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load-done and touch-ftone were, at times, called lydius and heraclius lapis ; but Salmafius confutes him on this occafion, and declares, that the load-ftone never was called by the latter of thefe names : in this, however, that great critic errs ; and Pliny, however often wrong, is there right ; the antient Greeks having called it fo, as appears from Theo- phraftus, &c. i£7/'s Theophr. p. in. The true lapis lydius, or touch-ftone, was antiently found onlv in the river Tmolus, but afterwards it was difcovered in many other places, and is now very common in many of the rivers of Germany. The antients give us very re- markable and circumftantial accounts of the ufes they made of it, and it is plain they were able to difcern the alloys in gold, by means of it, With a very great exaSnefs. We at prefent ufe feveral different ftones under this name, and for the fame purpofe ; in Italy a green marble, called ver- dello, is what is moft frequently ufed ; and with us, very frequently, fmall pieces of the bafaltes, the fame with that vaft mafs of black marble, called the giant's caufeway in Ireland. See Basaltes and Giant's caufeway.
LYGDINUM iwrmor, in the natural hiftory of the antients, the name of a fort of alabafter, which may properly be di- ftinguifhed by the name of the white kind. It is a very elegant and beautiful ftone, of a whitenefs greatly fuperior both to the Parian marble fo famed of old, and to the carrara of the moderns ; and in fplendor greatly furpafiing all the marble clafs. It is of a loofc, rough, and mattery texture ; and when broken, is feen to be compofed of a multitude of broad, flat, and large particles, of a very bright, and perfectly white marble fpar. It is always found pure and free from veins, and is moderately hard in the mafs, but cafily crumbles in fmall pieces ; it is however ealily cut, and takes a very high and elegant polifli. It is found in immenfe ftrata in Aigyp_t and Arabia, and is not uncommon in Italy. It is feldom found in large blocks, the ftrata being from the nature of the ftone fubjefi to very fre- quent perpendicular fifl'ures. And the antients give us the fame account of it, and ufed it for making vafes and other ornamental furniture. Hill's Hift. of Foff. p. 490.
LYGDUS lapis, in natural hiftory, a name given by fome of the antients to the fpecies of alabafter, which others of them called manner lygdinum, by which name it was moft ufually known. See Lygdinum marmor.
LYGON, in botany. See Agnus cajius.
LYGUS, in botany, is ufed for agnus cajius. Lemeri Tr. des Drog. p. 19. See Agnus cajius.
hYUSiG-in-zi'omen. The diforders that attend lying-in-women are principally thefe. The fuppreffion, or immoderate flux of the lochia; the manner of curing which, fee under the ar- ticle Lochia. Inflammatory fevers are too common in thefe cafes, and ufually arife either from a retention of part of the fecundities, a fuppreflion of the lochia, or taking cold ; or finally, from violent pafiions of the mind, fuch as anger, fear, joy, or the like. Thefe fevers very often prove fatal, if not carefully treated. The beft method in them, is to give the faliue medicines joined to the abforbents, partly faturated with acids, and the ufual attemperating powders of nitre, and the like. The difcuflion of the caufe is at the fame time to be attempted by the mild alexipharmics, amon^ which the cortex elutherii holds a principal place, and during the ufe of thefe, the patient is to be kept in a gentle breath- ing fweat, during the courfe of the cure ; the bowels muft alio be kept gently open, by means of mildfuppofitories, emol- lient gljrfters, or the gentle laxative medicines in fmall dofes. The miliary fever often alfo attends lying-in-women, the me- thod of cure in which fee under the articlePuRPUREAycA?-/*, and not unfrequently they fall into the fehris papillaris, di- ftinguifhed" from the other by the broadnefs of the fpots. This ufually goes off by the ufe of attemperating and abfor- bent medicines, and a gently diaphoretic regimen; and finally, after about fourteen days, it is proper to carry off the remaining fordes by fome gentle dofes of rhubarb. A bilious diarrhoea is often alfo a complaint at thefe times. This is eafily brought on by violent pafiions, or by drinking cold liquors, or fuch as are faeculent and fermenting ; and fometimes it fucceeds a natural fuppreffion of a flux of blood. This often proves a very terrible and fatal fymptom, being attended with violent pains, and an inflammation of the in- teftines, attended with an inflammatory fever, efpecially when it continues longer than three or four days. In cafe of this fymptom the method is to give abforbent powders, fuch as mother of pearl and the like ; and after the matter has been corrected by this, and the other teftaceous powders, as coral and crabs eyes, the bitter extracts of gentian, C3Y. are to be given to ftrengthen the parts, and in the intermediate days fmall dofes of rhubarb, and if it be neceffary of opiates, or other anodynes carefully corrected. Aftringents and an improper ufe of opium are very dangerous, and it is always proper to drink a large quantity of warm diluting liquors : if it be found neceffary to give nitre, it muft be mixed in fmall quantities with thefe liquors.
Flatulencies are alfo very common to women in child-bed, from improper difcharges of the lochia ; thefe arc cured by giving internally the common abforbents with calx I 3 I
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of antimony, oil of fwect almonds, anifated fpirrt of fal armoniac, eflence of orange peel ; and, in people of hot habits, nitrous medicines, and the fpiritus nitri dulcis^ with carminative broths, with a fmall quantity of lafYron boiled in them.
After Pains are the greater!: of all the complaints of lying- v2-tuamen, and withal the moft common ; thefe^bmctimes arife from difficult labour ; fometimes from fome part of the fecundities being left, or from blood coagulated in the ute- rus j they alfo frequently arife from the improper evacuation of the lochia, whether they be too much, or too little in the quanjjty ; alfo from cold ; from heglecting the proper bind- ing or ligature of the abdomen after delivery j and finally, from the infant's fucking too violently while the mother is weak.
Thefe pains are greatly mitigated by the carminative, aro- matic and nervous medicines; fucli are the tincture of orange peels, zedoary, angelica root, and camomile flowers. Caftor is to be particularly avoided in this cafe. Candied nutmegs are a very good medicine in it, and carminative broths i with the diftilled waters of penny royal, baum, cin- namon, and the like. Externally fomentations may be ufed at the fame time, made of decoctions of rofemary, mint, elder flowers, and bay berries ; and the common carmina- tive clyfters are often of the utmoft fervice ; and finally, the carminative oils, as that of caraway, and the like, may be rubbed on the pit of the ftomach.
Thefe pains feldom happen to women in their firfl lying in ; but they are not wholly exempt from them, for Angular inftances happen of their violence in thofe cafes Sivelling of the belly. This is another very common com- plaint with women after their lying in ; and ufually is owing to the neglecting the proper ligatures about the abdomen after delivery. The cure for this is to be found in carmina- tives and refolvents, which firft of all cleanfe the womb from all its foulneiTes, and afterwards reftore it to its due tone. Bryony and hellebore roots in various forms, as alfo the leaves of betony, origanum and chervil ferve to this pur- pofe ; and Stahl's or Becker's pills are of the moft lingular fervice, but all thefe things are to be ufed for fome time. Szvelling of the pudenda. This is a fymptom that ufually takes its rife from difficult delivery ; and befide the pain, and other inconveniences attending it, ufually brings on a dyfury. The proper remedies are ointments of elder and of marftimallows, with the camphorated white ointment, com- monly called by the good women fimply unguentum. Bags of camomile flowers, with linfeed, and a little camphor, boiled in milk, and then lightly fqueezed, are alfo of great fervice. When the dyfury continues after the fwelling is taken down, it is then to be treated in the common way. When there is any actual wound in the parts, the liquor of myrrh, or oil of eggs, and other balfams are to be ufed, but all fatty fubftances are to be carefully avoided, as they ufually occafion tumors. Proper treatment of lying-in-women. As foon as ever they are delivered, they are to be put immediately into a warm bed, and the belly wound round with a broad fwathe or roller ; they are then to be kept with the utmoft care from external cold 5 for the fweats, on the one hand, and the lochia on the other, make them extremely fufceptible of mifchief that way ; and the confequence is a fuppreflion of the lochia with fevers of a very dangerous kind, tumors of the abdomen, and many other terrible complaints. They are then to be kept extremely quiet, and if they are not in danger of fainting they are to be fuftered to fleep as foon as pofliblc ; but if there be any fufpicion of fainting, they muft be kept awake three or four hours after delivery. Their ftrength is then to be reftored by broths of tender meats, as chicken, or the like, and by caudles. And the ufe of jellies, as of hartihorn, and the like, is to be freely indulged. After the fourth day, when the painful bufinefs of the milk is over, they may be indulged with good wine, drank alone, in moderate quantities. The heat of the room is to be all the time preferved as equally as may be ; and they are to be allowed to drink as much warm liquors as they pleafe, but they muft not touch any cold ones. The feveral excretions are carefully to be regarded, and efpecially the lochia. Great care muft be taken that this difcharge is not rendered too great by means of hot medicines, or a too hot regimen, nor fupprefled by a cold regimen, or by the cold air. A gentle fweathig is to be encouraged, and pro- moted during the whole time ; and even, if this become very confidcrablc, in people of corpulent habits, it is not to be checked. Coftivenefs, during the two or three firft: days, is not to be regarded, for the vital principle is at that time fo much engaged in the fecretions oi the lochia and milk, that it is no wonder if the bowels are lefs ftimulated. No means are to be ufed to irritate the bowels in this time, nor lhould the ftomach be loaded with folid foods. After thefe firft days are over, if the coftivenefs remains, it is proper to give glyfters at times, to make the patient take lubricating foods, and now and then fwallow a little oil of fweet al- monds. All pafiions of the mind are to be avoided in the moft careful manner, and all occailons of them kept from
the
