an ancient weapon, formerly much used by the cavalry of all nations. It was commonly made of iron; its figure much resembles a chocolate-mill; many specimens may be seen in the Tower. It was with one of these that Walworth mayor of London knocked the rebel Wat Tyler off his horse in Smithfield for approaching the young king Richard II. in an insolent manner; and as he fell, he dispatched him with his dagger. The mace in modern times changed its form; and being no longer a war instrument, is made of copper or silver gilt, ornamented with a crown, globe, and crofs, and is now the chief insignia of authority throughout Great Britain. Similar to the ancient maces, were those slaves at the end of which iron or leaden balls armed with spikes were suspended by chains; they were till lately carried by the pioneers of the trained-bands or city militia.

the materia medica, the second coat or covering of the kernel of the nutmeg, is a thin and membranaceous substance, of an oleaginous nature, and a yellowish colour; being met with in flakes of an inch or more in length, which are divided into a multitude of ramifications. It is of an extremely fragrant, aromatic, and agreeable flavour; and of a pleasant, but acrid oleaginous taste.

Mace is carminative, stomachic, and astringent; and possesses all the virtues of nutmeg, but has less astringency.—The oils of mace and nutmeg, whether prepared by distillation or expression, are so much of the same nature, that they may be indiscriminately used for one another on all occasions. They give ease in cholics, and often in nephritic cases, taken internally from one drop to five or six of the distilled oil, or an equal quantity of the expressed; and externally, they are of use to rub paralytic limbs: they also assist digestion; and will often stop vomitings and hiccoughs, only by being rubbed on the region of the stomach. The nurses have a custom of applying oil of mace by expression to children's navels to ease their gripes, and that often with success; and we are assured, by authors of credit, that when rubbed on the temples, it promotes sleep.