Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 13.djvu/300

MEDITERRANEAN SEA. 272 MEDULLARY SARCOMA. vius. ami Stioniboli. tluTp are many evidences of recent volcanic action, and instances have oc- curred of islands smliicnly uplicaved by it, where volcanic llres liave a|i])carcd for a short time. Consult : Playfair, "The Mediterranean, Physical and Historical." in Smithsoniau Institution Re- port, 1S90 (Washington, 1891); Smyth. The Meditcrranpun. Memoir I'hysicnl, Historiedl, and Xaliiral (T^ondon, 1854). MEDITERRANEAN SUBREGION. In zoiigi'oyraphy, that suhdivisjun id' the Palearctic Region which includes the basin of the Mediter- ranean Sea. Asia Minor. Persia, and the south coast of Asia as far as the Indus. The Canary, Azores, and Maileira islands ari^ also included. It is l)Ouniled on the nortli by the line of moun- tains which extend from the Pyrenees to the Himalayas, and on the soutli by the Atlas Jloun- tains, the deserts of Xorthwestern Africa and Cen- tral Arabia, and east of that by the Indian Ocean. It is a region of subtropical warmth, and except along the north shore of the Mediterranean is largely treeless, arid, and elevated. Within re- cent times the Mediterranean has been of much less extent, enal)ling animals to pass freely across its basin at two or more places; and much of the country now barren was fornierlj' wooded. It is not surprising to find, therefore, a general simi- larity and great variety of life throughout the entire area. Among the possible indigenes of this subregion were the horse, camel, and some other now wholly domesticated animals. Of the few- remaining or recently extinct manunals of the larger sort, the Barbary ape. fallow deer, aoudad. nioutllon (of Sardinia), and civets arc most prom- inent. Several gazelles and antelopes, which do not range south of the Sahara, the Asiatic wild ass, and many small animals are peculiar. Most of the North European birds pass across it in their migration to and from their winter homes; but it has many resident s])ecies of its own, especially among the birds of prey and the game birds. See Di.stributiox of .xim.ls: and con- sult the accompanying maps, and the authorities there cited. MEDJIDIE, nie-jid'i-a (Turk. miijhVi. from Turk.. y. mnjul. glorious, from Ar. mnjd. glory, from majiidii. to be glorious). .X Turkisli orilcr of di^tinclion. fust in^lituted in 1S.")2. The Order of Medjiilie lias five classes, each ditTering in size, the clecoration on which is a silver sun of seven triple ra.vs. the crescent and star alternating with the rays. In the centre of the decoration, on a circle of red enamel, is the legend signifying 'zeal, honor, and loyalty,' and the date l'2liS, the Alohanuiiedan calendar year e(uresponding to 18.52. The Sultan's name is inscribed on a gold field within this circle. The fir'^t three classes of the firder are worn sus|)endrd from the neck, and the fourth and fifth on the left breast. A star closely resembling the badge is worn on the left breast by the wearers of the first-class order, and on the right breast by those of the second class. The ribbon is red with green borders. See Plat" of OiiiiKiis. MEDLAR (OF. medler, mexler. meslirr, med- lar-tree, from mctle, mrftplr. niple, Fr. ni^flr. It. rirnpiln. medlar-fruit, from OHO. menplla, nrx/irln, ('•IT. lfiv/)(7. medlar, from l.at. me.Kpiliif!. Ok. liiawtKov. mmpilon, luffjrCKri. nirspilr, medlar; probably connected ultimately with Heb. shilpri, to be low), Mespilim. A genus of trees or shrubs of the natiral order Rosacea" sometimes combined with tlic genus Pyrus by botanists. The common medlar (Mcsiiilii.s or I'ynis germunieu) , a large shrub or small tree, spiny in a wild state, but destitute of spines in cultivation, is a native of and in general cultivation in the south of Europe and the temperate parts of Asia, seldom .seen in America. It has lanceolate leaves, not divided nor serrated, solitary large white Jlowers at the ends of small spurs, and somewhat top-sliaped fruit, of the size of a small ])car or larger, ac- cording to the variety. The fruit is very astrin- gent, even when ripe, and is not eaten until its tough pulp has become soft and vinous by in- cipient decay. MEDLEY, S.VMiEL (17.18-90). Baptist pas- tor in Livcr])0(>l, England, from 1772, and favor- ite hymn-writer. In early life he was in the navy, but was obliged to retire on account of wounds in 1759. He then taught school, till in 1767 he became a preacher. Two of his hymns, "Oh. could I speak the matchless worth." and ".wake my soul to joyful lays," are well known. MEDOO. See WiXE. MEDOWS, med'r>z. Sir William (17.18-1813). An English soldier. In 175() he entered the Brit- ish Army, in which he served for many years, first in Germany, then in the war with the Amer- ican colonies, in which he commanded the Fifty- fifth Regiment. He was soon placed at the head of the First Brigade of Grenadiers and distin- guished himself by his bravery at the battle of Brandy wine and in the expedition of 1778 against Saint Lucia. He afterwarils lived in India from 1781 to 179.1, occupied several |)Osts of responsi- bility there, and served as Governor of Madras from 1790 to 1792. His military renown was greatly increased by gallant conduct at the siege of Seringajiatam. and in 179.1 the rank of lieu- tenant-general was conferred upon him. For some tinu' after his return to England he was Governor of the Isle of Wight, and afterwards, as the successor of Cornwallis, was commander- in-chief in Ireland (1801-0.1). MEDRANO, ma-dra'iiA. Fh.vncisco de. A Spanish po<t of the seventeenth century, born at Seville. It is known that he visited Rome, but no other details of his life are authenticated. He is one of the best of Spanish lyric ])oets, and is especially noted for his odes in the manner of Horace, His works were first published in the fleiitinn.i of Pedro Venegas de Saavedra, a poet of Seville (l(il7). They are reprinted in Riva- denera's liibliolvea de autorex espniiolea, vols, xxxii.. xv.. and xlii. (IS.'i-ll. MEDUL'LA OBLONGA'TA. See Nervois SYSTIM ami I'.IIAIV. MED'ULLARY RAY (Eat. mcdullaris. per- taining to marrow, from mednlln. marrow). The mdiating vertical plates of tissue in stems, the primary ones extending from the pith to the cortex; also called •pith-rays.' Rays of less ex- tent ari' called 'secondary.' See Woon. MEDXTLLARY SARCCMA. One of the synonyms for that variety of cancer which is also known as encephaloid. cellular cancer, medul- lary cancer, fungus mcdullaris. etc. It grows more quiekl.v. distributes itself more rapidly, and attains a more considerable bulk than any other form of cancer, tumors of this nature being often as large as a man's head, or even larger. Of