MIT 
MITCHELLA, in botany, so named from 
John Mitchell, M. D. a physician, in Vir- 
ginia, a genus of the Tetrandria Monogynia 
class and order. Natural order of Aggre- 
gatae. Ruhiacem, Jussieu. Essential cha- 
racter : corollas one-petalled, superior, two 
on the same germ ; stigmas four ; berry 
bifid, four-seeded. There is only one spe- 
cies, viz. M. repens, creeping Mitchella, 
which is a native of Carolina, Maryland, 
and Virginia. 
MITELLA, in botany, a genus of the 
Decandria Digynia class and order. Natu- 
ral order of Succulent®. Saxifrag®, Jus- 
sieu. Essential character : calyx five-cleft ; 
corolla five-petalled, inserted into the ca- 
lyx ; petals pinnatified ; capsule one-celled, 
two-valved ; valves equal. There are two 
species, viz, M. diphylla, two-leaved Mitel- 
la ; and M. nuda, naked Mitella, natives of 
North America, and the northern parts of 
Asia. 
MITHRIDATEA, in botany, so named 
in memoiy of Mithridates, King of Pontus, 
a genus of the Monandria Monogynia class 
and order. Natural order of Scabridae. 
Urtic®, Jussieu. Essential character ; calyx 
common, four-cleft, enlarged, fleshy, con- 
taining the seeds ; corolla none ; fruit glo- 
bular, depressed ; seeds solitary, arilled. 
There ix only, one species, viz. M. quadri- 
fida, a milky tree, with sub-opposite, en- 
tire, ever-green leaves ; flowers in racemes, 
seldom solitaiy, growing on the trunk and 
lower branches : females fewer, mixed with 
the males ; fruit fleshy, the size of an apple. 
Native of the islands of Madagascar, Mau- 
ritius, and Bourbon. 
MITRE, a sacerdotal ornament worn on 
the head by bishops, and certain abbots, on 
solemn occasions ; being a sort of cap, 
pointed, arid cleft at lop. The high priest 
among the Jews wore a mitre or bonnet on 
his head. The inferior priests among the 
.Tews had likewise their mitres, but in what 
respect they differed from that of the high 
priest is uncertain. Some contend that the 
ancient bishops wore mitres, but this is by 
no means certain. Those young women 
among the primitive Christians who profes- 
sed a state of virginity, and were solemnly 
consecrated thereto, wore a purple and 
golden mitre as a badge of distinction. His 
holiness the Pope has no less than four dif- 
ferent mitres, which are more or less rich, 
according to the solemnities of the festivals 
xm which they are worn. The cardinals 
anciently wore mitres ; some canons of 
cathedrals, in Popish countries, have the pri- 
MIZ 
vilege of wearing the mitre ; and some great 
families in Germany bear it for their crest. 
Mitre, in architecture, is the workman’s 
terra for an angle that is just forty-five de- 
grees, or half a right angle. If the angle be 
half of this, or a quarter of a right angle, 
they call it half a mitre. 
MITTIMUS, a writ by which records 
are transferred from one court to another. 
This word is also used for the precept 
directed to a gaoler, under the hand and 
seal of a justice of the peace, for the receiv- 
ing and safe keeping a felon, or other offen- 
der, by him committed to gaol. 
MIXED actions, suits which concern real 
property, and personal, in as much as they 
are not only for recovery of land, but also 
of damages. 
MIXT, in mathematics, when applied to 
an angle or figure, is when any one is com- 
prized by both right or curved lines : ap- 
plied to a number, it is to one that is partly 
an integer and partly a fraction, as fit. Mixt 
ratio is when the sum of the antecedent and 
consequent is compared with the difference 
of the antecedent and consequent, as if 
4 : 3 :: 12 : 9 
a : b :: c : d then, 
7 : 1 :: 21 : 3 
a-j-i:a — 
MIXTURE, in chemistry, is distinguish- 
ed from combination, because in it dissimi- 
lar particles are blended together more or 
less intimately, but without being united 
by any attraction ; in which, therefore, no 
new qualities are required ; in which the 
difference of parts is easily discovered, and 
these parts are capable of being separated 
by mechanical means. 
MIZEN, in the sea language, is a parti- 
cular mast or sail. The mizeu-mast stands 
in the sternmost part of the ship. In some 
great ships there are two of tliese ; when 
that next the main mast is called tlie main- 
mizeu ; and that next the pop, the bonaven- 
ture mizen. The length of the mizen-mast 
is, by some, accounted the same with the 
height of the main-top-mast from the quar- 
ter-deck ; or half the length of the main- 
mast, and half as thick. The sail which be- 
longs to the mizen-mast is called the mizen- 
sail. And when the word mizen is used at 
sea, it always means the sail. The use of 
the mizen is to keep the ship close to the 
wind, or when a ship rides at anchor, to 
back her a-stern, so that she may not foul 
her anchor, on the turning of the tide. Tlie 
terra mizen is used in the following phrases: 
