79f> M E C 
depth of (lie Hue. Fig. 139, is an upper view of the arch, 
to fhow the perforations therein previous to their being 
covered with tiles. 
It is neceffary, in the conflruFtion of all fteam-houfes, 
to be particularly careful that the flues for the fmoke be 
found and perfecl, as nothing is more injurious to vege¬ 
tation than fmoke pervading the houfe from holes or fif- 
fures in the flues. Tranf. of the Soc. of Arts, vol. xviii. 
and xxiv. 
Thus have we given a full account of the application 
of fleam to every commercial and economical purpofe ; 
and have entered into greater detail than might perhaps 
have been expected from the title of our article, Mecha¬ 
nics. But the reader is intreated to bear in mind, that 
our motive for being fo full upon every point connedled 
with the fubjeff, is to bring the whole into one connected 
view, inftead ot referring for information to many dif¬ 
ferent articles. We cannot conclude without acknow¬ 
ledging our obligations, for much valuable information 
and feveral engravings, to the volumes of the Tranfadtions 
of the Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufac¬ 
tures, and Commerce. 
MECH'ANISM,yi [ mechanifme, Fr.] Action according 
to mechanic laws.—After the chyle has pafled through 
the lungs, nature continues her tifual mechanifm, to con¬ 
vert it into animal fubftances. Arbuthnot on Aliments. —He 
acknowledged nothing befides matter and motion ; fo 
that all muft be performed either by mechanifm or accident, 
either of which is wholly unaccountable. Bentley. —Con- 
ftru&ion of parts depending on each other in any com¬ 
plicated fabric ; as. The mechanifm of the pump, of the 
fleam-engine, &c. 
MECH'ANIST, f. One fkilled in mechanics. 
MECHAR'ATHITES, a tribe of people mentioned in 
Scripture. 
MECH'ED RA'BA. See Rahabeh. 
MECH'ELEN, a town of France, in the department of 
the Lower Meufe, and chief place of a canton, in the dif- 
tri< 5 l of Maettricht. The place contains 906, and the can¬ 
ton 7736, inhabitants. 
MECH'ERNICH, lately a town of France, in the de¬ 
partment of the Roer; formerly a lordfhip of the empire, 
in the duchy of Juliers : four miles weft: of Munfter 
Eyffel. 
MECH'ET, a town of France, in the department of 
the Lower Charente : three miles fouth-eaft of Royan. 
MECHL'BECK, a town.of the duchy of Holltein : five 
sniles north of Itzehoa. 
MECH'LIN, a town of the Netherlands. See Malines. 
MECH'LIN, adj. The epithet given to lace made at 
Mechlin.—With eager beats his mechlin cravat moves. 
Tcion Eclogues. 
MECHO'ACAN, a province of North America, in the 
audience of Mexico. It is bounded on the north by part 
of Guafteca, and the provinces of Zacatecas and Guada¬ 
lajara, on the eaft by another part of Guafteca and Mexico 
Proper, on the fouth by the latter and the South Sea, 
which, together with Xalifco, bounds it al(o on the weft 
and north-weft. It extends 210 miles along the coaft, 
.and (till farther inland. The climate is extremely good, 
and the foil remarkably fruitful. In this province are 
mines of filver, and a few of gold and copper. Among 
its numerous productions are the cocoa, or chocolate-nut, 
the root mechoacan, feveral odoriferous gums and balfams, 
farfaparilla, ambergris, vanilla, callia, See. The natives, 
now incorporated with the Spaniards, learn all kinds of 
trades, and are particularly curious in making cabinets, 
and weaving filk ; but their greateft art is in making 
images of (mail feathers, equal to the moll exquifite paint¬ 
ing. The country is infetted with foxes, fquirrels, lions, 
wild dogs, and tigers. But it has alfo a numerous breed 
of excellent horfes for the faddle or harnefs ; and pro¬ 
duces plenty of honey and wax ; and the lea and rivers 
are ftored with excellent fifh. Mechoacan was formerly 
a kingdom ; but the Spaniards have reduced it into a bi- 
M E C 
fhopric, in which are about 200 towns of converted na¬ 
tives. The greateft part of the trade in this province is 
carried on by land, there being hardly any feaports deferv- 
ing that name. Pafquaro is the capital. 
MECHO'ACAN, /. [from the place.] Mechoacan is a 
large root, twelve or fourteen inches long ; the plant 
which affords it is a fpecies of bindweed, and its ftalks are 
angular : the root in powder is a gentle and mild purga¬ 
tive. Hill. —See Convolvulus jalapa, vol. v. p. 156. 
Mechoacan was firft introduced about the year 1524, 
and ufed as a purgative before jalap, though the latter is 
now in more general ufe, as being found more efficacious } 
yet mechoacan is the milder and more gentle of the two, 
and on that account is preferable. The feat of its a< 5 lion 
is chiefly in the extreme parts ; for which reafon it is ac¬ 
counted good in arthritic pains. It has the advantage 
of needing no preparation, or corrective j and of purging 
in its own proper fubflance, as it grows. It helps the 
dropfy, jaundice, and rheumatifm, working with gentle- 
nefs, and without griping ; and, therefore, it is fit for 
weakly tender conftitutions; but, as a largerquantity muft 
be given than moft people are willing to take, it is grown 
out of ufe. The dofe in fubflance is from one drachm to 
two or more. M. Boulduc found, by analyfing it, that 
it contains twelve times as much fait as refill j but neither 
the faline nor refinous extract purge fo freely as the fub- 
ftance, even though taken in larger dofes; nor do they 
even purge fo eafily. In the choice of mechoacan, prefer 
thofe pieces which are the browneft within, and whole 
fubflance is the clofeft, and moll compact. 
MECHO'ACAN, or Valladolid', a city in the above 
province, fituated on a river near the weft fide of a lake 
which abounds with fifh : it is a large place, the fee of a 
bifliop, and beautifully decorated. It is 10S miles weft 
of Mexico. Lat. 20. 5. N. Ion. 102. 11. W. 
MECK'ENHEIM, a town of France, in the depart¬ 
ment of the Rhine and Mofelle, fituated on the Erfft: 
feven miles fouth-fouth-weft of Bonn, and eighteen fouth 
of Cologne. Lat. 50.40. N. Ion. 6. 57. E. 
MECK'LENBURG (Duchy of), a principality of Ger¬ 
many, which might formerly be laid to confift of three 
parts, viz. Schwerin, Giillrow, and Strelitz; but now 
only thofe of Schwerin and Strelitz are preferved, as the 
duchy of Giillrow has fallen to the houfe of Schwerin, 
and, becoming incorporated with it, has loft its diftinctive 
name. Wifmar, which was formerly ceded to the Swedes, 
was afterwards purchafed of the king of Sweden, and now 
belongs to this branch of the houfe of Mecklenburg. 
This principality is bounded on the north by the Baltic, 
on the eaft by Pomerania, on the fouth by Brandenburg, 
and on the weft by the territory of Lubec and principality 
of Luneburg. When the Vandals, in a confiderable num¬ 
ber, quitted this country in the fifth century, the Wends 
occupied their habitations, and became intermixed with 
the inhabitants that remained. Of thefe Wends, the moil 
confiderable tribe was that of the Obotrites, which had its 
own particular princes. From thefe delcended Prebiflau, 
who, in the twelfth century, embraced the Chriftian re¬ 
ligion, and rebuilt Mecklenburg, the ancient capital of 
the Obotrite princes, and took his name from it. His 
foil, Henry Borwin, was father of two princes, one of 
w hom, John, was founder of the Mecklenburg line, anti 
the other, Nikolot, thatofWenden j but, when this latter 
became extindl, the principality of Wenden devolved to 
the Mecklenburg branch, which was raifed to the dignity 
of duke by the emperor Charles IV. At the peace of 
Weftphalia, in 164S, Wifmar was ceded to the Swedes j 
but the diocefes of Schwerin and Ratzeburg were con¬ 
verted into temporal principalities. The Giiitrow line 
failed ; and, after fome difputes, a compromife took place 
at Hamburgh in 1701, on condition that the principality 
of Giillrow fliould be added to that of Schwerin, and that 
the principality of Ratzeburg, with fome other territories, 
fliould be annexed to that of Strelitz. At the fame time, 
the right of primogeniturefllip, and the lineal fucceflion, 
1 were 
