MAL 
an account of all that passes within the 
place. 
There are also drum-majors, &c. so 
called from their pre-eminence above others 
of the same denomination. 
MAKING up, among dhtillers, the re- 
ducing spirits to a certain standard of 
strength, usually called proof, by the ad- 
mixture of water ; which should be either 
soft and clear river water, or spring water 
rendered soft by distillation. 
MALACHITE, a mineral, the green 
carbonate of copper, found frequently crys- 
tallized in long slender needles; colour 
green, and the specific gravity about 3.6. 
It elferversces with nitric acid, and gives a 
blue colour to ammonia. It decrepitates 
and blackens before the blow-pipe. There 
are two varieties, the fibrous and the com- 
pact : the constituent parts are 
Copper 58.0 
■ Carbonic acid 18.0 
Oxygen 12,5 
Water 11.5 
100.0 
MALACHRA, in botany, a genus of the 
Monadelphia Polyandria class and order. 
Natural order of Columniferae. Malvaceee, 
Jussieu. Essential character: calyx com- 
mon three leaved, many -flowered, larger ; 
arils five, one-seeded. There are five spe- 
cies, natives of America. 
MALACHODENDRUM, in botany, a 
genus of the Monadelpl’.ia Polyandria class 
and order. Natural order of Columnifer®. 
Malvaceae, Jussieu. Essential character: 
calyx simple ; germ pear-shaped, pentago- 
nal ; styles five; capsule five, one-seeded. 
There are two species, viz. M. ovatum, and 
M. corchoroides. 
MALACOLITE, a mineral found in the 
silver mines in Sweden, and also in Norway. 
It is obtained massive and crystallized in, 
six sided prisms. Specific gravity about 
3.25. It consists of 
Silica 53 
Lime 20 
Magnesia 19 
Alumina 3 
Oxide of iron, &c 4 
99 
Loss 1 
100 
MALATES, in chemistry, salts formed 
by the union of the malic acid with difierent 
bases. These salts have not been fully 
MAL 
investigated; but it has been ascertained 
that the malates of lime, barytes, and mag- 
nesia are very insoluble. The malates of 
potash, soda, and ammonia, are deliquescent. 
The malates of potash, soda, ammonia, 
lime, and barytes, may be formed by dis- 
solving these alkalies in malic acid, and 
evaporating the solutions. 
MALAXIS, in botany, a genus of the 
Gynandria Diandria class and order. Na- 
tural order of Orchideae. Essential charac- 
ter: nectary one-leafed, concave, cordate, 
acuminate backwards, bifid in front, che- 
rishing the gentials in the middle. There 
are two species, viz. M. spicata and M. um- 
belliflora, both natives of Jamaica. 
MALE, among zoologists, that sex of 
animals which has the parts of generation 
without the body. 
The term male has also, from some simi- 
litude to that sex in animals, been applied 
to several inanimate things : thus we say, a 
male-flower, a male-screw', &c. 
MALIC add, in chemistry, was disco- 
vered by Scheele about the year 1785. It 
is found in the juices of a great many fruits, 
and it derives its name from the circumstance 
of its being obtained in great abundance 
from the juice of apples, in which it exists 
ready formed. It is thus obtained : satu- 
rate the juice of apples with potash, and 
add to the solution acetate of lead till no 
more precipitation ensues. Wash the pre- 
cipitate carefully with a sufficient quantity 
of water ; then pour upon it diluted sulphu- 
ric acid till the mixture has a perfectly acid 
taste, without any of that sweetness w'hich 
is perceptible as long as any lead remains 
dissolved in it ; then separate tlie sulphate 
of lead, which has precipitated, by filtra- 
tion, and there remains behind pure malic 
acid. The French chemists have, ascer- 
tained that it may be obtained in the larg- 
est quantities from the juice of the semper- 
vivum tectorum, where it exists abundantly 
combined with lime. Malic acid is very 
soluble in water, and decomposes sponta- 
neously, by undergoing a kind of fermenta- 
tion. It is composed of oxygen, hydrogen, 
and carbon. It combines with alkalies, 
earths, and metallic oxides, and forms Ma- 
i-ATES, which see above. 
Dr. Thomson has shewn in what the ci- 
tric and malic acids agree, and in what 
they differ. The citric acid shoots into 
crystals ; but the malic will not crystallize. 
The citrate of lime is almost insoluble in 
boiling water, but the malate of lime is 
easily soluble in that liquid. Malic acid 
precipitates mercury, lead, and silver from 
