MANDRAKE, 



MANGEL WURZEL, 



their cocoons are made, and in a few days more 

 turn to moths, come out, and lay their eggs for a 

 second generation of the worms ; and hence 

 much fruit will be found to be worm-eaten in 

 the autumn. Most of the insects, however, 

 remain in their cocoons through the winter, 

 and vare not changed to moths till the following 

 summer. The chrysalis is of a bright maho- 

 gany-brown colour, and has, as usual, across 

 each of the rings of its hind-body, two rows of 

 prickles, by the help of which it forces its way 

 through the cocoon before the moth comes 

 forth. 



As the apple-worms instinctively leave the 

 fruit soon after it falls from the trees, it will be 

 proper to gather up all wind-fallen apples daily, 

 and make such immediate use of them as will 

 be sure to kill the insects, before they have 

 time to escape. Mr. Burrelle says that if any 

 old cloth is wound around or hung in the 

 crotches of the trees, the apple- worms will con- 

 ceal themselves therein; and by this means 

 thousands of them may be obtained and de- 

 stroyed, from the time when they first begin to 

 leave the apples until the fruit is gathered. By 

 carefully scraping off the loose and rugged 

 bark of the trees, in the spring, many chrysa- 

 lids will be destroyed ; and it has been said that 

 the moths, when they are about laying their 

 eggs, may be smothered or driven away by the 

 smoke of weeds burned under the trees. The 

 worms often found in summer pears appear to 

 be the same as those that affect apples, and are 

 to be kept in check by the same means. (Harris.) 

 See CIDER and ORCHARD. 



MANDRAKE (Mandragora ; the name is 

 derived from mandra, an ox-stall, something 

 relating to cattle, and agauros, cruel; on ac- 

 count of its poisonous effects on cattle, when 

 accidentally gathered with their fodder in the 

 countries where the plants abound). These 

 plants, which are natives of the south of Eu- 

 rope, thrive well in a light soil, in a shaded 

 situation. They can only be increased by 

 seeds. The roots are very apt to rot during 

 winter. The root has an uncouth form, which 

 is supposed to resemble the human shape ; on 

 which account it was imagined to be capable 

 of preventing barrenness. It is, however, an 

 aero-narcotic poison, and when taken proves 

 fatal by the extreme purging which it causes. 

 The common people still believe in its proper- 

 ties ; but the root of a species of Bryony 

 (Tamus communis) is usually sold for it in the 

 herb shops. 



MANGE. A cutaneous disease, which at- 

 tacks several domestic animals, especially the 

 dog, and which is attended with an eruption 

 and loss of hair. 



In the horse it is known to exist by the 

 animal's constantly rubbing or biting himself, 

 so as to remove the hair, and sometimes pro- 

 duce ulceration ; the hair of the mane and tail 

 frequently falls off, and small scabs may gene- 

 rally be observed about the roots of those 

 which remain. This disease is seldom met 

 with, except in common stables where scarcely 

 any attention is paid to the horses, and where 

 their food is of the worst quality ; horses highly 

 kept, if not properly attended to, are also sub- 

 ject to this disease, which is very contagious. 

 766 



| The causes of mange are, sudden changes 

 i of temperature, hot stables, bad diet, joined to 

 want of cleanliness. The perspirable matter 

 being never properly removed by friction, and 

 being frequently mixed with dust, &c., com- 

 | pletely plugs up the external exhalents, where- 

 by they become obstructed, and a diseased 

 action takes place. It may also be caused by 

 infectious matter coming in contact with the 

 skin ; as when a sound horse rubs himself 

 against the stall in which a mangy horse has 

 been kept. The principal symptoms are, the 

 horse growing very thin, without any apparent 

 cause, attended with a staring of his coat. 

 This is soon followed by eruptions, which dis- 

 charge a thick yellowish matter, forming a 

 kind of scurf, which peels off, and is succeeded 

 by fresh eruptions, and the hair falls off. This, 

 though partial at first, soon spreads all over 

 the body, is attended with an itching, and 

 causes the horse to rub against every thing 

 he comes near. In this disease great attention 

 to cleanliness is necessary. 



In the horse the following will be found the 

 best remedy. Bleed to the extent of two or 

 three quarts, according to the constitution of 

 the animal, and after first preparing the horse 

 by bran mashes, give the following dose of 

 physic : 



Barbadoes aloes - 

 Powdered ginger 

 Castile soap 

 Oil of curraways - 



6 drachma. 

 2 

 2 

 20 drops. 



Honey or treacle sufficient to form a ball. 

 After which give the following alterative balls : 

 2 ozs. each of powdered black antimony, pow- 

 dered nitre, flour of sulphur, Castile soap, and 

 aniseed powder, 1 oz. of rosin, added to a suf- 

 ficient quantity of honey to make eight balls, 

 one to be given every night. 



The following ointment may be applied ex- 

 ternally : 



Black sulphur ----- 8 ozs. 



Strong mercurial ointment - - 2 



Soft soap - - - - - 4 



Train oil 1 pint. 



These ingredients to be well mixed, and one 

 third part carefully rubbed in daily. If the 

 above ointment should be found ineffectual, 4 

 ozs. of spirit of tar may be added. 



Dogs and swine are frequently subject to 

 mange. For the common scabby variety in 

 the dog, the following ointment is recom- 

 mended : 



Powdered sulphur .... 4 ozs. 

 Muriate of ammonia, powdered - i 

 Venice turpentine - - - - | 

 Lard, or other fatty matter - -6 

 Well mixed. 



MANGEL WURZEL. Field Beet, or Root 

 of Scarcity. (Germ. Mangold Wurzel.) The 

 root of the Beta hybrida, or B. albissima, Linn. 

 | This is a kind of red beet, which, according to 

 j Von Thaer, is a mongrel between the red and 

 j white beet. It has been long cultivated in 

 j France, Germany, and Switzerland, partly as 

 food for cattle, and partly to be used in distil- 

 lation, and in the extraction of sugar. Its cul- 

 ture in Great Britain is more recent; but its 

 value is now becoming very generally appre- 

 ciated, and the cultivation likely to become 

 ! more extensive. So far back as the year 1811, 



