Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 12.djvu/95

* LEFUEL. 83 LEGACY. He was elected a member of the Institute in 1855. Other works of Lefuel are the natiomil porcelain factories at S&vres and the theatre in the Chateau of Fontainebleau. liEG ( from Olcel. leytjr, leg, Dan. Iwg, Swed. lag, calf of the leg). That part of the lower ex- tremity which lies between the knee and the ankle." It consists of two bones, the tibia and fibula (see Skeleton, Foot), and of masses of muscles (together with nerves and vessels) which are held in their position by coverings of fascia, and are enveloped in the general integu- ment. The shaft of the tibia is of a triangular pris- moid form, and presents three surfaces and tliree borders. The internal surface is smooth, convex, and broader above than below; except at its upper third, it lies directly under the skin, and may be readily traced by the hand. The exter- nal" and the posterior surfaces are covered by numerous muscles. The muscular mass forming the calf (formed by the gastrocnemius, soleus, and plantaris muscles) is peculiar to man, and is directly connected with his erect attitude and his ordinaiy mode of progression. The anterior border of the tibia, the most prominent of the three, is popularly known as the shin, and may be traced down to'the inner ankle. The fibula, or small bone of the leg. lies on the outer surface of the tibia, and articulates with its upper and lower extremities, and with the astragalus interiorly. It affords attachments to many of the muscles of this region. The region is nourished by the anterior and posterior tibial arteries, into which the popliteal artery separates. Both these ar- teries occasionally require to be tied by the sur- geon in cases of wounds or aneurism. The blood is returned toward the heart by two sets of veins — the deep, which accompany the arteries, and the superficial, which are known as the inter- nal or long saphenous, and the external or short saphenous veins. These superficial veins are very liable to become permanently dilated or varicose (a condition the nature and treatment of which are considered in the article Varicose Vei^ts), if there is any impediment to the free transmission of the blood, or even from the mere weight of the ascending column of blood, in per- sons whose occupation requires continuous stand- ing. The nenes of the leg. both sensory and mo- tor, are derived from the great sciatic nerve and from its terminal branches, the internal popliteal and the external popliteal or peroneal nerve. In eases of fracture or broken leg, the two bones are more frequently broken together than singly, and the most common situation is at the lower third. Tile tibia is more liable to fracture than the fibula, in consequence of its sustaining the whole weight of the body, while the fibula has nothing to support. Bandy-Leg, or Bow-Leg. This is a condition in which the curve of the tibia is increased and the leg is bowed with the concavity inward. It is due to allowing a child to walk too early, or to rickets (q.v.). or rarely to muscular contraction before the child is put on his feet. The condition may be remedied by means of a surgical opera- tion, in which the outer condyle of the femur is cut off in a slanting line, and the limb aligned, after which the condyle is allowed to knit to the femur in its new position. Knock-Kxee. This is a condition in which the curve of each leg is much increased, with the concavity outward, so that the knees are ap- proximated and may even touch. The cause is generallj- rickets, and the remedy is the same as in boM-leg. LEGACY (OF. legacie, from Lat. legetum^ bequest, from legare, to bequeath, send on a com- mission, from lex, law). A gift of a chattel or sum of money made by the will of a deceased person. The term is synonymous with bequest. (See Will.) Devise (q.v.) is the corresponding term in case of gifts by will or of real estate. Legacies may be either specific or general. A specific legacy is a bequest of a specific thing, as a particular horse, picture, piece of silver, or other article. A general legacy is a bequest payable out of the general assets of the estate of the deceased person. It may be a gift of money or it may be of property without in any manner separating or distinguishing it from other property of like kind belonging to the testa- tor. The important difl'erence between the two kinds of legacies is that if the subject-matter of the specific legacy fail, that is. if the picture be destroyed or disposed of by the testator during his lifetime, or if the horse die, the legacy lapses and the legatee takes nothing under his bequest. In the case of general legacies, as the legacy is not to be paid by or out of any particular prop- erty, the legacy does not lapse so long as there are any assets of the estate applicable to the payment of legacies. When, however, there are not sulficicnt assets in the estate (after paying the testator's debts, which must first be paid) to paj legacies, the specific legacies must be paid in preference to general legacies, which must abate, i.e." be reduced pro rata. The order of abatement may, however, be fixed by the terms of the will. A third class of legacies, which partakes of the character of both specific and general leg- acies, consists of what are knovn as demonstra- tive legacies. A demonstrative legacy is one which the testator directs to be given out of specific money or property or its proceeds, as, for example, a gift of a certain number of stocks and bonds out of a larger number, or of a chattel to be purcliased out of the proceeds of a certain portion of the testator's estate. The demon- strative legacy is like a specific legacy in that it is givenout of a specific fund, and in that it does not abate with general legacies, hut it is like a general legacy in that it does not generally abate with the "loss of the particular fund or property out of which it is to he paid. Legacies may also be either ahsoUile, that is, one which vests absolutely in the legatee on the testator's death without condition ; or conditional or con- tingent, that is, one to which the legatee does npt become entitled until the happening of some certain event after the testator's death. It is generally provided by statute that legacies are not pavable until the expiration of one year after the testator's death, from which date inter- est is payable on the legacy if there are funds and it is "not otherwise provided by the will. If the legatee dies before the testator the leg- acy in general lapses and will pass to the residu- ary legatee, that is, the one to whom the will gives all personal property not otherwise dis- posed of. If there is no residuary clause in the will, lapsed legacies pass under the statutes of distribution in force in the various jurisdic- tions to the next of kin of the testator. In a few States it is provided by statute that