LEN 



LET 



standing their great difference in size ; 

 and the sharpness of the juice. The 

 tree can be cultivated in southern 

 Florida, but requires an orangery 

 northward. 



LEMON, ESSENCE OF. The oil 

 distilled from the peal, mixed with al- 

 cohol. The pure oil is termed the oil 

 of lemons. 



LE.MON SIRUP. Lemon juice is 

 kept with difficulty in bottles ; made 

 into a strong sirup, it is better pre- 

 served. The fluid sold by this name 

 is only common sirup, acidulated with 

 a little oil of vitriol. 



LENITIVE. Medicines which 

 gently soothe in diseases. A gentle 

 purgative. 



LENS. A thin solid, the faces of 

 which are curved, and the general 

 figure usually circular. The glasses 

 of spectacles are lenses. Those len- 

 ses which have two convex or pro- 

 tuberant sides, orone side plane, mag- 

 nify objects, and concentrate the rays 

 of heat to a burning focus ; hence they 

 are termed magnifying or burning 

 glasses. Concave lenses minify, and 

 do not collect heat to a real focus. 

 The name of the lens differs with the 

 figure of the carved surface 



LENTICULAR. Shaped like a 

 double convex lens ; thus (). 



LENTICELLS, or LENTICULAR 

 GLANDS. The small specks or knots 

 on the stems of some trees, from 

 whence, if in the soil, roots would 

 proceed. 



LENTIL. Eroum lens {Fig.). A 



leguminous annual, similar to the ' 

 vetch. It is much cultivated in France I 



and some parts of Germany as food for 

 man. The French have three varie- 

 ties : the small brown, for soups, the 

 yellowish, and the large Provence, 

 with luxuriant straw, and which may 

 be cultivated in the place of tares. 



They are sown on a dry, warm, 

 sandy soil, later than the pea, one to 

 one and a half bushel to the acre, 

 and afterward treated like pease, un- 

 less they be planted for horse prov- 

 ender, when the whole plant is cured, 

 as in the case of tares. The yield is 

 much less than from the latter crop. 

 The lentil is as nutritious as the bean. 

 It contains 22 per cent, of legumin 

 {casein), 48 5 of starch, gum, and su- 

 gar, and 2 5 oil. Schwartz slates the 

 crop at 39| bushels, of 62i pounds 

 each, to the acre. 



LENTOR (from lentus, clammy). 

 Visciditv, clamminess in fluids. 



LEPIDOPTERA. Insects of the 

 moth and butterfly tribe. See Insects. 



LEPIDOTUS, LEPIDOTE (from 

 /•.ETif, a scale). Scurfy, scaly. A bo- 

 tanical term. 



LEPIS.M.\. A family of wingless 

 insects, the bodies of which are cov- 

 ered with glistening scales, the feet 

 short. They are very active, and 

 found about old wood, and in dark, 

 mouldy places. 



LEPRA, LEPROSY. A disease 

 of the skin, which becomes rough and 

 covered with scaly patches. Warm 

 baths, sulphur, and, lastly, tar oint- 

 ment, with proper attention to the 

 health, are the best remedies. 



LEPTURA. A genus of longi- 

 corn beetles, of the family Lepturtdce. 

 " Head inclined posteriorly behind the 

 eyes, or contracted at its junction 

 with the thorax into a neck ; thorax 

 conical or trapezoid, narrowed ante- 

 riorly ; elytra becoming gradually nar- 

 rower ; eyes rounded and entire, or, if 

 emarginate, antennae inserted before 

 emargination." 



LETHARGY. Drowsiness, mor- 

 bid desire to sleep. It is sometimes 

 a precursor of apoplexy, and calls for 

 blood-letting if occurring in a full 

 habit. 



LETTUCE. Lactuca saliva. The 

 varieties are very numerous ; the 



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