Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Supplement, Volume 1.djvu/987

 • LEE

LEG

If much blood is required to be drawn, the tails of the leeches may be cut off" as they are fucking, by which means, the blood they have already fucked will be difcharged, as "well as what they continue to take in ; for they will not let go their hold, but continue fucking as before. If they do not let go after a fufficient quantity of blood is drawn, they are not to be pulled off, for that often occafi- ons tumors, and inflammations; but it a little fait be fprink- led on the place, they quit their hold. The orifices fhould be vv.dhed with warm wine, or water, and they ufually heal readily of themfelves- Heijhr's Surgery, p. 312. Leech is alfo a name given by Boccone to a very particular water animal, which he found flicking to the fides of the xiphias, or fword fifh.

He calls it hirudo, or acus cauda utrinque pennata, and ob- ferves that it is (lightly mentioned by Gefner, and by Johnfron, in their books of fifhes. It is about four inches long. The belly is white and cartilaginous, and tranfpa- rent. There is no regular head to be Teen, but only a hol- low fnout, in the place of the head. This is covered with a very hard membrane, and differs extremely from the fkin of the belly. This fnout it thrufts up to the end into the body of the fifh, and fucks its blood with it. It has a tail fhaped like a feather, and under it two flender filaments, or fibres, longer than its whole body. By means of thefe, when it is not faftened to the body of the fifh, it clings to ftones, or fea plants, to prevent its being carried away by the motion of the water ; and when it is on the body of the fifh, thefe ferve it to hold much more faftly with, than it otherwife could do. When it faftens itfelf to the fword fifh, it always fixes on thofe parts where the fins of the fifh cannot come at it to difturb it. Sometimes it ad- heres to the belly, fometimes to the back, fometimes to the tail, and often very near the bead. The body of the crea- ture is filled with flender tubes and pipes, by means of which it fucks up the blood of the fifh into the fnout, which is a meer vacant tube, and from thence conveys it to the interlines. The whole body of the creature is formed of rings, which ferve to draw up the tubes into the fnout, and return them back upon occafion. This creature miferably afflicts the fword fifh, but it is itfelf as much tormented by an animal that preys on its blood and juices ; this is a fort of loufe, which is always found upon it. It is of a brown- ifh colour, and is generally found faftened toward the tail of the creature, flicking as firmly as a limpet to a rock. It is nearly of the bignefs of a pea, and when crufhed a little, will thruft out Several flender filaments. This leech is not found, fo far as has yet been obferved, on any other fifh but the fword fifh ; nor this loufe among other creatures, befide this leech. Phil. Tranf. N° 100.

LEEK, porrum, in botany. See Porrum.

We have two kinds of leek commonly cultivated in our gardens, the one called the common leek, and the other a broader leaved one, commonly called the London leek. There are fome reafous to fufpect that thefe are only varieties of the fame fpecies of plant, both arifmg from the fame feeds. The method of propagating thefe is by feeds, and they are commonly fown along with onions. The onions growing up firft ; and after they are pulled up, the leeks have time enough to grow to their fize. Miller's Gard. Diet.

"LzEK-bead, in the manege. See Wart andPoRiEAU.

LEER, (Cycl.) in glafs making, a fort of third furnace in- tended to anneal and cool, by proper degrees, the veflels when made. This properly comprehends two parts, the tower and leer. The tower is that part which lies directly above the melting furnace, with a partition between them of a foot thick ; in the midft whereof there is a round hole, placed exactly over the furnace, through which the flame 3 and heat pafs into the tower. On the floor of this tower the veflels are fet to anneal. There are two openings, by which the veflels are put into this tower, and after ftanding there fome time, they are put into iron pans, which by de- grees are drawn out all along that part of this furnace, which is properly called the leer; which is five or fix yards long, that the veflels may cool by degrees. This leer is con- tinued to its tower, and arched all along, and is about four feet wide and high within. The glanes are cool by that time they are come to the mouth of this, which enters into a room where the glafles are placed when taken out. Neri's Art of Glafs, p. 243.

LEETCH of a fail, in a fhip, the outward edge or fkitt of the fail from the earing to the clew, or rather the middle of the fail between thefe two.

Leetch-//'»w, in a fhip, fmall ropes faftened to the ketch of the top fails (only) and then reeved into a block at the yard, juft by the top fail ties. Their ufe is to hale the ketch of the fails, when the top fails are to be taken in ; which is always firft done, and then the fail can be taken in with the greater eafe.

LEEWARD Jliip, at fea, one that is not faft by a wind, or which doth not fail fo near the wind, nor make her way fo good as fhe fhould. See Lee, Cycl.

To lay ajh'tp hy the lee, or to come by the lee, is to bring her fg that all her fails may lie flat againft her mafts and fhrowds,

and that the wind may come right upon her broad-fide; The way to do which, if all a fhip's fails be abroad, is to bear up the helm hard to windward, to let rife the fore jack, veer the main-meet, and take in the miften maft, or at leaft to peck it up, which is called fpclling the mijfen. Leeward tide, at fea. See Tide.

LEG (Cycl.)— -In fractures of the two bones of the tibia and fibula, or cither of them alone 5 the limb is to be ex- tended, by affiftants, both ways, while the furgeon replaces the bones, which done the limb is to be rolled up with the proper bandage, and retained in the moft proper pofture* When both thefe bones are broken, they are feldom both brokenjuftin the fame place, but one a little higher than the other. If the tibia be broken alone, it is eafily difcovered by its lying fo near the fkin ; but if the fibula alone, it is bu- ried under fo many mufclcs that the fracture is not always fo eafily difcovered, and the patient is fo much lefs afflicted by it as to be fometimes able to walk.

If a fracture of the tibia be accompanied with an external wound, this muft be firft well cleanfed, and the fpiinters of the bone carefully removed, and then the broken bone, by the help of a proper extenfion reduced to its proper place, the haemorrhage flopped, and the whole bound up with the eighteen headed bandage ; but if any fragments of the bone flick out, fo as to hinder its reduction ; they muft be firft removed by a pair of fharp forceps, or if neceflary a fine faw. The limb, when fet, is to be laid in a proper frame, or in a cafe of ftraw, renewing the drefflng and bandage daily till the wound be healed. Heijler, p. 136. Ulcers in the Legs. Although no part of the body is free from inveterate and obftinate ulcers, yet the legs are found to be much more fubject to them than the reft. The general caufes of ulcers in the legs are the fame with thofe of ulcers in other parts, a bad habit of body, too great a thinnefs and acrimony in the juices, and obstructions of the menfes in women ; to thefe alfo may be added callofity of the lips cf wounds, and caries of the bones within. In perfons advanced in years, and naturally of a bad habit of body, it is moft advillable not to attempt to heal thefe, fince the effect of cure is often much worfe than the difeafe, and not unfrequently, even death itfelf: for thefe ulcers are, in many cafes, rather to be looked on as a. relief to nature than a diforder, as they ferve to drain off a vaft quantity of noxious humours from the body. This, however, mould not be extended to young robuft habits, though bad, becaufe thefe may be corrected in fuch fubjects, and the firft caufe of the ftubbornnefs of the ulcers removed by abftinence, or a regular way of living, or by opening iffues, with the help of internal remedies ; and the caufe thus removed, the ulcer may be removed with perfect fafety : and though in old perfons thefe ulcers are not to be healed, yet palliative methods may be taken with them, to the great comfort of the afflicted perfons, that pain, and other vio- lent fymptoms may be removed, and the ulcer kept from fpreading, or new bad fymptoms from coming on. Abftinence and a ftrict regimen are the great care, and gen- tle dofes of purging medicines are to be taken at times, and internal medicines, likely to do good in regard to the caufe of the ulcer, may be alfo given : of this kind are eflence of myrrh, balfam of peru, and the like. Externally, care muft be taken to keep the ulcer perfectly clean ; twice a day it ought to be drefied, and every time wiped clean from the fanies ; it fhould then be drefted either with dry lint, or with lint dipped in a decoction of walnut leaves, or of birthwort, and over this a lead plaifter, as that of the mi- nium, or any of a like kind may be applied. Thefe ulcers treated in this eafy manner will become very mild, of little trouble, and of great fervice to the preferving the life of the patient.

When inflammations and violent pains come on in thefe cafes, as they very frequently do from a blow, from cold, from dipping the leg in cold water, or from violent paflions of the mind, or irregularity of diet, a linnen comprefs muft be applied in this cafe dipped in Hungary water, or fpirit of wine with camphor, or with a mixture of equal parts of lime water, and either of thefe liquors ; thefe fhould be ap- plied warm, the patient fhould be confined to his bed, and the limb carefully defended from the injuries of the external air, and fmall liquors fhould be frequently drank warm, to promote gentle fweating ; when the inflammation runs very high, and threatens a gangrene, great care is to be taken, and the methods ufed in inflammations and gangrenes regu- larly applied, otherwife there is the greateft danger, that a fphacelus, and death will be the confequence. When the ulcers dry up of themfelves in old people, naufeas, horrors, and great weaknefs ufually fuccced, which fhew death at hand : in this cafe, the patient's ftrength and fpirits muft be kept up as much as pofiible, and gentian, and flo- rentine iris root muft be applied in powder to the wound ; and if thefe are of too little force, black hellebore root, ei- ther in powder or formed into little balls > and laflfy, pow- der of cantharides, or fmall pieces of the common buffer- ing plaifter. If thefe applications fucceed, and produce a running of the ulcer again, the methods before directed

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