Glossary
B
bubby pot
Forerunner of the modern feeding bottle, named after the old English word for breast. Made of pewter or ceranic the perforated spout of the pot was covered with cloth to act as a nipple when feeding an infant cows milk or similar.
bubo
An inflammation of a lymphatic gland (armpit or groin) commonly found in syphilis or the plague.
bubonic plague
Thought to have been the cause of the Black Death, the bubonic plague is caused by a bacterial infection of the lymphatic system, the network of capillary vessels in the human body. The plague is most commonly transmitted via the bites of fleas. Characteristic symptoms include enlarged lymph glands (buboes).
bucket - vessel
Typically, round wooden vessels for drawing water from a well; also, any comparable vessel for catching, holding, or carrying liquids or solids.
Buddhism
A belief system or religion originally from India and based on the teachings of Siddharta Guatama, known as ‘The Buddha’, who died about 400 BCE. It requires ethical and unselfish behaviour.
bullet extraction
The removal of a bullet from a human, animal or object.
bullet extractor
An instrument resembling elongated forceps and used for extracting bullets from the human body.
Bunsen burner
A piece of science equipment common in laboratories and used for heating, combustion and sterilization. It is fed with flammable gas and produces an open flame, which can be regulated by an air valve.
burette
A marked glass tube, with a small tap and stopcock. It is used for delivering set quantities of a liquid or for measuring the amount of liquid or gas received or discharged.
burns
tissue damage caused by such agents as heat, cold, chemicals, electricity, ultraviolet light, or nuclear radiation. A first-degree burn affects only the outer layer (epidermis) of the skin. In a second-degree burn both the epidermis and the underlying dermis are damaged. A third-degree burn involves damage or destruction of the skin to its full depth and damage to the tissues beneath. Burns cause swelling and blistering, due to loss of plasma from damaged blood vessels.
bust
Representations of only the head and shoulders of a human figure.
button
Disks, balls, or devices of other shape having holes or a shank by which they are sewn or secured to an article and that are used as fasteners by passing through a buttonhole or loop or a trimming.