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containing a Lid of the Ecclefiaftics j the other of the Poor fubfiflcd at the Expencc of the Church. The Word Matricula was alfo applied to a kind of Alms-houfc, where the Poor were provided fur. It had certain Re- venues appropriated to ir, and was ufually built near the Church; whence the Name was alfo frequent' v eiven to the Church itfelf. 1 "' °

MATRIX, or Matrice, any thing ferving for the place of Generation of a Body : whether Organical, as the Matrix or Womb of Female Animals, for the Production of the Species ; or Inorganical, as thofe of Vegetables, Metals, and Minerals.

Matrix, in Anatomy, the Uterus, or Womb ; or that part of the Female of any Kind, wherein the Ttctus is conceived and nourifhed till the Time of its Delivery. In Women, it is fituated in the Fehis, or Capacity of the J-ly- fagafirium, between the Urinary Bladder and the lntelti- nutn RcBtim, and reaches as far as the Flanks. It is fur- rounded and defended by mighty Bones ; before, by the Os Puliis; behind, by the Sacrum ; on each fide, by the Ilium and Ifehium. It is in figure fomewhat like a flat Flask, or dried Pear. In Women with Child, it ex- pands and receives different Forms, according to the dif- ferent Times and Circumflances of Geflation. It has fe- veral Coats, Arteries, Veins, Nerves, and Ligaments, and is interwoven with feveral different Kinds of Fibres: Ana- tomifts divide it into the Fundus and Cervix ; a broad Parr, and a Neck. It is in Extent, from the Extremity of the one to that of the other, about three Inches in Length ; its Breadth at the Fundus is about two and a half, and its Thicknefs two. It has but one Cavity, unlefs we diftin- guifli between the Cavity of the Uterus, and that of its Neck. That of the Cervix is very fmall, fcarce fufficienr to contain a Garden-Bean. At the Bottom or Neck, to- wards the Fundus, it grows very narrow in Virgins ; the Ex- tremity of it is call'd the Ofculxm Internum : In pregnant Women it opens, more efpecially towards the Time of Delivery. The other and lower Orifice of the Neck, towards the Vagina, called Ofculum Externum, is a little prominent, refembling, in fome meafure, the Glands of the Virile Organ. The Subflance of the Matrix is mem- branous and carnous. It confifls of three Tunics 5 or, ac- cording to fome, who deny that Name to tho middle Sub- fiance, of two only. The external Tunic, call'd alfo the Communis, is derived from the Peritoneum, and confifls of two LameBx ; the exterior of which is pretty fmooth, the interior rugged and uneven : This Membrane inverts the whole Matrix, and connects it to the right Inteftine, Bladder, fife. The middle Tunic is very thick, and com- pofed of flrong Fibres varioufly difpofed. Some think it contributes to the exclufion of the Rous ; tho' others ima- gine, it ferves only to recover theTone, after any violent Di- ftenfion. The inner Tunic is nervous. The Matrix is con- neflcd by its Neck to the Vagina ; behind, by its outward common Membrane, and before by the fame to the Bladder. Its Sides are tied to other Parts ; but the Fun- dus is left loofe, that it may expand and dilate more free- ly. Its Ligaments are four, two of which are called Iroad, and two round, from their Figute. The broad* Ligaments are membranous, loofe, and' foft ; whence they have been compared by fome to the Wings of Bats, and called JlU Veffertilionum. The round Ligaments are of a firmer Texture, and confift of a double Membrane, wrap- ped up in its Arteties, Veins, Nerves, and Lympha-'ducts. The Blood- Veffels, both in thefe and the round Liga- ments, make a great part of what is called their Sub- flance: Thefe, as well as the others, ferve to keep the Womb in its right Pofition ; and are very liable to be injured by unskilful Midwivcs. On each Side of the Fun- dus of the Womb, arifes a Duct, which opens into the Womb with a fmall Orifice, but in its Progrefs enlarges, and towards the End is contracted again : At the End next the CWio, which is at liberty, it expands again into a kind of Foliage fringed round ; which Expanflon Folic - fius, the firft Difcoverer, imagined like the End of a Trumpet ; whence he called the whole Duft, Tuba. It confifls of a double Membrane. Both Veins and Arteries are very numerous here, efpecially the latter, which, by various Ramifications and Contortions, make the main Subflance of them. Dr. Wharton gives them Valves, but the other Anatomifts difallow it. See Fallopian Tube Vespertilionum Al;e, l£c. l£c.

The antient Greeks call'd the Matrix f^ T&, from 'uirvf Mother : Whence, Diforders of the Womb are frequently call'd Fits of the Mother. They alfo call'd it in &, as oe _ ing the laft of the Entrails, by its Situation. They alfo call'd it pwjf, or Natura ; and Vulm, from who, to fold or envelof, or Valm, a Door. Flan and Pythagoras took it for a diflinfl Animal within another. F. Mgineta ob- ferves, that the Matrix may be taken away from a Wo- man, without her Death ; and there have been Inflances of People, who have lived a long time after the Lofs of

the Matrixi Rlafis and Farxus obferve, that fome Perrons have been cured of Difeafes, by having the Matrix extir- pated. In s66i>, a Child was produced at the French Aca- demy, which had been conceived out of rhe Matrix, and which neverthelefs had grown to the Length of fix Inches. See Embryo, Foetus, £5c

Matrix's are alfo ufed to fignify Places proper for the Generation of Vegetables, Minerals, and Metals. Thus the Earth is the Matrix wherein Seeds fprout ; Mar- caffuesare the Matrix's of Metals. See Fossil, Mine- ral, ££c.

Matrix is alfo ufed, tho' figuratively, for feveral Things, wnerein there feems to he effected a kind of Ge- neration ; and where certain Things feems to acquire a new Being, or at leal! a new Manner of Being : of this kind are the Moulds wherein the Printers Types or Let- ters arecafl, and thofe ufed in linking Money and Medals, call'd alfo Coins. SeeMATiucE.

MATRON, among the Romans, fignify'd a married Woman, and the Mother of a Family. There was, how- ever, fome difference between Natrona and Mater-familias. Serums fays, that fome imagined the Difference to lie in this, That Matrmta was a Woman who had one Child, and M.iter-familias fhe that had feveral. But others, par- ticularly Aulas Geilius, take the Name Mattom to belong to a married Woman, whether (he had any Children or no ; the Hope and Expectation of having them, being enough to warrant the Title of Mother, Matrona : and for which reafon it is, that Marriage is called Matrimony. This Opi- nion is fupported by slulus Geilius and Nonius.

MATRONALIA, Feafts of the Roman Ladies, or ra- ther Matrons, celebrated on the Calends of March, in ho- nour of the God Mars. No Men living in Celibate, were allow'd to affiit at the Feaft. The Word comes from the Latin Matroaa.

MATROSSES, are Soldiers in the Train of Artillery, next below the Gunners ; their Duty is to afftfl the Gun- ners in travelling, fpunging, loading, and firing of Guns, (sic. They carry Fire-Locks, and march along with the Store- Waggons.

MATT ADORE, fee Ombre.

MATTER, or Body, an extended, folid, divifible, moveable and paffive Subflance, the firll Principle of all natural Things, from the various Arrangements and Com- binations whereof, all natutal Things are formed. Jriftotle makes three Principles, Matter, Form, and Privation: Which laft the Cartejians throw out of the number - and others, the two laft. See Principle.

The Properties of Matter we are pretty well acquainted with, and can reafon about its Divifibility, Solidity, i$c. fee Divisibility, £jV. Butthe Effence thereof, ur the Subject wherein thefe Properties refide, or their Subjiratum is fell a Myflery. Ariftctk fpeaks very darkly on the Subjeft, defining Matter to be nee quid, nee quantum, nee quale, nor any certain or determinate Thing at all ; which many of his Followers interpret fo, as to believe, that Matter does not at all exift. See Body.

The Cartejians make the Effence of Matter to con- fift in its Extenfion; arguing, that fincc the Properties above-mention'd are all that are effential to Matter, fome of them muft conftitute its Effence: and fincc Extenfion is conceived prior ro all the reft, and is that, without which none of the reft can be conceived, Extenfion is that which constitutes the Effence of Matter. But the Conclu- fion, here, is unjuft ; for on this Principle, the Exinence of Muter, according to Dr. Clark, would have the fairett Ti- tle to conflituteits Effence, the -A exijteie being conceived prior to all Properties, and even to Extenfion. Since then the Word Extenfion appears ro go further, and to be more general than Matter 5 that impenetrable Solidity, which is effential to all Matter, and to Matter alone, and from which all its Properties manifeftly flow, may, with more Propri- ety, be coll d the Effence of Matter. See Essence.

Again, if Extenfion were the Effence of Matter and fo Matter and Space the fame thing ; it would follow, that Matter is infinite and eternal, that it is a neceffary Being and could neither be created nor annihilated ; which is abfurd. Befides that, it appears both from the Nature of Gravity, the Motions of Comets, the Vibrations of Pen- dulums, &c. that Space is not Matter : and therefore 'tis not Extenfion ; but folid, impenetrable Extenfion which has a 1 ower of refilling, that conftitutes Matter. See Vacuum and Extension.

Many among the old Philofophers maintain'd the Eter- nity of Matter, out of which they fuppofed all things to be formed by the hands of Nature ; as being unable to conceive how any thing mould be formed out of no- thing. Plato maintain'd, that Matter had exifted eter- nally, and concurred with God in the Produflion of all things, as a paffive Principle, or a kind of collateral Caufe. See Eternity..

Matter