bottom water Lowermost layer of ocean water that can be distin¬ guished by its characteristic low temperature, high density, and low oxygen content compared with surface waters. Most bottom waters are formed near Antarctica during the southern winter. The partial freezing of seawater over the Antarctic continental shelf produces salt-free ice and residual brine with a high density, which causes it to sink; it then flows northward along the seafloor. The Arctic Ocean is less important as a source of bottom water
because it is isolated by barriers such as the Bering Sill and submarine ridges and banks between Greenland and the British Isles.
botulism Vba-cho-.li-zomX Poisoning by botulinum toxin, one of the most potent toxins known, produced by Clostridium botulinum bacteria. It usually results from improperly sterilized canned (mostly home-canned) foods. Heat-resistant spores of these anaerobic bacteria in fresh food may survive canning. The bacteria multiply and secrete toxin, which remains potent if the food is not well heated before it is eaten. Botulism can also result from wound infection. Botulinum toxin blocks nerve-impulse trans¬ mission. If botulism is recognized in time, administered antitoxins can neutralize it. The first symptoms of botulism are nausea and vomiting, which usually appeal - six hours or less after the contaminated food is eaten. Fatigue, blurry vision, and general weakness follow. Respiratory paraly¬ sis can cause death if not treated with emergency tracheotomy and res¬ piratory aid. Most victims recover completely if they survive paralysis. The bacteria’s intense toxicity makes it a potentially deadly biological warfare agent.
Bouake \bwa-'ka\ City (pop., 1995 est.: 330,000), central Cote d’Ivoire. It was established as a French military post in 1899 on the road and rail¬ road line from Abidjan to Burkina Faso (then Upper Volta). Bouake is among the nation’s largest cities and is the commercial and transportation hub of the interior.
Boucher \bu-'sha\, Francois (b. Sept. 29, 1703, Paris, Fr.—d. May 30, 1770, Paris) French painter, engraver, and designer. He was probably trained by his father, a minor painter. In 1723 he won the Prix de Rome, but he was unable to travel to Italy until 1728. For his first major com¬ mission he produced 125 engravings of drawings by Antoine Watteau. He executed important decorative commissions for Madame de Pompadour at Versailles. His playful style and frivolous subject matter exemplify the Rococo style and embody the elegant superficiality of French court life in the mid 18th century. He became a member of the Royal Academy in 1734, a principal designer for the royal porcelain factories, and director of the Gobelins tapestry factory. In 1765 he was appointed director of the Royal Academy and first painter to Louis XV. One of the great painters and draftsmen of the 18th century, he mastered every branch of decora¬ tive and illustrative painting.
Boucher Vbau-choiA, Jonathan (b. March 12, 1738, Cumberland, Eng.—d. April 27, 1804, Epsom, Surrey) English-American clergyman. He went to Virginia in 1759 as a private tutor. As rector of Annapolis, Md., he tutored George Washington’s stepson and became a family friend. His royalist views cost him his position and he was forced to return to England in 1775. In his retirement he wrote A View of the Causes and Consequences of the American Revolution (1779); his glossary of “archaic and provincial words” was later used for Noah Webster’s dictionary.
Boucicault \'bu-si-,ko\, Dion orig. Dionysius Lardner Boursi- quot (b. Dec. 26, 1820/22, Dublin, Ire.—d. Sept. 18, 1890, New York, N.Y., U.S.) Irish-born U.S. playwright. He began acting in 1837 and wrote the successful comedy London Assurance (1841) and The Corsican Broth¬ ers (1852). In 1853 he moved to New York City, where he was instru¬ mental in obtaining the first copyright law for drama in the U.S. His successful play The Poor of New York (1857) was presented elsewhere— as, for example, The Poor of London. Concerned with social themes, he wrote a veiled attack on slavery in The Octoroon (1859). He also wrote a series of popular Irish plays, including The Colleen Bawn (1860) and The Shaughraun (1874).
Boudiaf \bu-'dyaf\, Mohamed (b. June 23, 1919, M’Sila, Alg.—d. June 29, 1992, Annaba) Algerian political leader. With Ahmed Ben Bella, he cofounded the Algerian National Liberation Front (FLN), which led the fight for Algerian independence from France (1954-62). He was impris¬ oned by the French from 1956 until Algerian independence in 1962, whereupon he became deputy premier under Ben Bella in the new gov¬ ernment. His opposition to Ben Bella’s autocratic style led to a 27-year exile. In 1992 he was invited back to head the government and to deal with rising religious influence in political affairs. He was assassinated by a bodyguard shortly thereafter. See also Islamic Salvation Front.
Boudicca \bu-'dik-9\ or Boadicea \ l bo-3d-3-'se-9\ (d. ad 60) Ancient British queen. When her husband, a Roman client king of the Iceni, died in ad 60, he left his estate to his daughters and the emperor Nero, hoping for protection. Instead the Romans annexed his kingdom and mistreated his family and tribesmen. Boudicca raised a rebellion in East Anglia, burning
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258 I Boudin ► boulevard
Camulodunum (Colchester), Verulamium (St. Albans), and part of Lond- inium (London) and military posts; according to Tacitus, her forces massa¬ cred up to 70,000 Romans and pro-Roman Britons and destroyed the Roman 9th Legion. She is thought to have taken poison or died of shock when the Roman governor rallied his troops and destroyed her huge army.
Boudin \bu-'da n \, Eugene (b. July 12, 1824, Honfleur, Fr.—d. Aug. 8, 1898, Deauville) French landscape painter. Encouraged at an early age by Jean-Francois Millet, Boudin became a strong advocate of painting directly from nature. In 1874 he exhibited with the Impressionists, but, unlike those painters, he was not an innovator, and from 1863 to 1897 he exhib¬ ited regularly in the official Salon. His favourite subjects were beach scenes and seascapes, which show remarkable sensitivity to effects of atmosphere; on the backs of his paintings he recorded the weather, light, and time of day. His works link the careful naturalism of the mid 19th century and the brilliant colours and fluid brushwork of Impressionism.
boudinage \,biid- 3 n- , azh\ Cylinder-like structures making up a layer of deformed rock. They commonly lie adjacent to each other and are joined by short necks, giving the appearance of a string of sausages (boudin is French for “sausage”). The necks may be filled with recrystallized minerals such as quartz, feldspar, or calcite. Boudinage occurs in a variety of rock types and is one of the more common structures found in folded rocks.
Boudinot\'bud- a n-o\ / Elias (b. May 2, 1740, Philadelphia, Pa.—d. Oct. 24, 1821, Burlington, N.J., U.S.) U.S. public official. He became a law¬ yer in 1760. Though a conservative Whig, he supported the American Revolution. He was president of the Continental Congress in 1782-83 and later served in the U.S. House of Representatives (1789-95) and as direc¬ tor of the U.S. Mint at Philadelphia (1795-1805).
Bougainville Vbii-gon-.viL Island (pop., 2000: 175,160), Papua New Guinea. The largest of the Solomon Islands, near the northern end of that chain, it has a land area of about 3,600 sq mi (8,500 sq km). The Emperor Range, with its highest peak at Balbi (9,000 ft [2,743 m]), occupies the northern half of the island, while the Crown Prince Range occupies the southern half. It was visited by Louis-Antoine de Bougainville in 1768, and it came under German control in the late 19th century. After World War I it was included in an Australian mandate. Following World War II it was made part of the UN Trust Territory of New Guinea, and it passed to Papua New Guinea when that country became independent in 1975. A treaty signed in 2001 promised the island autonomy, which was attained in 2005.