rant-jelly; infusions of tamarinds or rennets, &c. On the contrary, tart wines and spirituous liquors or mixtures of every description, especially punch, always aggravate the complaint.—When habitual costiveness prevails, Grant recommends the following draughts, which are grateful and efficacious, without debilitating the stomach or bowels: Take one ounce of manna; half an ounce of tartarized kali; eight blanched sweet-almonds; and six ounces of rose-water; let the whole be duly incorporated in a mortar, and a tea-cupful be taken every hour, till it operates. After the desired effect is produced, a glass of good old wine, and nutritive mucilaginous food, may be safely allowed.
By a strict adherence to this regimen, there is reason to hope for a complete cure, in three months. If, however, the patient be intractable, and averse to adopt any regular plan (as is too frequently the case in this complaint), he should be prevailed upon to travel; to drink purgative mineral waters; to use the cold bath; to have his head shaved, for the purpose of applying a sponge or cloths dipped in cold water; and to receive gentle eleftric shocks, directed from a wooden point through the region of the lower belly. On the whole, experience has evinced, that cold bathing is most conducive to the recovery of hypochondriacs, while the tepid bath best agrees with maniacs.
Lastly, it is remarkable, that the propensity to suicide is, strictly speaking, a characteristic symptom of black melancholy; the principal seat of which appears to be in the nervous texture of the spleen, and the left arch of the colon. Many writers consider this dreadful complaint to be peculiar to the English; as it more rarely occurs among other nations of Europe. It is farther worthy of notice, that such gloomy disposition of mind, not unlike the true mania, generally manifests itself itself at certain changes in the atmosphere; for instance, when southern winds prevail, and the barometer sinks till near the mark which indicates storm:—then the fatal crisis either takes place in nine days, or the patient overcomes the attack, which terminates in calm, placid, melancholy, or a stupid insensibility.—On such occasions, profuse draughts of cold and pure spring water; a strong, well-lifted waistcoat; and a blister, applied to the region of the spleen, will be the most appropriate remedies. If the left side, under the short ribs, should be perceptibly warmer to the touch than the opposite side, the blister ought to be nine inches long and six inches broad, in order to cover exactly the left hypochondriac region, where the spleen is situated. Unexpected relief has often been thus obtained: and the cure has been promoted by light, though nutritive food, exercise, diversions, music, &c.
Melasses. See Molasses.
MELIC-GRASS, or Melica, L. a genus of perennial plants, comprising 14 species, of which the following are the principal:
1. The nutans, or Mountain Melic-grass, which abounds in the mountainous woods of the northern parts of Britain: it flowers in the months of June and July. This species is eaten by cows, horses, and goats;—in the Isle of Raasay, it is manufactured into twine for fishing-nets, which are remarkable for their durability.
