Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Supplement, Volume 2.djvu/38

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uelkate and expreffive ftrokes : Whereas wax' does not hurt the fincit Medal in the lcaft degree ; and though a brittle fubftance, yet it effectually refills the force of a downright preflure. .

Red feems the beft colouring, and therefore black wax is di- rected to be ufed ; but if the pictures are chofen in black and white, to refernble copper plates, the wax fhould be red ; for the wax and paint ought to be of different colours, in order to eBftinguifh when the colour is laid on properly, or rightly cleared away.

The fubftance of Medals, being metalline, is liable to be corroded; and the figures being raifed, are alfo liable to be effaced by friction. Hence it is rare to find any perfectly preferved. Gems are not fubject to thefe inconveniencies. See the article Gem.

MEDEA, the name of a ftone defcribed by Pliny and the an- tients. They fay it was black, and was variegated with gold-coloured veins, and that, when rubbed in water, it yielded a yellowifh red juice, which had the flavour of wine. We know no ftone at prefent anfwering thefe characters. Rulandus, indeed, mentions a kind of black haematites, s or blood-ftone, which tinges water to a faffron colour. This account he takes from Encelius; but this wants the much greater character, of giving it the tafte of wine.

MEDENA, a word ufed by Paracelfus to exprefs an inveterate kind of ulcer,

MEDEOLA, in botany, the name given by Linnseus to a ge- nus of plants, called falja by other authors. The characters are thefe : There is no cup*, but fome have erroneoufly taken the flower for a cup, and have defcribed it under this name, and allowed no flower. The flower confifts of fcveral petals, of an oblong oval figure, equal in fize, and ftanding ex- panded, with their ends often bent backwards. The ftami- na are fix fubulated filaments, of the length of the flower. The antherse are incumbent. The piftil has three cornicu- lated germina. The ftyles are of the fame number, one ter- minating each gerrnen. The ftigmata are thick and crooked. The fruit is a roundifh berry, dividing into three parts, and containing three cells. The feeds are Angle, and of a cor- dated form. Limicsi Gen. Plant, p. 154.

MEDIALE, in botany, a name given by the anrients to the central part of any tree. It is fometimes ufed to fignify the ipungy pith thatfils up the young branches of a tree, as in the elder, and the like. And fometimes for the firm and hard fubftance, called the heart of the wood, and found to be much harder than any other part of it. Thus the name of tree, to which the word Mediate is annexed, muft be the means of explaining what is meant by the word, whether a fpongy pith, or a found and hard wood. The moft accurate writers, however, make a diftinction which ought to be kept up, that is, the calling the heart, or found internal part of wood, only Mcdiale, and the fpungy part within the elder, &e. Medulla,

MEDIANTE, in mufic, the Mediant of a mode is that note which is a third higher than the final ; or that which divides the fifth of every authentic mode into two thirds. See the articles Mode and Third.

This term is chiefly in ufe among the French. See Brojfard, Diet. Muf.

MEDIATORS of Shteftions, in our old writers, were fix per- fons authorized by ftatute, who, upon any queftion arifing among merchants, relating to any unmercable wool, or un- due packing, csV. might, before the mayor, or officers of the ftaple, upon their oath, certify and fettle the fame ; to whole order and determination therein, the parties concerned were to give entire credence, and fubmit. 27 Edw. 3. Stat. 2. c. 24. Blount.

Mediators, Mfc-a^o&r, under the emperors of Conftantino- ple, officers of ftate who had the direction of all affairs trans- acted at court. - Their chief, or prefident, was called ?negas mefazon, Mvyce; pzo-afyv, and anfwered to the prime or grand vifier of the Turks. Hsfm. Lex, in voc.

MEDICA, Lucerne, in botany, the name of a genus of plants, the characters of which are thefe : The flower is of the papi- lionaceous kind, and its piftil, which arifes from its cup, be- comes finally a feed-vefiel, of thefhape of a fnail, containing ufually kidney-fhaped feeds.

The fpecies of Medica, enumerated by Mr. Tournefort, are thefe: 1. The great upright Medica, with purple flowers. 2- The great upright Medial, with violet-coloured flowers. 3. The great upright Medica, with yellow flowers. 4. The great upright Medica, with variegated flowers of violet co- colour and yellow, 5. The wild Medica, with faffron-co- loured flowers. 6. The wild Medica, with pale yellow flowers. 7. The wild Mcdica, with bluifh green flowers.

8. The fmall wild Medica, with blue and yellow flowers.

9. The fea Medica. 10. The Medica, with broad fcutel- lated fruit. 11. The Medica with orbiculated fruit. 12. THe'Me&itra with fmooth leaves, marked with black fpots, and with echinated fruit. 1 3. The echinated-fruited Medica, with fmooth leaves, without the black fpots. 14. The great Medica, with turbinated fruit. 15. The hairy Medica, with very rigidly echinated fruit. 16. The hairy echinated Me- dica. j j. The fmalleft echinated Medica. 18. The little

MED

coronated Medica. 19. The many fruited Medica, with obtufe,. and not crenated leaves. 20. The many-fruited Me- dica, with obtufe crenated leaves. 21. The prickly two- fruited fnail Medica, with elegantly divided leaves. 22. The perennial Medica, with the ciliary fruit. 23. The perennial fhrub Medica, with orbiculated fruit. 24. The many- fruited orbicular-headed Medica, with a fmaller fruit. 25. The orbiculated Medica, with a broad fruit, with a fingle voluta. 26. The fmaller orbiculated prickly Medica, with a fingle large voluta. 27. The elegant orbiculated Medica^ with the fruit rugofe at the edges. 28. The barrel-fruited Medica, with the circles of the fruit wrinkled on each fide, and turning black with age. 29. The larger and fmaller fmooth Medica, with the turned fruit. 30. The elegant Medica of Catalonia. 31. The prickly cochleated Mcdica y with large echinated fruit, turbinated at each end, and armed with (pines turning backwards. 32. The Medica with the leaves and feeds of the heart-leav'd Medica, and with harder fruit. 33. The large double-fruited prickly barrel-headed Medica. 34. The two-fruited prickly Medica, with oval fruit, and Ihort rigid fpines. 35. The many-fruited prickly barrel-headed Medica, 36. The leaft, hairy and prickly barrel -fruited Medica. 37. The great prickly fea Medica. 38. The Medica with lax fruit, of the fmall echinated kind, but with prickles not ftanding out, 39. The foft and hoary- leav'd hop Medica, with heart -fafhion'd feeds. 40. The great fruited Medica, with the prickles of the head turning both upward and downward. 41. The Medica with a large fruit, with the prickles turning all Upwards. 'Toitrn. Lift, p. 413. See the article Lucerne.

Malus Me&ica, in botany, a name given by fome authors to the citron tree. Ger. Herb. 1287.

MEDICAL Stones. See the article Stone.

MEDIC AGO, in botany, the name of a genus of plants, the characters of which are thefe : The flower is of the papiliona- ceous kind, and its piftil, which arifes from the cup, finally becomes a plain orbiculated fruit, of a fort of falcated ftiape, and containing one kidney-fhap'd feed.

The fpecies of Medicago, enumerated by Mr. Tournefort, arc thefe: 1. The annual trefoil-like Medicago. 2. The Spanifh Medicago, with the appearance of the kidney vetch. 3. The cretic Medicago, with the appearance of the kidney- vetch. And 4. The hoary trifoliate Ihrubby Medicago, com- monly called the Cytifus with crooked pods. Tourn. Inft„ p. 412.

MEDICINES (Cycl.) — By Medicines is meant whatever corrects a depraved or vitiated conftitution of body, and reftores it to a heathful ftate : So that they differ from aliments, which preferve the body in a found ftate, whereas Medicines reftore it when impaired ; and from poifons, which tend to deftroy the body. All the parts of diet may indeed be termed alimen- tary Medicines, in as much as they may ferve to confirm health, againft the firft approaches of a difeafe ; as poifons, which are always detrimental to the body, have been called deleterious Medicines.

Medicines are either fimple, or compound : Simple Medicines are thofe which are formed fpontancoufly, or by the affiftance of nature alone ; and thofe are called compound, which are owing to the art and induftry of men ; and to the mixtures of various fimples put together.

The principal differences of fimple Medicines are taken either from their form and texture, orfrom their virtues. In refpect to their texture, they -are divided into minerals, vegetables, and animals ; each of which divifions is termed a clafs, king- dom, or family.

In what the antients have left us concerning the Medicines they ufed, there is the utmoft confufion and obfeurity ; the fame fubftance is frequently called by many different names ; fome Medicines are barely mentioned by them, without any account of their nature or defcription j and in regard to many others, the virtues afcribed by them to one fimple, have been, by later writers, attributed to others. To clear up, and fet right all thofe difficulties, at this time, would be a talk as difficult as it would be ufeful. So great and fo many virtues are afcribed, by different authors, to particular Mtdi- cines, that, if they could be depended on, each ought to be looked on as an almoft univerfal remedy ; but as many of thefe virtues are merely imaginary, it requires even the great- eft caution to diftinguifh the fictitious from thofe which truly belong to them ; and though the knowledge of the virtues of Medicines be at this time carried to a very great length, there are neverthelefs many things remaining yet to be difcovered, and room enough ftill to enrich the fcienee with new fpec'tfic remedies ; nor will the judicious phyfician find lefs worthy employment for his thoughts, in endeavouring to determine the manner' in which thofe Medicines act, whofe effects are already known, and to afcertain the fafeft and beft methods of adminiftrmg them. Geoffroy, Tract, p. 2. Such Medicines as are of a terreftrial, or other the like nature, and will not diflblve in water, the new Difpenfatory of the college has ordered to be prepared in the following manner : They are firft to be pounded in a mortar, and then levigated with a little water, upon a hard and fmooth marble, into an impalpable powder, and afterwards dried upon a chalk ftone, 8 and