

MVCOMELIC ACID. 



MYR08PKRMUM. 



9M 



nnliUis rousting the innovation, the subject WM laid before a council 

 asBtfnbled t Mantua, and the Spanish missal WM once more declared 

 Catholic and orthodox. Still the holy see persisted in its object. No 

 artifice or intrigue was spared ; and the court of Castillo was divided 

 into two hostile factions, one in favour of and the other against the 

 introduction of the Roman ritual. In the perplexity occasioned by 

 this dispute the two parties resolved to leave the decision to the judg- 

 ment of Ood, awl the expedient adopted to discover the divine will wax 

 this : two wild bulls were procured, the one to represent the Roman. 

 the other the Muxarabic ritual, and, in the presence of the king and 

 the court, were matched against each other. After a bloody conflict, 

 the Mttatrabic remained victor. But this result did not deter 

 Gregory VII. In 1087 the trial was repeated : a champion was chosen 

 on each side, and the decision left to the fate of arms ; but again 

 victory was in favour of the ancient liturgy. Fire was then tried, and 

 both misisln were cast into the flames ; but, if we believe the arch- 

 bishop Don Bodrigo, who was present at the ceremony, the success WM 

 still more signal ; for no sooner did the Roman volume touch the fire, 

 than it jumped out of the flames half burnt, while the Spanish re- 

 mained for a considerable time in the midst of them without receiving 

 the least injury. The object was at last gained by other means. 

 Alfonso, the renowned conqueror of Toledo, was won over to the 

 interests of Rome, and, after much trouble and difficulty, he prevailed 

 on the prelates of the kingdom to receive the universal office ; and 

 from that moment the Muzarabic, although not publicly condemned, 

 fell into disuse. There is however still a chapel in the cathedral of 

 Toledo where mass is performed every day agreeably to the Muzarabic 

 ritual. It was founded by Cardinal Ximenes de Cisneros. 



(Masdeu, Hitloria Critics, lib. ii. ; Mariana, Jfitluria General de 

 EipaXa, lib. ix., chap, xviii. ; Mittate (iuthieum itcundum. Rfgttlam 

 Jkati Iridnri Uitpatentit, Romse, 1804.) 



MVCOMKLIC ACID. Mycomclinie Add. [UBIC ACID.] 



MYELITIS. Inflammation of the substance of the spinal cord. 

 The spinal cord is liable to the same inflammatory affections as the 

 brain. [MENINGITIS ] It is covered like the brain with membranes, 

 which may be diseased independent of the substance of the cord, which 

 like the soft part of the brain may also be diseased independent of its 

 membranes. Inflammation of the cord and its membranes is a fre- 

 quent accompaniment of a similar disease on the brain. 



The membranes of the cord may be inflamed separately or together. 

 The dura mater of the cord may be inflamed on its free or its adherent 

 surface. This is sometimes the case in caries of the vertebra?. This 

 inflammation may be attended with effusion or ulceration. The spinal 

 ararh:nd and jiia mater may also be inflamed, and the same results 

 observed as in the same membranes in the brain. These membranes 

 are red and injected to a considerable extent, and serum or lymph are 

 effused according to the severity of the inflammation. 



The symptoms of inflammation of the different membranes cannot 

 be well made out. The one great characteristic of all these inflamma- 

 tions is intense pain. This pain extends along the spine, and passes 

 to the limbs, and is not unfrequently mistaken for rheumatic pain. 

 With the iiin there is a tendency to the disturbance of the] mus- 

 cular action. There may be rigidity or tetanic contraction of the 

 muscles of the back, amounting in some cases to perfect opisthotonos. 

 The muscles of the lower extremities may be affected in the same way. 

 There may be also retention of urine, priapism, and obstinate consti- 

 pation. In the commencement of the disease neither the pulse nor 

 the tongue are much affected, but as the disease advances the pulse 

 becomes rapid and the tongue brown, as the patient falls into a low 

 typhoid condition. 



The treatment in these cases should consist of opiates to alleviate 

 the patient's sufferings, and of local bleeding, and purging with neutral 

 salts. The hot bath in the acute stage, with setons, moxas, and 

 leeches in the chronic stage should be employed. Mercury is not 

 recommended. 



Inflammation of the substance of the cord occurs independent of any 

 affection of its membranes. This may also occur idiopatbically, or as 

 the result of accident. The symptoms of inflammation of the cord are 

 very varied, according to the part of its structure which, is affected. 

 Tracing the inflammation from above downwards, all or any of the 

 following symptoms may be observed. Convulsions of the muscles of 

 the head and face, difficulty of articulating, or an entire loss of voice, 

 upasm of the muscles of the jaw, difficulty in swallowing, irregular or 

 spasmodic breathing, palpitation or intermittent action of the heart, 

 constriction of the chest, dyspnoea, nausea, and vomiting, pains in the 

 bowels, sense of a cord tied round the belly, difficulty in making water, 

 retention of urine, incontinence of urine, constipation, involuntary 

 evacuations, convulsions of the voluntary muscles, and palsy. 



If the seat of the disnase is above the origin of the phrenic nerve*, 

 or the third cervical vertebra), death speedily takes place, as the 

 nervous influence is no longer transmitted to the diaphragm, and other 

 muscle* of respiration. When the injury is below the origin of the 

 phrenic nerves, or at the level of the fifth and sixth cervical vertebra, 

 the inspiration is free, but the expiration is laborious from paralysis of 

 the intercostal and abdominal muscles. The patient can yawn, but 

 cannot sneece. The upper extremities are also usually paralysed in 

 this case. If the Inflammatory affection is a little lower down, as 

 opposite the seventh cervical, the palny of the upper extremities is 



incomplete, but that of the trunk and lower extremities is complete. 

 When the lesion occurs opposite the first or second dorsal vertebra), 

 the upper extremities may not be at all paralysed, but the lower limbs 

 will be perfectly so, and the respiratory muscles are still affected ; but 

 when the lesion is in the part opposite the lumbar .vertebra, only 

 the lower extremities and the bladder are affected. 



From these general remarks, it "will be seen that the symptoms of 

 inflammatory affections of the cord can only be understood by r. t 

 to the physiology of the spinal cord. [NERVOUS SYSTEM, in 

 HIST. Div.] 



Inflammatory affections of the spinal cord, when indepeixl 

 accident, are usually fatal ; nevertheless, recoveries are sufti 

 numerous to justify the medical man in the persevering use of 

 judicious remedies. Coses often occur in which the active disease is 

 arrested, but in which the paralytic affections remain. 



In the treatment of this disease, care must be taken not to push 

 antiphlogistic remedies too far. Bleeding is not recommended after 

 paralysis has taken place. At first, purgatives may be had recourse to ; 

 but as the case becomes chronic, tonics, and even stimulants, will lx> 

 borne and found necessary. Counter-irrii the region 



affected part of the spine should be produced by blisters, &c. : In it. 

 care must be taken that there is no tendency to gangrene, which in 

 likely to set in in these cases. One great point to be attended to in all 

 these coses is, the state of the bladder. Although urine may be passed, 

 voluntarily or involuntarily, the bladder may nevertheless, from its 

 paralysed condition, remain in a distended state, and if the w 

 not drawn off by the catheter bad consequences will result. It is also 

 of great importance to keep the patient clean and dry, as if i hi- 

 attended to ulceration will occur in the parts with which the ui in. U 

 in contact, and increase the suffering and danger of the pat 



(Watson, Lecturei on the Principle* and Practice of Phytic ; Aitkin, 

 The Science and Practice of Medicine.) 



MYKIAD (nvpds), the Greek term for ten thousand ; usually 

 employed in our idiom for an indefinite but very large number. 



MYKICIN. [BEES' WAX.] 



MYRICYL. [BEES' W.vx.J 



MYRICYLIC ALCOHOL. [BEES' WAX.] 



MYR1STIC ACID (C M H,,0 3 + HO), is a crystalline fatty acid f.,un.l 

 in the seeds of Myritfica, motchata, the common nutmeg. Combined 

 with glycerin, it forms the fat of the nutmeg ; with the oxide of ethyl, 

 a myristic ether which is an oily liquid. 



Myruitic acid has also been recently found amongst the products of 

 the saponification of spermaceti. 



MYRISTICA MOSCHATA. Nutmeg. [MYRISTICA, in NAT. 

 HIST. Div.] The genuine nutmeg must not be confounded with tin- 

 Californian nutmeg, the produce of the Torret/a myrittica, a tree 

 native of middle Florida, growing on calcareous hills along the eastern 

 side of the river Appalach, and at Aspalaga. 



This is so called not from its spicy qualities, nor from possessing any 

 of the intrinsic properties of the nutmeg, but from its cone bearing a 

 very close resemblance to that fruit, more especially in the runcinatod 

 appearance of ite seed. See 'Bot. Mag.' pi. 4780; also 'Edinburgh 

 New Philos. Journ.,' vol. x., July 1859, p. 7. 



MV1USTONE (C M H It , C M H,,O,?) The kctono of myristi. 

 It bears the same relation to myristic acid as acetone does to acetic 

 acid. 



MYRONIC ACID. An acid of unknown composition contained 

 along with myrotin in block mustard. In contact with niyrox 

 water it gives essential oil of mustard, or sulphocyanide of ally!. 



I Kl KM! it. ! 



MYROSIN. [MvnoNic ACID.] 



M YKOSPERIUM. Balsam of Peru, according to Itichter, c. > 

 two oils, myroxylin, which is insoluble in alcohol, and myrot/- 

 which is soluble in that liquid. The latter substance when 1; 

 with an alcoholic solution of potash, yields ciunamic acid and a resinous 



YROSPERMUM. Balsam of Peru and of Tolu. All conjectures 

 respecting the sources of these balsams are set at rest. They . 

 only the produce of trees specifically distinct, but of trees growing in 

 very different countries, that yielding balsam of Peru being the 

 produce of a new species of myrospcruium, described by the late Dr. 

 Hoyle under the name of M. Pcreirao. It somewhat resembl 

 M. pubacctu, of K until. It grows only on the Jlaltam Coatt, which i* in 

 the neighbourhood of Kousouate, State of St. Salvador, Uuat . 

 reaching from the front of Acajutla, to that of Libertad. Thus it 

 seems that none comes from Peru, though the name would imply that 

 it does. Royle's ' Materia Mcd.', 3rd edition, 1856. 



Balsam of Tolu flows from incisions in the tree, and is of the con- 

 sistence of a strong turpentine. It is sent to Europe in earthen w no 

 jars or tin cases. It becomes tenacious with age, and in cold weather 

 may be fractured, but melts again in summer, or with the \v:irmi Ii < >f 

 the hand. It is of a yellow or brownish colour, transparent, wit.h tlie 

 taste and odour of the white balsam of Peni. This balsam is 

 adulterated. All the three forms possess the ordinary qualities of 

 balsamic substances, and, cither in the state of syrup or tinctui 

 employed where such medicines are indicated. These hare been 

 already detailed [BALSAMS], and it is only necessary to state here, that 

 their fragrance renders them pleasant adjuncts to cough mixtures, 



