/ 
LIQ 
ground. It is used by gunners to fire the 
guns. 
LINT, I'mum, from the flax of which 
linen is made. 
In surgery, the term lint denotes the 
scrapings of linen which is used in dressing 
wounds, and is made up in various forms, 
as tents, dossils, pledgets, &c. See Sur- 
gery. 
LINUM, in botany, flax, a genus of the 
Pentandria Pentagynia class and order. 
Natural order of Gruinales. Caryophylleas, 
Jussieu. Gerania, Smith. Essential cha- 
racter : calyx five-leaved ; petals five; cap- 
sule ten-valved, ten-celled ; seeds solitary. 
There are twenty-five species. The several 
species of flax are mostly herbaceous, some 
are fruticose, or woody at bottom ; two 
are shrubby, arid one arboreous; leaves 
generally alternate; flowers solitary and 
axillary ; corolla commonly blue, sometimes 
fading to white, and in some yellow. Flax 
is found wild in many parts of Europe, in 
corn fields ; in England it is, perhaps, 
doubtful whether it be aboriginal. It is 
common in the western eounties, not only 
in cornfields, but in pastures and on 
downs. 
LION. See Felis. 
LIONCELLES, in heraldry, a term used 
for several lions borne in the same coat of 
arms. 
LIP, hare, a disorder in which the upper 
lip is in a manner slit or divided, so as to 
resemble the upper lip of a hare, whence 
the name. 
LIPARIA, in botany, a genus of the 
Diadelphia Djecandria class and order. 
Natural order of Papilionaceae, or Legumi- 
nosas. Essential character; calyx five-eleft, 
with the lowest segment elongated; corolla 
wings two-lobed below ; stamina the larger, 
with three shorter teeth ; legume ovate. 
There are five species, natives of the Cape 
of Good Hope. 
LIPPIA, in botany, so named from Au- 
gustine Lippi, a genus of the Didynamia 
Gynniospermia class and order. Natural 
order of Stellate. Vitices, Jussieu. Essen- 
tial character : calyx four-toothed, roundish, 
upright, compressed, membranaceous; cap- 
sule one-celled, two-valved, two-seeded, 
straight ; seed one, two-celled. There are 
five species. 
LIQUID. Fluids have been divided into 
two classes ; viz. those which are elastic, 
and the non-elastic, or those which do not 
sensibly diminish in bulk when subjected to 
pressure. The first class are airs or gases, 
LIQ 
the second liquids : hence we may define a 
liquid to be a fluid not sensibly elastic, the 
parts of which yield to the smallest impres- 
sion, and move on each other. M hen liquid 
bodies are mixed together, they act in 
various ways according to the nature of the 
substances employed. Some dissolve each 
other in any proportion, as in the case with 
most gases when mixed ; some unite jn 
determinate proportions ; some do not act 
sensibly upon each other, separating again, 
tliough mixed ever so carefully ; and some 
decompose each other. 
LIQUIDAMBER, in botany, a genus of 
the Monoecia Polyandria class and order. 
Natural order of Coniferas. Amentaceas, 
Jiijsieu. Essential character: male, calyx 
common, four-leaved ; corolla none ; fila- 
ments numerous : female, calyx in a globe, 
four-leaved; corolla none; styles two; cap- 
sules many in a globe, two-valved, many- 
seeded. There are two species, viz. L. 
styraciflua, maple-leaved liquidamber, or 
sw'eet gum ; and L. imberbe, oriential liquid- 
amber ; the trupk of the former is usually 
two feet in diameter, straight, and free 
from branches, to the height of fifteen feet ; 
whence the branches spread and rise in a 
conic form forty feet from the ground. The 
leaves are shaped like those of the lesser 
maple, of a dark green colour, their upper 
surfaces shining; a sweet glutinous sub- 
stance e.xudes through their pores in warm 
weather, which renders them clammy to 
the touch ; in February, before the leaves 
are formed, the blossoms break forth from 
the tops of the branches into spikes of yel- 
lowish red pappose globular flowers which 
swell gradually, retaining their round form 
to the full maturity of their seed vessels, 
which are thick set with pointed hollow 
protuberances, and splitting open discharge 
their seeds. The wood of this tree is 
good timber, and is used in wainscotting, 
&c. ; the grain is fine, some of it is beauti- 
fully variegated. When wrought too green 
it is apt to shrink. From between the w'ood 
and the bark issues a fragrant gum, which 
trickles from the wounded trees, and by 
the heat of the sun congeals into transpa- 
rent drops, which the Indians chew as a 
preservative to their teeth ; it smells very 
much like Balsam of Tolu, so that it is diffi- 
cult to distinguish them. The bark is of sin- 
gular use to the Indians for covering their 
huts. Native of North America. 
LIQUOR of flints. Alkalies have a 
powerful action on silica : they combine in 
different proportions : two or tluee parts of 
■ • rr'firh 
