BUKNS. 707 BURNSIDE. 1893). Consult also: Wallace (editor). Cor- respondence Uelicccn Burns and Mrs. Dunlop (London, 1S98) ; Carlvle, Essays (London, 1847 ) ; Stevenson, "Robert Burns," in Familiar Studies of Men and Books (London, 1882) : MeKie. Bibliography of Burns (Kilmarnock, 1381). BURNS, Vii,ij.M Chalmees (1815-68). A Scottish Protestant missionary to China. He was born at Dun, Forfarshire, April 1, 1815; was educated in Aberdeen: practiced law; then became a minister in 1839. He carried on ex- tensive revivals in Great Britain. Ireland, and Canada, but in 1847 went out as a Presbyterian missionary to China. He adopted Chinese dress and lived like a native. He had much facility in acquiring the spoken language, and labored with great enthusiasm in many places. In this way he became widely known. Everywhere he commended himself by his faith, piety, courage, and unsel fislmess, and is still held in loving re- membrance. He died at Xieu-chwang, April 4, 1868. Consult Burns. Memoir of William Chalmers Burns (Xew York, 1870). BURNS, William Wallace (1825-92). An American soldier. He was bom in Coshocton, Ohio, and in 1847 graduated at West Point. He served in the war with Jlexico, and was in the (ield with the Army of the Potomac from 1801 to 1863, during which time he attained the rank of major-general of volunteers. Later he became chief commissary of the Department of the Xorthwest, and during the last part of the war was chief commissary of the Department of the South. He received the brevet of brigadier-gen- eral in 1865, and was on duty in the Commissary Department at Washington until 1889, when he retired, with the regular rank of colonel. BURNS AND SCALDS. A burn is an in- jury to the body jiroduccd by heat or corrosive substances. A scald is an injury produced by a heated liquid or vapor. Practicalh- three de- grees of bums are recognized by surgeons : ( 1 ) ' Bums resulting in a simple reddening of the skin. (2) Burns characterized by the forma- tion of vesicles or blebs. (3) Burns resulting in sloughing and the formation of a scar, includ- ing all gradations of severity, from partial de- struction of the true skin to incineration of skin, muscle, and bone. Symptoms: Pain and shock, to be relieved by opiates and stimulants. If the denuded surface be large the patient may suffer from cold, in addition, to be combated with voluminous dressings and artificial heat from bottles and hot enemata. Cleanliru'ss and exclusion of air are sought in local dress- ings, to lessen suppuration, and the object of later treatment is promotion of the growth of skin. Vaseline or preparations of boric acid are useful. Contracting scars often result, causing deformity. To obviate this re-sult, skin-grafting and splints so adjusted a.s to secure surface ex- tension are employed. Later plastic operations may relieve deformities. (SeeAiTOPLASTV.) The extent of surface affected determines in part the danger of a bum. Death may follow injury to a third of the surface of the body ; it is quite cer- tain to follow injury to one-half the surface. Children bear burns very badly, and burns about their faces or necks are more dangerous than those of similar extent in other regions. BURN'SIDE, Ambro.se Everett (1824-81). .ii iiniiii'nt American soldier, prominent on the Federal side during the Civil War. He was born in Liberty, Ind. ; attended a village school, and at seventeen was indentured to a merchant tailor; but soon afterwards was appointed to the I'nited States Slilitary Academy, where he graduated in 1847. He then spent some years in garrison duty, but later resigned from the ser- vice, ami from 1853 until 1858 was a manufac- turer of firearms at Bristol, E. 1., inventing the Burnside breech-loading rifle in 1856. On the outbreak of the Civil War he entered the Federal Army, and from May to August. 1861, was colonel of Rhode Island volunteers, partici- pating as such in the first battle of Bull Run. He became brigadier-general of volunteers on August 6, was engaged in organizing the 'Coast Division' of the Army of the Potomac from October, 1861, to January, 1862. and commanded the Department of North Carolina from January to July of this year, during which time he cap- tured Roanoke Island, occupied Newbern, N. C., and forced the surrender of Fort Macon, Beau- fort. On March 18, 1862, he was raised to the rank of major-general of volunteers. He was then placed in command of the reenforcement-s intend- ed for the Army of the Potomac, which later constituted the Ninth Army Corps, and in .July was offered, but emphatically refused, the chief command of the .-Vrmy of Virginia. After the second battle of Bull Run he was again offered the chief command, the Army of Virginia now being merged into the Army of the Potomac ; but he again declined it, and sened under Mc- Clellan as commander of the Ninth Corps in the Maryland campaign against Lee, participating in the battle of South Mountain, and command- ing the left wing in the battle of Antietam on September 17. (See A>-tiet.m, Battle of.) Though still feeling that he wa-s unqualified for the position, he was finally — on Novcmlior 10 — placed in command of the Army of the Potomac, and conducted the campaign against Lee. which virtually ended with the overwhelming defeat of the Federals at Fredericksburg, on December 13. Burnside attacked on this occasion with foolhardy recklessness, and, in general, proved unequal to the task assigned to him. (See Fredericksburg, B.ttij: of.) On January 26, 1863. he was replaced by Hooker, and from March to December he was in comnuind of the Department of the Ohio, during which time he captured Cumberland Gap, marched into East Tennessee, and occupied Knoxville. where for some time he was besieged by the Confederate General Longstreet. On April 13 he issued his famous '"General Order No. 38," directed against the 'Copperheads' in his department, and espe- cially against Vallandigham, who was soon afterwards arrested, convicted, and imprisoned. (See Valla.ndigiiam, Cleme.nt L. ) This order, together with his "General Order No. 84," which prohibited the circulation of the New York World and suppressed the Chicago Times, aroused the most violent opposition as striking at the free- dom of speech and of the press, and President Lincoln yielded to the popular demand so far as to re.scind that part of the latter order which suppressed the Times. From May to August, 1864, Burnside served under Grant, as command- er of the Ninth Corps in the Richmond Cam-
