MUNJEET. 



MUSTARD, CULTIVATED. 



mullein (V. nigrum); large-flowered primrose- 

 leaved mullein ( V. virgatum) ; and moth mul- 

 lein (V. blattaria). The dark black mullein is 

 a perennial, the moth mullein annual, and the 

 rest are biennial in habit. They mostly grow 

 to the height of 3 to 5 feet, in fields and waste 

 places, on chalky and gravelly soils. The 

 species of mullein common in the United States, 

 in the fields of slovenly farmers, is the Verbas- 

 cum thnpms of botanists. 



MUNJEET. A kind of madder grown in 

 the East Indies. 



MURIATIC ACID, called also Hydrochloric 

 acid; anciently Marine acid, and Spirit of sea- 

 salt, 



MURICATE. In botany, implies covered 

 with short, sharp points. 



MURRAIN. A contagious, malignant epi- 

 demic, which frequently prevails in hot, dry sea- 

 sons among cattle, carrying off vast numbers. 

 It once used to sweep off the horned stock of 

 whole districts, and there are few years in 

 which it is not now seen in some part of the 

 kingdom. It principally appears in marshy 

 and woody districts, or where under-draining 

 has been neglected, or the cattle have been ex- 

 posed and half-starved. The disease is known 

 by the animals hanging down their heads, 

 which are swollen, by short and hot breathing, 

 cough, palpitation of the heart, staggering, an 

 abundant secretion of viscid matter in the eyes, 

 rattling in the throat, and a slimy tongue. The 

 early stage of murrain is one of fever, and the 

 treatment should correspond with this : bleed- 

 ing and small doses of purgative medicine will 

 be serviceable. The peculiar fetid diarrhoea 

 must be met with astringents, mingled also 

 with vegetable tonics. In combating the pus- 

 tular and gangrenous stage, the chloride of 

 lime will be the best external application; 

 while a little of it, administered with the other 

 medicines inwardly, may possibly lessen the 

 tendency to general decomposition. Above all, 

 the infected animal should be immediately re- 

 moved from the sound ones. (Youatt on Cattle, 

 p. 379.) 



MUSCLE (Fr. muscle; Sax. murcula). Fleshy 

 fibres, susceptible of contractions and relaxa- 

 tions. They constitute what is commonly 

 called flesh, the most nutritious species of 

 animal food. See FLESH and GELATIX. 



MUSHROOMS (Fr. mmtscheron; Lat. Agari- 

 cus, from Agaria, a city, or Agarus, a river of 

 Sarmatia, now Malamonda). A more exten- 

 sive genus than this is not known in the whole 

 vegetable kingdom. Some species, as the com- 

 mon mushroom, A. campestris, A. vaginatut, &c., 

 lire well known for the wholesomeness of the 

 food which is prepared from them. Others, as 

 A. muscarius, A. necator, the whole genus Ama- 

 nita, and many others, are very dangerous poi- 

 sons : indeed, the latter quality exists more or 

 less in so many species, and these resemble 

 those that are wholesome so nearly as to ren- 

 der it advisable to be exceedingly cautious in 

 the use of fungi, for the most dreadful effects 

 are well known to have resulted from want 

 of caution in this respect. 



The edible mushroom. {A. campestris), is 

 nearly inodorous, but has a grateful flavour. 

 The crown or hat is at first hemispherical, 



then convex, and at last flat ; fleshy ; about 2 

 to 5 inches broad ; white, or very light-brown, 

 slightly scaly, the scales soft and fibrous ; gills 

 pink, changing to fuscous black ; the flesh, 

 when divided, usually changes to a reddish 

 hue. The use of the mushroom, as an arti- 

 cle of diet, was known to the ancients. See 

 FUXGI. 



To produce mushrooms artificially, beds va- 

 riously constructed are employed ; and, from 

 the numerous modes which have been invent- 

 ed and adopted for their production, some ac- 

 companied with extraordinary expense, it is 

 obvious that this "voluptuous poison" is with 

 us, as it was with the Romans, in high estima- 

 tion. 



MUSSELS, or MUSCLES (Mytilis edilis). A 

 species of shell-fish which abound on the rocky 

 shores on the borders of the sea in many parts of 

 the British islands, adhering to the rocks. Mus- 

 cles are also found in immense beds, both in 

 deep water and above the low water-mark, in 

 the British seas. Where they can be collected 

 in large quantities they may be made use of as 

 an excellent manure, either alone or in the 

 state of compost, with earthy substances. 



MUST. A term applied to new wine and 

 wort before it is fermented. It is also given 

 to the saccharine juice of several fruits sus- 

 ceptible of the vinous fermentation, and par- 

 ticularly to the expressed juice of the grape 

 before its conversion into wine. 



MUSTARD (Fr. moutarde ; Lat. Sinapis ; from 

 rnxTri, on account of its making the eyes water, 

 <mu aiTratt). A genus of upright, branching, an- 

 nual or biennial herbs, often hairy or bristly. 

 There are five wild species common to the Bri- 

 tish islands : 



1. Wild mustard (S. arvensis). A very trou- 

 blesome annual weed in corn-fields; also abun- 

 dant in waste ground newly disturbed. The 

 seeds serve as an inferior kind of mustard, or 

 rather, to adulterate that made from the com- 

 mon mustard. See CHARLOCK. 



2. White mustard (S. alba), 3. Common 

 mustard (S. nigra), are annuals, in general 

 cultivation, but are also found wild on waste 

 ground and by road-sides, &c. See CULTI- 

 VATED MCSTAHD. 



4. Narrow-leaved wall-mustard (S. tenui- 

 folia). This perennial species is found grow- 

 ing on old walls and heaps of rubbish about 

 most ancient cities. The root is tapering, 

 rather woody. Herb for the most part entirely 

 smooth, and more or less glaucous all over; 

 fetid when bruised. Stem bushy, erect, 1 

 or 2 feet high, with numerous round, leafy 

 branches, occasionally besprinkled with a few 

 hairs. 



5. Sand mustard (S. muralis). This annual 

 species flourishes on sandy, barren ground 

 near the sea. The root is small and tapering. 



MUSTARD, CULTIVATED. The species 

 of Sinapis generally grown in the kitchen gar- 

 den for domestic purposes are the white mus- 

 tard (S. alba), and the common or black mus- 

 tard (S. nigra). The first is the one grown for 

 salads ; but the seed of both is employed in the 

 manufacture of mustard. 



The soil they succeed in best is a fine, rich, 

 mouldy loam, in which the supply of moisture 



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