mand] 



ETje Erra^urg at SSotang. 



16 



the most ancient MSS. of Dioscorides, now 

 at Vienna, ' representing Euresis, the god- 

 dess of discovery, presenting in triumph 

 to Dioscorides the root of this mandrake, 

 which she has just had pulled up, whilst 

 the unfortunate dog which had been em- 

 ployed for that purpose is depicted in the 

 agonies of death ; ' and in some other MSS. 

 of this author, which the writer has had 

 the opportunity of inspecting, representa- 

 tions are given of the mode of extracting 

 male and female mandrakes from the 



Mandragora au'umnalis. 



ground, in the manner before related from 

 Josephus. Indeed, in old herbals similar 

 illustrations are not uncommon. Of the 

 two species previously mentioned, M. offl- 

 cinarum or M. autumnalis is a very hand- 

 some autumn flowering plant, with wavy 

 leaves, and deep blue flowers. [M. T. M.] 



MANDRAKE. Mandragora ; also an 

 American name for Podcphyllum. 



MANETTIA. A genus of Cinchonacece, 

 so called in honour of Xavier Manetti, 

 Professor of Botany in Florence in the 

 middle of the eighteenth century. The 

 species are undershrubs of climbing habit, 

 natives of tropical America. They have 

 opposite leaves and wide stipules ; axillary 

 one or many flowered flower-stalks ; a tur- 

 binate calyx, with the limb divided into 

 four or five linear lance-shaped lobes, with 

 an equal number of teeth between them in 

 some cases; and a funnel-shaped corolla 

 dilated and hairy at the throat, the limb 

 divided into four or five obtuse segments. 

 There are four or five stamens inserted into 

 the throat of the corolla, and slightly pro- 

 truding ; and a thread-like style. The rind 

 of the root of M. cordifolia has emetic pro- 

 perties, and is used by the Brazilians in 

 dropsy and dysentery. Two or three species 

 with scarlet or pink flowers are grown in 

 hot-houses in this country. [M. T. M.] 



MAN FUNGUS. Geaster. 



MANGABA, or MANGAVA. A Brazilian 

 name for the fruit of Hancomia speciosa. 



MANGEL-TVURZEL. Beta vulgaris ma- 

 crorhiza. According to Dr. Prior, this was 

 originally Mangold-wurzel. 



MANGIER. (Fr.) Mangifera. 



MANGIFERA. A genus of tropical Asia- 

 tic trees, whose fruit is well known by the 

 native name Mangho, whence the technical 

 name has been framed. The genus is in- 

 cluded among the Anacardiacece, and con- 

 sists of trees with alternate stalked entire 

 leaves, and numerous small pinkish or 

 yellowish flowers in much-branched pani- 

 cles. The calyx is five-parted, and the 

 petals and stamens five each, one or two 

 only of the latter being fertile. The fruit 

 is externally fleshy, and more or less 

 fibrous, internally hard and bony. 



The Mango, M. indica, grows abundantly 

 in India, where numerous varieties are 

 cultivated, as also in Brazil, the Mauritius, 

 &c. The fruit of some varieties is esteem- 

 ed as the most delicious of Indian fruits ; 

 but there are very numerous kinds, differ- 

 ing not only in flavour, but also in the size 

 and shape of their fruit. Most of them have 

 more or less of a turpentine flavour ; the 

 best varieties are most free from it, while 

 the inferior kinds are stated to be little 

 better in texture and flavour than a mix- 

 ture of tow and turpentine. The unripe 

 fruits are much used in India in conserves, 

 tarts, and pickles, in which latter state they 

 are frequently imported into this country. 

 The ripe fruits, too, are constantly eaten, 

 and are said in general to be wholesome.but 

 frequently to produce boils in new-comers 

 unaccustomed to their use. "When cut 

 with a knife, a blue stain is produced on the 

 blade, from the presence of gallic acid in 

 the pulp, which likewise contains gum and 

 citric acid. The seeds are boiled and eaten 

 in times of scarcity by the natives ; they 

 are said to possess anthelmintic properties. 



Mangifera indica. 



The wood is soft and porous, of a grey co- 

 lour when young, but brownish and harder 

 in old trees ; it is burnt together with 

 sandal-wood by the Hindoos in the burning 

 of their dead. The bark is employed me- 

 dicinally to restrain discharges from 1 lie 

 mucous membranes, and has been like- 

 wise well spoken of in the treatment of 

 fevers in St. Domingo. 



A soft reddish-brown gum-resin exudes 

 from the bark when wounded, and is used 



