Chapter MYNA to MYSORE THORN of M by The Hobson Jobson Dictionary

and are not fit to use dry.”—Pegolotti, p. 377.

c. 1343.—(At Alexandria) “are sold by the ten mans (mene, see MAUND),…amomum, mirobalans of every kind, camphor, castor.…”—Ibid. 57.

1487.—“…Vasi grandi di confectione, mirobolani e gengiovo.”—Letter on presents sent by the Sultan to L. de’ Medici, in Roscoe’s Lorenzo, ed. 1825, ii. 372.

1505.—In Calicut) “li nasce mirabolani, emblici e chebali, li quali valeno ducati do’ el barr (see BAHAR.)” —Lionardo Ca’ Masser, p. 27.

1552.—“La campagne de Iericho est entournée de mõtaignes de tous costez: poignant laquelle, et du costé de midy est la mer morte.…Les arbres qui portent le Licion, naissent en ceste plaine, et aussi les arbres qui portent les Myrobalans Citrins, du noyau desquels les habitants font de l’huille.”⁵—P. Belon, Observations, ed. 1554, f. 144.

1560.—“Mais pource que le Ben, que les Grecz appellent Balanus Myrepsica, m’a fait souvenir des Myrabolans des Arabes, dont y en a cinq especes: et que d’ailleurs, on en vse ordinairement en Medecine, encores que les anciens Grecz n’en ayent fait aucune mention: il m’a semblé bon d’en toucher mot: car i’eusse fait grand tort à ces Commentaires de les priuer d’vn

fruict si requis en Medecine. Il y a donques cinq especes de Myrabolans.”—Matthioli, Com. on Dioscorides, old Fr. Tr. p. 394.

1610.—

“Kastril. How know you ? Subtle. By inspection on her forehead ; And subtlety of lips, which must be tasted Often, to make a judgment. [Kisses her again.]

Slight, she melts Like a Myrabolane.”—The Alchemist, iv. 1.

[c. 1665.—“Among other fruits, they preserve (in Bengal) large citrons…small Mirobolans, which are excellent.…”— Bernier, ed. Constable, 438.]

1672.—“Speaking of the Glans Unguentaria, otherwise call’d Balanus Mirepsica or Ben Arabum, a very rare Tree, yielding a most fragrant and highly esteem’d Oyl ; he is very particular in describing the extraordinary care he used in cultivating such as were sent to him in Holland”—Notice of a Work by Abraham Munting, M.D., in Philosoph. Trans. ix. 249.

MYSORE, n.p. Tam. Maisur, Can. Maisuru. The city which was the capital of the Hindu kingdom, taking its name, and which last was founded in 1610 by a local chief on the decay of the Vijayanagar (see BISNAGAR, NARSINGA) dynasty. C. P. Brown gives the etym. as Maisi-ur, Maisi being the name of a local goddess like Pomona or Flora ; ur, ‘town, village.’ It is however usually said to be a corruption of Mahish-asura, the buffalo demon slain by the goddess Durga or Kali. [Rice (Mysore, i. 1) gives Can. Maisa, from Skt. Mahisha, and uru, ‘town.’]

[1696.—“Nabob Zulphecar Cawn is gone into the Mizore country after the Mahratta army.…”—Letter in Wilks, Hist. Sketches, Madras reprint, i. 60.]

MYSORE THORN. The Caesalpinia sepiaria, Roxb. It is armed with short, sharp, recurved prickles ; and is much used as a fence in the Deccan. Hyder Ali planted it round his strong-holds in Mysore, and hence it is often called “Hyder’s Thorn,” Haidar ka jhar. [1857.—“What may be termed the underwood consisted of milk bushes, prickly pears, mysore thorn, intermingled in wild confusion.…”—Lady Falkland, Chow-chow, 2nd ed. i. 300.]

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