Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 12.djvu/844

* MALTESE. 752 MAITZAN. bluish-giay color. (See Cat, paragiaph Domestic Cat.) The dog is supposed to have originated in Malta. MALTESE CROSS. A cross of eight points, of the form worn as a decoration by the Hospital- ers and other orders of knighthood. See illustra- tions to Heraldry. MAL'THA (Lat., from Gk. /idWa, mixture of wax Hiiil pitch for calking ships). A name orig- inally applied to a mineral fat from I'Cirwan. resonil)ling wa, and probably composed of parallin. The name is now applied to the semisolid or viscous varieties of bitumen. It is of black color, with a specific gravity of 1 or a little less. Mineral tar is a popular name for it. Maltha resembles petroleum in composition, but differs from it in containing a smaller percentage of the lighter oils. Indeed, it may at times liave been formed by the oxidation and evaporation of petroleum on exposure to the air. In the I'nited States it is found in California, where it oozes from the rocks in certain localities. See UlTt MEN ; -VSPIIAI.T. MALTHTIS, mal'thus, Tiioma.s Robert (170fi- 18.'!4). An Knglish economist. He was educated by private tutors at his home, at a small .acad- emy at "arrington, and at Cambridge, where he received the degree of B.A. in 17S8. The fol- lowing years he devoted to the study of physical science, with, however, a growing interest in so- cial problems. In 17!)1 he received the degree of .... and in ITO.'J a fellowshi]i in his college, and tiMik a curacy near Albury. The publicniion of William (Jodwin's Eixiuircr, which argiu'd fur a rc<'onstnietion of society on a basis of equal dis- tribution of goods, inspired Jlaltbus to a study of population, the fruit of which was the Essay on the Principle of I'opiilalion as It Affects the Future Improvement of Hociety (17!18), which was published anonymously. The main thesis of this work was that jiopulation in all times ha.s tq^ded to outgrow subsistence. The means of subsistejice, Malthus argued, might increase in arithmetical progression; luit population tended to increase in a geometrical ratio. Accordingly there could be no permanent amelioration of the lot of the lower classes; a redistribution of wealth might bring them plenty for a time, but population would soon overtake subsistence, and would as before be kept in check by starvatiim or vice, unless checked by self-restraint. In 1803 a second edition of the Essay on Population ap- l)eared. In tliis edition AJalthus defends his proposition by a wealth of data relating to civi- lized, barbarous, and savage peoples. Here as in later editions he is more disposed to dwell upon the necessity of moral restraint as a preventive of over-population, and less inclined to regard vice and misery as the inevitable fate of the mass of humanity. The importance of this work for economic tlHiui;ht can hardly be overestimated. Before the piiblication of the Essay on Popuhilio,,. it was held even by statesmen like Pitt that increase in population is always an imqualilied advan- tage for a State. The arguments of Malthus quickly dispelled this belief, and served to direct public sentiment against a poor law that was ranidly fillinar England with paupers. In economic science (he '.Malthusian doctrine' has played an important part in every theory of wages pro- pounded since its enunciation; 'and in a widelv different department of thought — biology — the work of Maltluis has the distinction of having suggested to Darwin the inlluence of the struggle for survival upon progress. In 1805 Malthus was appointed professor of political economy at the East India Company's College at Haileybury. He entered upon his duties there in 1807 and occupied that position until his death. Of his other works, the Mature and Progress of Rent ranks high among the orig- inal contributions to political economy. In this ess.ay the 'law of diminishing returns,' afterwards identified with the name of Ricardo. is stated with great clearness. Littli^ of importance was added by his Political Economy (1820), and by his numerous economic pamphlets. No economic ^^riter has been more harshly criticised than Malthus. 'Malthusianism' still designates an attitude of hard-hearted indiffer- ence to the sufferings of the poor. Becavise of the extravagance of some of his followers, the Neo-Malthusians, vho sought to po]>ularize arti- ficial methods of checking the growth of popula- tion, Malthus has frequently been denounced as an exponent of immorality. His Essay on Pop- ulation has received numberless 'refutations,' but scientific economists are agreed that when di- vested of its too absolute form of expression, the doctrine of Malthus enunciates an indisputable truth, which cannot be ignored with impunity by any plan of social amelioration or reform. See Political Economy. BiBLioGKAPHY. The best work on Malthus is Bonar, Malthus and His Tl'orfc (New York. 188.5). For a brief analysis of his work, consult Palgrave, Dictionary of Political Economy, ar- ticle "Malthus." MALTING. See Brewing. MALTON, nial'ton. A market-town in the North Riding of Yorkshire, England, on an ele- vation on the Derwent, IS miles northeast of York (Map: England, F 2). It has foundries, agricultural implement works, and large stables and training schools for riice horses. It has a grammar school, founded in l.')4.5. and the re- mains of a priorv, founded in 1150. Population, in 1891, 4910; in 1901, 4800. Malton, called by the Romans Camulodunum, was an important Roman military station. MALT REFUSE (AS. mealf, OHG. malz, Ger. Mai::, from AS. mcltan, miltan, to melt; con- nected with Gk. /icXihiv, meldein, to liquefy, OChurch Sl.iv. mliidu. soft, and ultimately with OHG. smelzan, Ger. schmelrrn. Eng. smelt). The sprouts or radicles of germinated grain, sep- arated before the malt is used, and also the ex- hausted grain residue. The .sprouts and the brewers' grain are fed to cattle and parts of the refuse are sometimes used as fertilizers. See Brewing. MALT SPROUTS. A by-product from luew- eries, resulting in the prepamtion of malt from barley. The barley is sprouted to develop the principle of malt in the grain, and when the process has proceeded far enough it is checked, and the sprouts are broken off ;ind .sold for stock feed. The average percentage composition of malt sprouts is: Water. 10.2; ash. .5.7; protein. 23.?; fibre, 10.7; nitrogen-free extract, 48. .5 : and fat. 1 .7 per cent. MALTZAIT, mjil'tsiln. Heinrtch. Baron (1820- 74). A German traveler and ethnologist, born in