MANNA 
there is a frmll quantity of iron always difcovered in it. 
Manna, honey, and all the other fweet fubftances, we fee, 
alfo lofe all their fweetnefs as foon as ever their acid is fe- 
parated from their oil. Hifl. Acad. Par. 1708. 
It does not appear in the writings of the ancient Greek 
phyficians, that they were acquainted with any fpecies of 
inanna, though that medicine be now fo common in the 
lhops. They had the word indeed, but they applied it to 
a very different fenfe; what they called manna being 
what fome authors (fill called the manna of frankincenfe, 
that is, fuch pieces of the common olibanum as broke ofF 
in the carriage from the larger pieces. Phil. Tranf N°472. 
vol. xlii. 
The Arabians are by fome fuppofed to have firft brought 
what we call manna into ufe in medicine; but, if they 
were not the abfolute inventors of this ufe of it, it is cer¬ 
tain they were the firft who made it general and common 
as a purge. Their country afforded feveral diftindf fpe¬ 
cies of inanna, all which feem to have been fo common 
among them, that they thought defcriptions of them need- 
lefs ; and for that reafon have not left us fufficient ac¬ 
counts of them, from which to determine what were their 
characters and differences. They diftinguifhed three 
kinds of this purging medicine, under three abfolutely dif¬ 
ferent names, which were manna, tereniabin, and JiracoJl ; 
but it is not eafily proved whether thefe are all now 
known, or by what appellation they are at this time dif¬ 
tinguifhed. 
The beft fort of manna is that in oblong pieces or flakes, 
moderately dry, friable, very light, of a whitifh or pale 
yellow colour, and in fome degree tranfparent; the infe¬ 
rior kinds are moift, unfluous, and brown. Manna of 
both forts is fometimes counterfeited by compofitions of 
fugar, honey, and purgative materials, which may be dif¬ 
tinguifhed in their folid form by their weight, compaft- 
nefs, and tranfparency ; and, in the dry and moift ftate, 
by their tafte, and by their habitude to menltrua. Manna, 
in dofes of an ounce and upwards, proves a gentle laxa¬ 
tive ; it operates in general with great mildnefs, fo as to 
be fafely given even to children and pregnant women, 
and in inflammatory or acute diftempers, where the ftimu- 
lating purgatives have no place. It is particularly proper 
in ftomachic coughs ; in which intentions it is fometimes 
made up in a linctus or lohocli, with equal quantities of 
oil of almonds and fyrup of violets. The gripes, flatu¬ 
lencies, and other inconveniencies, attending it in fome 
conftitutions, and when given to adults in large dofes, 
may be obviated by a fmall addition of fome grateful aro¬ 
matic. Manna does not produce tbe full effeCf of a ca¬ 
thartic unlefs taken in large doles, as two ounces or more ; 
and, therefore, is feldom employed for this purpofe by it- 
felf; it may be commodioufly diffolved in the purging 
mineral waters, or fharpened with the cathartic (alts, or 
other purgatives ; its efficacy is faid to be much promoted 
by caffia filtularis, a mixture of the two purging more than 
either of them feparately. 
Manna is alfo a fcripture-term, fignifying a miraculous 
kind of food, which fell from heaven for the fupport of 
the Ifraelites in their palfage through the wildernefs; 
being a fmall grain, white, like hoar-froft, round and of 
the fize of coriander-feeds; its colour like that of bdellium, 
and its tafte like honey. Exod. xvi. 14. 
They called it manna, either from the Hebrew word 
manah, “a gift,” to intimate its being a gift from heaven; 
or from minnak, which fignifies “ to prepare,” becaufe the 
manna came to them ready for eating, and needed no pre¬ 
paration but gathering ; or from the Egyptian word man, 
derived from the Hebrew mak, “what is it?” which 
laft etymology feems the more probable, becaufe fcrip^ 
ture takes notice of the furprife they were under when 
they firft faw this new food defcend. But our tranflation, 
and fome others, make M-ofes fall into a plain contradic¬ 
tion in. relating this ftory of the manna, which they ren¬ 
der thus: “ And, when the children of Ifrael faw it, they 
faid one to another, It is manna 5 for they coif not what it 
291 
was." Exod. xvi. 15. Whereas the Septuagint and feve¬ 
ral authors both ancient and modern, have tranflated the 
text according to the original; “The Ifraelites, feeing 
this, laid one to another, What is this? for they knew not 
what it was.” 
Salmafius and fome other moderns are of opinion, that 
the inanna which God fent the Ifraelites was nothing elfe 
but that fat and thick dew which ft ill falls in Arabia, 
which prefently condenfed, and ferved for food to the peo¬ 
ple ; that this is the fame thing as the wild honey, men¬ 
tioned Matth. iii. 4. wherewith John the Baptitt was fed ; 
and that the miracle of Mofes did not confitt in the produc¬ 
tion of any new fubitance, but in the exaft and uniform 
manner in which the manna was difpenled by Providence 
for the maintenance of fuch a great multitude. On the 
contrary, the Hebrews and Orientals believe, that the fall 
of the manna was wholly miraculous; the Arabians call 
it the fugar-plums of the Almighty, and the Jews are fo jea¬ 
lous of this miracle, that they pronounce a curfe a®ashft 
all fuch as prefume to deny the interpofition of a miracu¬ 
lous power. 
The Scripture gives to manna the name of the corn of 
heaven, and angels food, Pfalm lxxviii. 24, 25. whether it 
would infinuate to us, that the angels fent and prepared 
this food ; or that angels themfelves, if they had need of 
food, could not have any that was more agreeable than 
manna was. The author of the Book of Wifdom fays, 
xvi. 20,21. that manna fo accommodated itfelf to every 
one’s tafte, that every one found it pleafing to him ; and 
that it included every thing that was agreeable to the pa¬ 
late and fit for good nouriffiment; which expreffions fome 
have taken in the literal fenfe, though others underhand 
them figuratively. But, whether this manna had thofe 
extraordinary qualities which fome imagine, or not, it 
mult be allowed to be truly miraculous, upon the follow¬ 
ing accounts. 1. That it fell but fix days in the week. 
2. That it fell in fuch a prodigious quantity, as fuftained 
almott three millions of fouls. 3. That there fell a dou¬ 
ble quantity every Friday, to ferve them for the next day, 
which was their Sabbath. 4. That what was gathered on 
the firft five days ttunk and bred worms if kept above one 
day ; but that which was gathered on Friday kept fweet 
for two days. And, laftly, That it continued falling- 
while the Ifraelites abode in the wildernefs; but ceafed as 
loon as they came out of it, and had got corn to eat in the 
land of Canaan. 
MAN'NA, a diftrift, town, and river, on the fouth- 
welt coaft of the ifland of Sumatra. In this dilirifta pro- 
grefs in the art of cultivation is difcovered, fuperior to 
what appears in almoft any other part ot the ifland ; that 
occupied by the Battas excepted. Here the traveller may 
fee pieces of land, in fize from five to fifteen acres, regu¬ 
larly ploughed and harrowed. Mr. Madden accounts lor 
this difference by obferving, that Manna is by much the 
molt populous diltrift to the fouthward, with the imalleft 
extent of the fea-coaft. Neceffity obliges them to culti¬ 
vate the earth; or otherwife they would be obliged to 
abandon their native loil. In order to underhand the rate 
of produce, we mult firft explain the terms tiled in de¬ 
ferring it. Paddee is rice whillf it is in the hulk; and 
paddee in Sumatra and the Malay illands is~ diltinguilhed 
into two forts, viz. laddang, or upland p.iddee ; and fawoor, 
or low-land ; and thefe are always kept feparate, and will 
not grow reciprocally. From grounds tilled in the com¬ 
mon way, the produce is reckoned at 30 for one; from 
the laddangs in common it is about 60 or So ; the J'aiooors 
are generally fuppofed to yield an increafe of 100 tor one, 
but in fome of the northern parts 120. The excels of this 
proportion of produce above that of our fields in Europe, 
which feldom exceeds 15, and is often under 10, is af- 
cribed to various circumitances; viz. the difference of 
grain, rice being extremely prolific; and the more genial 
influence of a warmer climate ; its fecundity; but prin¬ 
cipally, as Mr. Madden conceives, to the different ftyde of. 
cultivation. The Sumatrans, who do not grudge time or 
labour,,. 
