MELOE

MELOE, in zoology; a genus of insects of the order of coleoptera. The antennæ are jointed, the last joint being oval; the breast is roundish; the elytra are soft and flexible; and the head is inflected, and gibbous. The insects of this genus are divided into two families; one without wings, and having the elytra shorter than the abdomen; the other winged, with elytra shorter than the body and wholly covering the wings.—The most remarkable species are, 1. The proscarabæus; the colour of which is black, but without brightness, though intermixed with a small degree of purple, especially towards the under part of the body. Its head, which is large, is dotted; as is the thorax, which is narrower, round, and without a margin. The elytra are as soft as leather, shagreened, and cover but part of the abdomen. They are, as it were, cut off obliquely from the inner to the outer part, being shorter towards the future, longer on the sides. There are no wings under the elytra. The abdomen is large, especially that of the female, in which it far exceeds the elytra.—This insect makes its abode on the side of wet roads and in woods. Its food are insects, violet leaves, and delicate herbs. There comes from its body a fat unctuous matter of an agreeable smell. The males are less than the females. 2. The vesicatorius, or blistering meloe, is nine or ten lines in length, of a shining green colour mixed with azure. It multiplies greatly. They are sometimes seen flying in swarms. A nauseous smell, not unlike that of mice, bespeaks their approach; which scent leads to the discovery of them when they are sought for in order to make a provision. When dried, they are so light, that 50 scarce weigh one dram.—They prey upon the leaves of trees and shrubs, and in preference take to those of the ash-tree. The odorous particles exhaled by these insects, are extremely corrosive. Great caution should be used in picking them up. People have been known to be seized with violent heat of urine, voiding of blood, for having gathered a quantity of them during the heat of the sun with their hands bare, or for having fallen asleep under trees where swarms of them had settled. The copulation of these insects is performed during the most intense heat of the day. There are many other species, differing in size, figure, and colour. Nature has apparelled almost all of them in a splendid manner. Green, azure, and gold, render them dazzling to the eyes. They are most common in the southern parts of the continent. In this genus, as well as in some others, the females court, and in the act take the place of the males. The females deposit their eggs in the ground, whence proceed larvae, which pass through the state of chrysalids in order to attain to that of meloes. Uses. Oil in which insects of the first species have been infused is said to be an excellent topical for wounds andNo 210. the scorpion's sting. It enters also into the composition of salve for plague sores. The insects bruised and mixed with oil or honey, Linnæus says, are recommended as a remedy in the rabies canina. The second species is the cantharides of the shops; which, when bruised, is universally used as a blistering plaster. The largest and most esteemed of this sort come from Italy. Cantharides are extremely acrimonious: applied to the skin, they first inflame, and afterwards excoriate the part, raising a more perfect blister than any of the vegetable acids, and occasioning a more plentiful discharge of serum. All the blistering compositions have cantharides for their basis. The external application of cantharides is often followed by a strangury, accompanied with thirst and feverish heat: this inconvenience may be remedied by soft unctuous or mucilaginous liquors liberally drunk. Cantharides taken internally often occasion a discharge of blood by urine, with exquisite pain. If the dose is considerable, they seem to inflame and exulcerate the whole intestinal canal; the stools become mucous and purulent; the breath fetid and cadaverous; intense pains are felt in the lower belly; the patient faints, grows giddy, raving mad, and dies. All these terrible consequences have sometimes happened from a few grains. Herman relates, that he has known a quarter of a grain inflame the kidneys, and occasion bloody urine with violent pain. There are nevertheless cases in which this stimulating fly, given in larger doses, proves not only safe, but of singular efficacy for the cure of diseases that yield little to medicines of a milder class. In cold phlegmatic sluggish habits, where the viscera are overloaded, and the kidneys and ureters obstructed with thick viscid mucous matter, cantharides have excellent effects: here the abounding mucus defends the solids from the acrimony of the fly, till it is itself expelled; when the medicine ought to be discontinued. Groenvelt employed cantharides with great success in dropsies, oblitinate suppressions of urine, and ulcerations of the bladder; giving very considerable doses made into boluses with camphor; and interposing large draughts of emulsions, milk, or other emollient liquids: by this means, the excessive irritation, which they would otherwise have occasioned, was in great measure prevented. The camphor did not perhaps contribute so much to this effect as is generally imagined, since it has no sensible quality that promises any considerable abatement of the acrimony of cantharides: nitre would answer all that the camphor is supposed to perform; this, with milk, or emollient mucilaginous liquors, drunk in large quantity, are the best correctors. Cantharides, in very small doses, may be given with safety also in other cases. Dr Mead observes, that the oblitinate gleetings which frequently remain after the cure of venereal maladies, and which rarely yield to balsamic medicines, are effectually remedied by cantharides; and that no one remedy is more efficacious in leprosy disorders: in which last, proper purgatives are to be occasionally taken during the use of the cantharides. The best and safest preparation of cantharides for these purposes, is a spirituous tincture; and indeed, in all cases, the tincture is far preferable, for internal use, to the fly in substance. The virtues of cantharides are extracted by rectified spirit Melon. spirit of wine, propof spirit, and water; but do not arise in distillation. The watery and spirituous extracts blister as freely as the fly in substance; whilst the fly remaining after the several menstrua have performed their office, is to the taste insipid, and does not in the least blister or inflame the skin. * See Cucurbit.