance. He divides the order into the following sections-pleurorhizeæ, notorhizeæ, orthoploceæ, and diplecolobeæ. The brassicaceæ or crucifers are one of the most important orders in the whole vegetable kingdom. About 1,730 species are known. Their chief seat is in the temperate zones. Among the well known plants ranked under the order may be mentioned the wall flower, the stock, the watercress and other cresses, the cabbage, the turnip, etc.
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Bratiano
JEAN J. C., a Rumanian statesman. His father had been a prominent factor in forming the modern Rumanian state and in the offer of the throne to Prince Charles of Hohenzollern- Sigmaringen in 1866. The son became leader of the Liberal party, and at the outbreak of the World War favored the cause of the Allies. The King, however, was related to the Hohenzollerns and held Rumania out of the war until his death in October, 1914. After that time, Rumania, under the influence of Bratiano, steadily tended toward participation in the war on the Allied side. The step was finally taken in the summer of 1916 and Bratiano was active in organizing military operations. During the period of disaster that culminated in the signing of the treaty of Bucharest, Bratiano's conduct was dignified and courageous. He was a delegate to the Peace Congress in 1919.
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