M Y R 
M Y R 
which have been thus feledled would loon corrqpt if they 
were not watered, or rather pickled with lime-water made 
from calcined (hell-fifli, which they dilute with falt-water 
till it attain the confidence of fluid pap. Into this mix¬ 
ture they plunge the nutmegs, contained in fmall bafkets, 
two or three times, till they are completely covered over 
with the liquor. They are afterwards laid in a heap, 
where they heat, and lofe their fuperfluous moilture by 
evaporation. When they have fweated fufficiently, they 
are then properly prepared, and fit for a fea-voyage. 
In the ifland of Banda, the fruit of the nutmeg-tree is 
preferved entire in the following manner. When it is 
almoft ripe, but previous to its opening, it is boiled in 
water and pierced with a needle. They next lay it in 
water to foak for ten days, till it has loll its four and (harp 
tafte. They then boil it gently in a f'yrup of fugar, to 
which, if they wifh it to be hard, a little lime is added. 
This operation is repeated for eight days, and each time 
the l'yrup is renewed. The fruit when thus preferved is 
put for the laft time into a pretty thick fyrup, and is kept 
in earthen pots clofely (hut. Thefe nuts are likewife 
pickled with brine or with vinegar; and, when they in¬ 
tend to eat them, they firfl deep them in freih water, and 
afterwards boil them in fyrup of fugar, &c. 
Nutmegs preferved entire are prefented in the eafl as 
deferts, and the inhabitants of India fometimeseat them 
when they drink tea. Some of them ufe nothing but the 
pulp ; others likewife chew the mace; but they generally 
throw away the kernel, which is really the nutmeg. 
Many, who perform fea-voyages to the north, chew this 
fruit every morning. The medicinal qualities of nutmeg 
are fuppofed to be aromatic, anodyne, flomachic, and re- 
ftringent; and, with a view to the laft-mentioned eft'edis, 
it has been much uled in diarrhoeas and dylenteries. To 
many people the aromatic flavour of nutmeg is very agree¬ 
able ; they, however, fiiould be cautious not to ufe it in 
large quantities, as it is apt to aftedf the head, and even to 
manifeA an hypnotic power in fuch a degree as to prove 
extremely dangerous. Bontius fpeaks of this as a fre¬ 
quent occurrence in India; and Dr. Cullen relates a re¬ 
markable indance of the foporific effedt of the nutmeg, 
which fell under his own obfervation, and hence con¬ 
cludes, that in apoplectic and paralytic cafes this fpice 
may be very improper. He oblerves, that a perfon by 
miflake took two drams or little more of powdered nut¬ 
meg: he felt it warm in his domach, without any uneafi- 
nefs ; but in about an hour after he had taken it he was 
feized with a drowfinefs, which gradually increafed to a 
complete flupor and infenfibility ; and not long after he 
was found fallen from his chair, lying on the floor of his 
chamber in the date mentioned. Being put to bed, he 
fell alleep; but, awakening a little from time to time, 
he was quite delirious; and he thus continued alternate¬ 
ly deeping and delirious for feveral hours. By degrees, 
however, both thefe fymptoms diminilhed ; lo that in 
about flx hours from the time of taking the nutmeg he 
was pretty well recovered from both. Although he dill 
complained of head-ache, and fome drowfinefs, he flept 
naturally and quietly the following night, and next day 
was quite in his ordinary health. The officinal prepara¬ 
tions of nutmeg are a fpirit and eflential oil, and the nut¬ 
meg in fubdance roaded, to render it more adringent. 
Both the fpice itfelf and its eflential oil enter feveral com- 
pofitions, as the confedlio aromatica, fpiritus amonise 
com. &c. Mace polfefi’es qualities limilar to thofe of the 
nutmeg, but is lei's adringent, and its oil is fuppofed to 
be more volatile and acrid. 
MYRME'CIA, J\ [from Gr. an ant.] In fur- 
gery, the denomination of a fpecies of verruca, or wart, 
which is fertile 'upon a broad bafe, prominent, callous, 
and of a blackifh colour, and is affedled with dinging 
pains, when cut, like the bitings of ants. 
MYRME'CIA, f. [Gr. an ant’s ned.] In botany, a 
genus of the dafs tetrandria, order monogynia, natural 
order of gentians, JuJ)'. Generic Characters — Calyx: 
447 
perianthium one-leafed,tubular, long, five-toothed; tooth- 
lets eredt, acute. Corolla: one-petalled; tube long; 
opening inflated ; border five-cleft; fegments ovate, acute, 
revolute; nedtary five fmall glands furrounding the bafe 
of the germen. Stamina: filaments four, filiform, in- 
ferted at bottom into the tube, and longer than it; an- 
theras linear, eredt. Pidillum: germen oblong, fuperior; 
flyle filiform, longer than the fiamens ; digma bilamellate. 
Pericarpium : capfule long, two-celled, two-valved, co¬ 
vered by the permanent calyx. Seeds : numerous, very 
fmall, vifcid, adhering to the partition.— Effential Cha - 
rader . Calyx tubular, five-toothed ; corolla one-petalled, 
with an inflated mouth, and five-cleft border; germen 
with five glands at the bafe; digma bilamellate; capfule 
two-celled, two-valved, many-feeded. There is only one 
fpecies. 
Myrmecia tachia. This is a (hrub with a trunk of five 
or fix feet in height; thick at the bafe, and gradually di- 
minifhing as it alcends: it throws out here and there long, 
rough, four-cornered branches, which are oppofite anil 
tubular: at each knot of thefe branches grow two oppo¬ 
fite leaves difpofed crolfways : they are ovate, (harp, per¬ 
fectly entire, fmooth, fubfieffile, and embrace the flem. 
From the bolom of one or other of thefe leaves proceeds 
a fertile flower, of a yellow colour; and it generally hap¬ 
pens, that, at the bofoms of thofe leaves which do not 
produce flowers, a tear of yellow refin makes its appear¬ 
ance. It is a native of Guiana in woods and on the banks 
of rivers, where it flowers and bears fruit in October. 
We are informed by Aublet, that the hollow trunk and 
branches of this (hrub are commonly the retreat of a great 
many ants, for which reafon it is called by the Caribbees 
tachi, which is (aid to fignify an ant’s ned ; and hence 
Schreber took occafion to apply a claflical name to this- 
genus. 
MYRMEC'IDES, an artid of Miletus, mentioned as 
making chariots fo fmall that they could be covered by 
the wing of a fly. He alfo infcribed an elegiac didich on 
a grain of Indian fefamum. JEl ' um . 
MYRME'CION, in ancient geography, a town of the 
Tauric Cherlonefus, which flood on the banks of the 
Cimmerian Bofphorus, according to Strabo, Pliny, Mela, 
See. No vefliges of it now remain. 
MYRMECOPII A'GA, /. [from the Gr. pa>ppoi| : , an ant, 
and tyuyu , to eat.] The Ant-eater; a genus of quadru¬ 
peds of the order bruta. Generic Charadters —Teeth 
none; tongue cylindric, extenlile; mouth lengthened 
into a fomewhat tubular form ; body covered with hair. 
The animals of this genus live entirely on infedts, more 
particularly on the various kinds of ants: in order to 
obtain which, they extend their tongue, which is of a 
very great length, and of a roundifh or worm-like form, 
into the nefls of thefe infedts ; and when, by means of 
the vifcid moilture with which it is covered, a fufficient 
number are fecured, they retradf it fuddenly into the 
mouth, and (Wallow them. A part of the generic cha- 
radter of the myrmecophaga is the total want of teeth, 
in which particularity it relembles no other animals, ex¬ 
cept thofe of the genus Manis, in which the fame circum- 
flance takes place. There are, however, in the ant-eaters, 
according to the obfervations of Brouflonet, certain bones 
or procelfes, not unlike teeth, lituated deep at the entrance 
of the gullet or cefophagus, or rather, according to Camper, 
at the lower end of the jaws. The fpecies of ant-eaters 
are (even in number. 
i. Myrmecophaga jubata, the great ant-eater: four 
toes on the fore-feet, and on the hind five; the tail is 
bulky. There is a variety with a fliorter face and (horter 
legs. This, as its name imports, is by much the larged 
ot the genus, being feven feet in length from the tip of 
the nofe to the end of the tail; but, if meafured to the 
origin of the tail, it is no more than about five feet and 
a half. It is an animal of an uncouth appearance: the 
head is fmall; the fnout very long; the eyes fmall; the 
ears fliort and round ;.the lhoulders thick and mufeuiar, 
from 
