Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 13.djvu/319

MEKONG. 283 MELANCHTHON. whole of Cocliin-Cliiiia, ami through which the Mekong enters the China Sea after a total Mow of aliout 2800 miles. At the town of Piioni Poiik, in Ciimbodia, an arm extend.s northwestward from the Mekong to the large lake Tonle Sap, which at one time discliarges into the Mekong and at another is fed by it. METliA, PoMPONius. A Latin writer, the first to compose a strictly geographical work. He was a native of Spain, and is helievcd to have lived in the time of the Emperor Claudius, hut nothing whatever is known concerning him. Mela's compendium is in three books, and is en- titled Uc aitu Urbis. The text is greatly cor- rupted, on account of the abundance of proper names; but the style is good, and the author shows a very creditable diligence of research and discrimination in the use of his authorities. The editio princrps appeared at ililan in 1471, and there is an early translation by Arthur Golding (London. 1.583). There are good editions by Tzsehucke (Leipzig. 1807). Parthey (Berlin, 1867). and Frick (Leipzig, 1880). MELALEU'CA. A genus of plants. See C..1KPI T. MELAMTXJS (Lat., from Gk. MeXaAwroi;s, il/e- ■lam]ious. In Greek legend, the son of Amy- thaon; his mother is said by different authors to be Aglaia, Rhodope. or Eidomene. He is rep- resented as a physician and prophet, and is said to have acquired his powers of divination from Apollo, who imparted to him all the secrets of the art of medicine. Melanipus appears in two groups of legends. In one he and his brother Bias came from Thessaly to Pylus. where Bias fell in love with Pero, daughter of Neleus. Her father, however, required her suitor to bring to him the herds of Iphiclus. Melanipus went on this mission, was seized and thrown into prison, but overheard the worms in the beams predict the speedy fall of the building. He told his jailers, who believed, and with him escaped before the Jail. The King, hearing of his gifts, secured his aid in curing a disease of long standing, and as his fee gave him the mucli-desired cattle. He was also said to have left Neleus and gone to Argos, where he cured the Argivc women, or, according to others, the daughters ot King Proetus, of mad- ness sent by Dionysus or Hera. As a reward he received for himself the hand of one of the daugh- ters, Iphianassa, and a third of the land of Argos, and another third for Bias. Thus their descend- ants, including the prophet ."imphiaraiis, ruled along with the descendants of Prietus. At ^Egos- thena in Megaris ilelampus w-as worshiped as a god. having a. temple and apparently games in his honor. MELANCHOLIA (Lat.. from Gk. ij.eayxola, black Idle, from lU^Xas. iiielas', black -f- x"'*'!. choir, bile). A form of insanity characterized by depression both of emotional state and of nerve functions. The essential feature of this disorder is sadness, dejection, despondency. The melan- eholiac is gloomy, full of foreliodings and fearful anticipations, convinced of physical inferiority and of moral worthlessness. and often contem- plates, even if he does not commit, suicide. A number of delusions arise in almost all ca.ses. He may even commit murder to save himself from his own expected fate. Disturbances of the sense organs may cause hallucinations of smell, taste, and sight. In some cases, overwhelmed by terror or by conviction of wrongdoing, the patient bums or mutilates himself in a paroxy.sm of fury and during a reduction of cimsciousness. This cim- dition, really the outcome of terror, is called melancliolic frenzy. This frenzy occurs in alco- holics as a result of the familiar hallucinations of frightful animals, tires, and of fearful fore- bodings, in melancholia there is more apparent bodily disorder during the attack than in mania. Constipation, drjness ot tongue and tliroat, ab- sence of appetite, and headache are prominent. There are .several varieties of melancholia. Mel- ancholia ayilata occurs when the patient is active and excited, restk'ssly running about, weeping and beseeching and wringing his hands. Melancholia atlonita occurs when the patient is ])ractieally mo- tionless, fastening his gaze on the lloor, lethargic and rela.xed with 'frozen expression.' It is dif- ficult to arouse the atonic melancholiac to take food, or to answer questions. He must be dressed and undressed by an attendant. Mclancliolia simplex has been described. Melancholia sine delirio, less happily designated 'reasoning melan- cholia,' is a form of the disorder in which there is neither delirium nor delusiim nor hallucina- tion. This is also known as 'affective melan- cholia,' since the emotional or affective sphere is chiefly at fault. There is a preliminary period during which the patient complains of inability to tix his at- tention, faltering memory, and slow intellection. An attack of melancholia rarely appears without this preliminary period except when it follows an emotional shock or an exhausting fever. An attack of melancholia lasts from a few weeks to about eight months in most cases. Some attacks continue for over a year. Accurate figures as to the percentage of cases of melancholia to the whole number of insane cannot be reached ; but the proportion is about 14 per cent. Sixty per cent, of melancholiacs recover. The treat- ment of melancholia consists in constant surveil- lance, regular and ample nourishment, cardiac and general stimulants, hygienic measures, and interesting occupation. Travel benefits many, but unremitting vigilance is necessary to prevent accident or suicide. See Ix.san'Ity. MELANCHOLY JAQUES. A name used of ..T. .J. Rousseau liecause of his morbid nature, and su^'gested by .Taques in Shakespeare's As You Like It. MELANCHTHON, nif-lank'thon, Gcr. pron. mfi-liink'tun, Philipp ( 1497-1 5()0) . The associ- ate of Luther in the Protestant Reformation, and the foremost teacher of his time, in the words of Hallam, "far above all others the founder of gen- eral learning throughout Europe." He sprang from the middle class, as did Luther from the lower. His father was an armorer in favor at Court, his mother the daughter of the burgo- master of Brettcn in Baden, where he was born, February 6, 1497. By the advice of his grand- uncle, the learned Reuchlin, he changed his fam- ily name, when he entered the University of Hei- delberg at the age of twelve, from Sehwarzerd ( 'Ulack earth') into its Greek equivalent, Jlelanch- thon, a common practice among scholars. Having taken the bachelor's degree when fourteen, he took the master's degree at Tiibingen when seven- teen and at once began to lecture on Terence, Vergil, and rhelorie; when nineteen he published an edition of Terence, which ran through seventy- three editions in the course of about a century.