Basilic, Basilical

[Lat. basilic us.] In the manner of a church, cathedral, or other public building. ( Anat. ) Pertaining to certain parts, which the ancients supposed to have an important function in the animal economy. Basilic vein. A large vein of the arm proper, running along the inner side of the arm, and lying directly over the humeral artery. The median basilic is a short branch vein, running obliquely acro the top of the fore-arm, in the bend of the elbow-joint, and joining the great basilic in the same manner that the median cephalic joins the cephalic on the outer side of the arm. For the illustration of these four veins, see figure to article BLEEDING. IMG:content-0544.png:[blocks in formation] Basilikon Do'ron, or ROYAL GIFT, n. ( Lit. ) The name of a treatise composed by James I. of England, and published at Edinburgh in 1599, and at London in 1604. It is divided into three books, and contains pre- cepts on the art of government, addre ed by the king to his son, Prince Henry. This work is now but a lite- rary curiosity. Basilis'cus. See ZENO, (EMPEROR.) Basilisk, ( bas'i-lisk,) n. [Fr. basilic ; Lat. basilic us; Gr. basil is kos , from basileus , a king.] The cockatrice, a fabulous serpent, with a white spot on its head resem- bling a royal diadem. It was supposed by the ancients to have been able to kill with its breath or sight only. According to Galen, its color inclined to yellow, and it had three small eminences on its head. Ælian says, that its poison is so penetrating as to kill the largest serpents with its vapor only; and that it will kill a man by merely biting the end of his stick. The sound of its hi ing is enough to frighten away all other kinds of serpents. According to Pliny, the B. is able to kill all those who look upon it. It was also called a cockatrice , from the belief that it was generated from a cock's egg brooded upon by a serpent. All these details are put forth by Mat thiol us, Galen, Dioscorides, Pliny, and Era- sistratus. The absurdity of all the statements has, since that time, been thoroughly exposed. flying lizard. This proce is capable of being either dilated or contracted at the pleasure of the animal; and the occiput, or hind part of the head, is elevated into a very conspicuous pointed hood or hollow crest. Not- withstanding its formidable appearance, however, the Basilisk is a perfectly harmle reptile, residing princi- pally among trees, where it feeds on insects, . The general color of this animal is a pale cinereous brown, slightly varied on the back and sides with different shades of brown and blue, and silvery white on the belly. It is po e ed of great activity, and from its peculiar structure can adapt itself to the watery ele- ment without inconvenience. It is most common in the tropical parts of South America. Ba's in Harbor, in Vermont , a village and port of Ad- dis on co., on Lake Cham plain, 20 m. S. of Burlington. Ba's in Knob, in Mi ouri , a village of Johnson co., 115 m. W. by N. of Jefferson city. Basin Mountain, a picturesque peak of the Adiron- dack group, in E ex co., N. Y. It has an altitude little short of 5,000 feet. Basioceratoglo us, n. ( Anat .) A name given to a part of the hyoglo us, which is inserted into the cor- ner of the os hyoides and base of the tongue. Basil'ius I., or BASIL, THE MACED ON I AN, Emperor of the East, was of low origin, but obtained employment at the court of the Emperor Michael III., became his chamberlain, murdered his rival Bardas, was a ociated in the empire, then murdered Michael, and succeeded him in 867. Though he had risen by a series of crimes, he governed wisely, made many reforms in the admin- i strati on and in the army, and compiled a body of laws called the Basilica , which, augmented by his son and (Chem. and Arch .) See BASE. succe or, Leo the Philosopher, were in force till the fall of the empire. B. deprived Photius of the See of Basis'ity, n. (Chem.) The state or quality of being a base. Constantinople, and restored Ignatius; but on the death of the latter he recalled Photius. He succe fully carried on war with the Saracens. D. 886. Basil'ius II., EMPEROR OF THE EAST, was son of Ro- manus II., and with his brother, Const an tine, was first a ociated in the empire by John Zimisces, and succeeded him in 976. His long reign was a series of wars with his rivals, Bardas, Sclernus, and Phocas, with the Sara- cens, and with the Bulgarians. In 1014, after a great victory over the latter, having 15,000 prisoners, he had 99 out of every 100 deprived of their eyes, and thus sent -v. a. To warm by continued exposure to heat, or to the home. This horrible cruelty caused the death of Samuel, king of the Bulgarians. The war ended in 1019, by the complete conquest of Bulgaria. D. 1025. Bas'il, (Oil of.) ( Chem .) An aromatic, ethereal oil, dis- tilled from the root of the Ocymum basilicum . It de- posits a stearoptene in 4-sided pyramids. Very soluble in hot water, it is again deposited in cooling. Its alco- holic solution reddens vegetable blues. Sulphuric acid turns it red. Bas i los a urus, n. ( Pal . ) See ZEUGLODON. Bas'il, St., surnamed THE GREAT, bishop of Cæsarea, in Cappadocia, where he was B. about 326. He was studying at Athens in 355, and there became the friend of Gregory, afterwards bishop of Nazi an zero. After ex- tensive travels, B. retired to the desert of Pontus, and there founded an order of monks. He succeeded Euse- bius in the See of Cæsarea in 370, and by his opposition to Arian doctrines greatly offended the Emperor Valens. His constitution being much impaired by the austerities of a monastic life, he D. 380.- See BASILIANS. Bas'il-weed, n. ( Bot . ) A plant of the genus Cala- mintha, order Lamiacese . Ba's in, or BASON, n. [Fr. ba in ; Ger. becken , from biegen , to bend, curve, or inflect.] A hollow ve el or dish of circular form, used for various household purposes. (Phys. Geog.) It is applied to any collection of water, as seas, lakes, and rivers; and comprehends, in every case, all the countries which are drained by the waters which run into such sea, lake, or river. - The term is still more frequently applied to the drainage of a river; as, "The basin of the Mi i ippi." The character of a country, its climate, soil, and productions, frequently change from the basin of one river to that of another; and when in the basin of one river such changes are observed to occur, the formation of the basin commonly presents some point or place where the change begins to be sensible, and may consequently be indicated with some degree of certainty. Therefore, the true basis of the geographical knowledge of a country, is the study of the different basins into which it is divided. ( Mar. ) The basin of a dock is a place where the water is confined by double flood-gates, or a cai on, and thereby prevented from running out at ebb-tide. The use of it is to contain ships either before they enter, or after they come out of the dock in which they are repaired. B. also implies some part of a haven which opens from a narrow channel into a spacious receptacle for shipping. (Geol.) Any dipping or disposition of strata toward a common centre, which has resulted from the upheaval and subsidence of the earth's crust. The tertiary form a- tions often occupy limited areas, and fill up the basins of the older strata; hence the use of such phrases as London basin , Paris basin , a coal - basin , or coal - fields , . Ba's ined, a. Enclosed in a basin. Bas'inet, n. Same as bascinet, q. v. Ba's ing, a parish of England, in Hampshire, 2 m. from Basing stoke. During the Civil War, its magnificent castle, built by William Paulet, first Marquis of Win- chester, Lord Treasurer to Queen Elizabeth, was hero i- cally defended for two years by John, the fifth marquis, against the Parliamentary troops. On the 14th Oct., 1645, it was at last taken by storm by Cromwell, who, after plundering it of its rich treasures of art, burned it to the ground. Pop . of par. about 2,000. Ba's ingstoke, a town and par. of England, in Hamp- shire, 45 m. W.S.W. of London; pop . 5,134. sun's rays; to warm with genial heat. "Unlock'd in covers, let her freely run Baskahe'gan River, in Maine , rising in a lake of the same name, embouches into the Matawamkeag. Bas'ket, n . [W. basged , or basgawd , from basg , a net ting or plaiting, as of twigs or splinters, from asg , a piece split off, a splinter.] A domestic ve el made of twigs, rushes, splinters, ., interwoven.- The contents of a basket; as, a basket of strawberries. ( Arch .) The vase of the Corinthian capital. ( Mil . ) A gabion. See GABION. -v. a. To put in a basket. Basket-hilt, n. The hilt of a broadsword or other weapon, wrought in the form of basket-work, as a pro- tection for the hand. Basket-hilted, a . With a hilt of basket-work. Basketry, n. Baskets in general; a collection of bas- Bask'ing Ridge, in New Jersey , a post-village in the N.E. part of Somerset co., about 40 m. N.N.E. of Trenton. Bask'ing-shark, n (Zool.) A species of fish, of the Squalidæ or Shark family; the Sun-fish of the Irish. See