LIT 



433 



LIT 





2. In pathology, the formation of stone 



or gravel. 



LITH'IC ACID. A peculiar acid, which 

 constitutes great part of all human cal- 

 culi, and is likewise present in urine, 

 whence it has obtained the name of uric 

 acid, 



LitHOCHROMA/r'ics, from X<0oj, stone, 

 and XQUUM,, colour. The art of painting 

 in oil upon stone, and taking impressions 

 on canvas: the invention of a French 

 artist. 



LITHODEN'DRON from Xiflo?, stone, and 

 SsvSgOK, a tree. Coral, from its resem- 

 blance to petrified wood. 



LITHODER'MIS. The name given by Cu- 

 vier to a genus of zoophytes, from \i8o<;, 

 stone, and 3M, the skin; because the 

 surface has the appearance of being co- 

 vered with a layer of stony granules, 

 which form an extremely indurated crust. 

 Class Echinodermata : order Apoda. 



LITHOD'OMCS, a cylindrical marine equi- 

 valve shell fixed by byssus to rocks, 

 which it ultimately penetrates, and re- 

 mains always after in the cavity ; hence 

 the name from X/flo?, stone, and Saj^s, 

 a hofjse. The lithodomi are littoral mol- 

 luscs found to depths of ten fathoms. 



LITHOG'LTPHITE, from X<09?, stone, and 

 yXripai, to engrave. A fossil which pre- 

 sents the appearance of being engraved 

 or shaped by art. 



LITHOG'RAPHT, from \iQtx;, stone, and 

 ygetQu, to write. The art of taking im- 

 pressions upon paper, from stone, of writ- 

 ing and figures previously traced upon 

 the stone. The stone used for this pro- 

 cess is a fine-grained and hard limestone ; 

 (the best are obtained from the quarry 

 of Solenhofen, near Munich). The ink 

 with which the lines are traced on the 

 stone is essentially composed of some 

 fatty matter, usually wax, tallow-soap, 

 lac and lamp-black. It firmly adheres 

 to the smoothly-polished surface of the 

 stone, and attracts the printing-ink from 

 the inking roller, as it is passed with 

 some force over the surface of the stone. 

 The stone during the operation of print- 

 ing is constantly kept in a damp or moist 

 state, which prevents the adhesion of the 

 ink to those parts of the surface of the 

 stone which are not impregnated with 

 the encaustic ink. 



LITH'OMANCT, from X/fts, and uMvrtia, 

 prophecy. Divination by stones a fool- 

 ery practised by the ancients. 



LITH'OMARGE, from X/0o, stone, and 

 marga, marl. Stone-marrow: a variety of 

 talc. It has an unctuous feel, adheres to 

 the tongue, and in water falls to a pow- 

 der, but does not form a paste. 

 LITIONTSIP'TIC, from AJ&S, a stone, and 



r%i<u, to wear away. A term formerly 

 applied to various medicines, supposed to 

 have the power of dissolving calculi ; but 

 as it is now thought that there is no such 

 medicine, the term has been transferred 

 to such as have a power of obviating the 

 calculous diathesis. 



LITHONTRIP'TOR, X/floc, and O^IKTTU, 

 to break. An instrument for breaking 

 calculi in the bladder, so as to allow them 

 to pass with the urine. 



LITHO'PHAGI, from X<0o?, a stone, and 

 ftvyu, to eat. Molluscs which eat holes 

 into stones and rocks, formed into a fa- 

 mily by Lamarck, under the name of 

 Lithophagid<e. 



LITHOPH'ILA. A genus of plants, thus 

 named from X;fts, a stone, and qfoiu, to 

 love, because they grow in barren stony 

 places. 



LITHOT'OMY, from X^o?, a stone, and 

 rEuyar, to cut. The operation of cutting 

 into the bladder, in order to extract a 

 stone ; a most delicate operation in sur- 

 gery. 



LITHOT'RITY, from X<0a?> a stone, and 

 tero, to break The operation of break- 

 ing and comminuting a vesical calculus, 

 so that its fragments may be discharged 

 by the urine. 



LIT'MUS. A blue colouring matter, ob- 

 tained from the Lichen roccella, or canary 

 archil. The plant, gathered in quanti- 

 ties, is thoroughly ground between stones, 

 so as to bruise, but not to grind it to 

 powder ; it is then moistened with strong 

 spirit of urine (urine mixed with quick- 

 lime) : in a few days it acquires a purplish 

 red, and at length a blue colour; in the 

 first state it is called archil, and in the 

 latter lacmus or litmus. Litmus is not 

 affected by alkalies, but is immediately 

 converted to a beautiful red by acids : 

 hence chemists use it as one of their most 

 delicate tests for the presence of free acid. 

 It has with much impropriety been called 

 tincture of turnsole. 



LIT'OTES, X/TOTTJ? . In rhetoric, a figure 

 in which an aflBrmation is expressed by 

 the negative of the contrary. 



LITRE. A French measure of capacity, 

 equal to 1 thirty-fifth of an English bushel. 



LIT'TLE, Sax. litel. In the fine arts, a 

 condemnatory word implying that a work 

 is void of qualities that tend to raise the 

 feelings of a spectator. 



LiT'cROY,frpmXs/T0j, public, and f^yo, 

 work. In a general sense, all public ce- 

 remonies that belong to divine service ; 

 hehce, in a restricted sense, among the 

 Humanists the mass, and among Protes- 

 tants the common prayer, or the for- 

 mulary of public prayers. 



LIT'CUS. 1. A military musics! initru 



. ment of the Romans; also a crooked eUtfT 



F F 



