MUF 



4.93 



M UL 



and when treated with dilute nitric acid 

 affords mucic acid. 



MUCK, RUNNING A. Figuratively, an 

 indiscriminate attack upon friends and 

 enemies ; such as is made by the Malays, 

 when intoxicated with opium or bangue. 

 Mc'coa. Mouldiness. An old Latin 

 word, retained by botanists to denote that 

 genus of minute and evanescent fungi 

 found on decaying bread and other vege- 

 table matters. 



Mucous GLANDS. Glands of the body 

 which secrete mucus. 



Mu'cous MEMBRANE. The membra- 

 nous lining of the canals and cavities of 

 the body, which are exposed to the con- 

 tact of air and other inorganic substances. 

 MU'CRO COR'DIS. The lower pointed end 

 of the heart: mucro. a sharp point. 



Mu'ccs, Lat. from [tufa, the mucus of 

 the nose. A name common to two sub- 

 stances : (1.) Animal mucus: one of the 

 primary fluids of the animal body, gene- 

 rally combined with gelatine and albu- 

 men, but distinct from these substances. 

 It forms a layer of greater or less thick- 

 ness on the surface of the mucous mem- 

 branes, and is renewed with more or less 

 rapidity. It is not soluble in water, nor 

 capable of mixing oil and water, which 

 mucilage is, and it is soluble in the mine- 

 ral acids, which vegetable mucus is not. 

 (2.) Vegetable mucus. See MUCILAGE. 



MUD-SILL. A sill of a bridge, &c., 



which is placed at the bottom of a river. 



MUEZ'ZIN. In Mohammedan countries, 



the officer who proclaims the summons 



to prayer at the regular periods. 



MUF'FLE. 1. Germ, muffeln, to mask. 

 To muffle the oars of a boat is to put 

 some matting, &c. round that part which 

 lies on the edg e of the gunwale of the boat, 

 to prevent its making a noise against the 



tholes. 2. Sp. mufia. A chemical 



vessel, in the shape of an oblong arch or 

 vault, closed behind by a semicircular 

 plane, and having a rectangular flat 

 bottom, on which small vessels of any 

 kind may be set to protect them from the 

 actual contact of the *uel of the furnace 



in which the muffle is placed. The 

 muffle is entirely opt-n at one end, an 

 has sometimes small slits to allow free 

 access of the hot air. It is used in cupel 

 lation. 



MUF'TI, \ A high priest of the Moham 



llrnt'Ti. j mtCun religion. 



MUGGLETO'NUNS. A sect of fanatics, 

 which arose in England, in 1U57 ; so de- 

 lominated from their leader Ludowic 

 rluggleton, a tailor, who, with his asso- 

 ;iate Reeves, asserted that they were 

 he two last witnesses of God mentioned 

 n the Revelations. 



MU'GIL. The name given by Linnrcus 

 o a genus of acanthopterygious fishes, 

 orming the type of the family Mugiloides, 

 >av. The common mullet (M. cephalut, 

 ?uv.) is the best known of several species 

 vhich the European seas produce. This 

 tish is gregarious, and resorts in vast 

 roops to the mouths of rivers. The 

 flesh is much esteemed. 



MUGILOI'DES. A family of acantho- 

 terygious fishes: type Mtigil, Lin. The 

 ther genera are the Tetragonurus and 

 Atherina (the Aphyes of the ancients). 



MULAT'TO. The offspring of a white 

 woman by a negro, and vice versd. The 

 mixed descendants of Europeans and Indi- 

 ns are called Mestinos. The term mu- 

 atto is Spanish, from mulo, a mule : Lat. 



MUL'BERRY. The Morus nigra is the 

 common mulberry-tree, and its fruit is 

 :ermed the Mulberry; but the name 

 mulberry is common to all the species of 

 :he genus morus, of which there are 

 nine. 



MULCH. A name (local) for dung foi 

 manure. 



MULE, Sax. mul, from Lat. mulus. 1. An 

 animal of mongrel breed : usually applic.1 

 to denote the offspring of a mare by an 



, and vice versa. 2. The offspring of 



two plants of different species. 



MULE, or MULE-JENN/ST. A machine 

 employed in cotton-spinning, invented 

 by Samuel Crompton, a weaver, of re- 

 spectable character, and moderate cir- 

 cumstances, near Bolto.n ; so named from 

 its combining the principles of Ark- 

 wright's water-frame, and Hargreave's 

 jenny. Like the former it has a system 

 of rollers to reduce the roving; and like 

 the latter it has spindles without bobbins 

 to give the twist, and the thread is 

 stretched and spun at the same time by 

 spindles, after the rollers have ceased to 

 give out the rove. The distinguishing 

 feature of the mule is, that the spindles, 

 instead of being stationary, as in both 

 the other machines, are placed in a move- 

 able carriage, which is wheeled out to 

 the distance of 54 or 5<> inches from tt-.e 

 roller-beam, to stretch and twist tl:a 

 thread, and wheeled in again to wind it 

 on thr- spindles. By this arrangement, 

 comprising the advantages both of the 

 rollers and spindles, the thread is stretched 

 more gently and equably, and a much 

 liner quality of yarn can therefore b 

 produced. 





