L I M 



Ihe differences of their prices at the places where they are 

 ■employed. Sec KiLS. 



It is vifeful that the procefs of burning lime fliould go on 

 Auring January and February, as well as moll ni the winter, 

 and aUo in the fumnuT months. Perpetual kihis are wrought 

 in many diftricts, efpecially the northern ones, and in Ire- 

 land ; the lime, when not taken away, heing preferved, ,in 

 ftieds creeled for the pnrpofe, from 'h. wet. The ufual 

 mode of managing with them is, for t\.: farmers to contraA 

 for lome fort of meafiire, according to the cuRom or prac- 

 tice of the particular diftridl ; being cartful that it is well 

 burnt, and of a proper quality in other refpecis. The dif- 

 ferences in the cxpence of burning will depend on the abun- 

 dance or fcarcity of fuel, and the convenience of the ftoue 

 for carriage. 



Li. MR, CJx, Calx viva, in the Materia Medica, &c. is 

 prepared by breaking a pound of lime-ftone into fmall pieces, 

 and heating it in a crucible in a very (Irong fire for an hour, 

 or until the carbonic acid i-: entirely driven off, fo that on 

 the addition of the acetic acid, no bubbles of gas Ihall be 

 extricated. Lime may be made by the fame procefs from 

 {hells previoufly wafhed in boiling water, and cleared from 

 ey.traneons matters. In the former pharmacopeias lime was 

 ranked among the articles of the Materia Medica, and taken 

 as prepared for its ufes in the arts ; but in the lad London 

 Pharmacopeia particular dircftions are given for obtaining it 

 in a purer liatc. Two varieties of the carbonate are feletled 

 from which it may be prepared, ij/^. lime-Hone and fliells 

 of oylters ; the latter of which contains the leall foreign 

 admixture ; but even the former, thus prepared, will be 

 much purer than that which is ufiially made from chalk. 

 According to Kn-vvan, carbonate of lime confifts of 45 parts 

 of carbonic acid and 55 of lime : but from whatever com- 

 bination it be obtained, lime is always the fame fubllaiicc, 

 poflefiing the fame charatters, and producing the fame 

 effeds, though it may be different with regard to the pro- 

 portion of heterogeneous matters with vvhicli it is mixed ; 

 and, therefore, the di(linftioi>s which were formerly made 

 between its medical qualities, as obtained from different 

 fources, were fuperfluous, and will not, in the prefent ftate 

 of fcicnce, be likely to be renewed by the introdii<Stion of 

 more than one. To the perfcftion of the lime it is neocffary 

 that the carbonic acid fhould b& entirely expelled; but in 

 the preparation of ordinary lime this is done very imper- 

 fectly ; for to all common purpofes it is lufiicient if it be 

 burnt fo as to flake on the addition of water ; on (he other 

 hand, it may alfo be noticed that where lime- ilone is em- 

 ployed, the heat may be urged too far and be too long coh- 

 tinued. The pure earths will not vitiify by heat, but many 

 firthy admixtures readily will ; and as moft lime-floncs con- 

 tain fome portion of otlier earlhs, they may, under thefe 

 circumllances, vitrify, ar.d form a coaling over the furface 

 T)f the lumps, which will defend thera from the aftion of 

 water, and thus prevent their flaking or folution ; fo that 

 lime may thus be over-burnt. The pieces of (tone ufed for 

 burning fhould be as nearly as pollible of equal fize. If 

 half i'3 weight of water be poured upon lime, it fwells and 

 f al s into a white powder, much heat is evolved, p.irt of the 

 water rifes m llcam, and part con.bines with the lime ; this 

 is called llakcd lime, and in this ftate carbonic acid from the 

 air cafily attaches to it. When perfectly dry it may be 

 kept in bottles far any lenglli of lime without alteration ; 

 but to obviate any ch.ice of its being impure from the 

 above caufe, it is Xifual to diredl its being employed newly 

 prepared. Lime newly (lakcd, and to which more water 

 is added, ought not to effervefce on the addition of an 

 scid. 



L I M 



Lime is much ufed by tanners, /kinners, &c. in thepe. 

 paration of their leather ; by foap-boilcrs for diffolving the 

 oil, and facilitating its union with the alkahne fait ; and by 

 fugar-bdkers for refining their fugar. 



It is alfo of fome medicinal ufe ; being appKed externally 

 in deficcative and epnlotic medicines. 



It is ufed alfo as a depilatory ; and has been fometimes 

 made into an unguent with lioney for rheumatic and other 

 obilinate fixed pains of the joints or limbs : this unguent 

 JG much commended by Fuller, who obferves, that it is 

 almoft cauftic. As an abforbent earth, it is anti-acid, and 

 capable of abforbing the acid matters which are produced 

 in digeftion from the weaknefs of the llomach, in difeafes 

 proceeding from a fpontaneous acid, fo well defcribed by 

 Boerhaave. It is the fitter in ihefe difeafes, which are com- 

 monly the effeft of the inaftivity and weaknefs of the fibres, 

 as it poffeffefs a tonic quality, which other abforbent earths 

 have not. Befides, perfons afflicted with tl.eie difeafes are 

 fubjeft to much wind, which is, perhaps, nothing elfe but 

 gas ; and quick lime is very capable of abf.rbing that fli-id. 

 As quick-lime is alfo drying, a little caullic, and confe- 

 quertly cicntriOng, it may contribute to cure certain ulcers, 

 efpecially thofe of the foft parts. Accordingly, fevcral 

 able phyficians have preicribed it fuccefsfully tor internal 

 fuppuration?, and in the plithifis pulmonalis. Moreover, 

 the property which quick-lime has of attenuating vifcid 

 matters, and of decompofing ammoniacal inks, has been ad- 

 vantageoufly applied to diffolve flones in the bladder and 

 kidnies. But the befl method of adminiilering quick-lime 

 internally has been thought to be by giving the lime-water ; 

 becaufe this water is fuppofed to polfcls all the medicinal 

 virtues of quick-lime, and bccaufe the earthy partielea are 

 thus reduced to the greateft finenefs, and are, confequeiitly 

 fufceptible of the molt perfect diftribution. However, this 

 Ihould be adminillered with great caution, and much diluted ; 

 and, after all, it is doubted, whether the lime-water, thus 

 diluted, has all the medical quahties which might be ex- 

 pefted from quick-lime. Macquer. 



LlMK, Carbunat of, a term applied to lime when flaked 

 or in ihc ftate of hme-ftone : when thus faturated it is in the 

 leaft aftive condition. See hiymJIaiK. 



Lime, Cream of. See Ckk.\.m. 



Lime Efflle, that which has been flaked by the air and 

 moiilurc ot the atmofphere after long expofure. 



L.ime-Gj//s, in Natural Hiflory, ?i fort of galls or vege- 

 table protuberances, formed on the edges of the leaves of 

 the lime-tree in fpriiig time ; they are very common in the 

 plantations of limes, and are irregularly (haped, but ufuaiiy 

 oblong and rugged, and of a reddifh colour ; they occupy 

 only the edges of the leaves, and are of a red colour, fome- 

 times very beautiful. As thefe are very plemiful, M. 

 Reaumur was of opinion, that ihey might be of fervice in 

 the dyeing trade ; he made trial by rubbing them on fome 

 parts of his linen, and found that they gave a very beautiful 

 red colour, which did not come cut in the firlt wafliings 

 afterwards. It is extremely probable, tliat there wants only 

 inquiry to prove that we have many valuable productions 

 of this kind, which, though difregarded at preient, might 

 prove of great ufe in the fcveral mechanical arts as well as 

 in medicine. 



Thefe galls of the lime-leaves are ftiimed by a worm, w hich 

 inli.ibils them during its term of life, being found in ihcm 

 of all fi7.es, from the mofl minute to that of the full growth, 

 which is about half an inch in length ; but when Us period 

 of life, as a worm, draws near, it defcrts this habitation, 

 and goes elfewhert to pafs into its tliryfalis ftate. See 



G.VJLLS. 



LiMK 



