~MA T                       (            )              M A~
conti.ining a Lid of the Ecelelafiatcs  the other of the  the M~qtrix4  RI&Tz
and Pareus obferve, that fome Perfonit
Poor fubfifled at the Expence of the Church.    The. have been cured of Difeafes,
by having the Matrix extir-
'Word Mitricula was alfo applied to a kind of Alms-houf-i, pated. In 16ag,
a Child was produced at the French Aca-
whete the Poor were provided for. It had certain Re- demy, which had been
conceived out of the Matrix, and
venues appropriated to it, and was ulually built near the  which neverthelefs
had  grown to the Length of fix
Church;i whence the Name was alfo, frequently given to  Inches. See EMB3RYO,
FOETUS~ LCCe
the Church itrelf.                                      MATRiX'S are alfo
ufed to fignify Places proper for
'MATRIX, or MATRICt, any thing ferving for the      the Generation of Vegetables,
Minerals, and Metals,
place of Generation of a Body : whether Orgarnica, is the  Thus the Earth
is the Matrix wherein Seeds fprout;5 Mar-
Matrix or Womb of Female Animnals, for the Produdion  caflites are the Masrix's
of Metals. See Fosss IL, MINEK-
oif the Specics; or Inorganical, as thofe of Vegetables, RtAL, &C.
Metals, and Minerals.                                   MAT aIN it alfo uifed,
tho' figuratively, for feveral
MATRIX,1 int 4natomy, the Uterus, or Womb 5 or that, Things, *herein there
feems to be efFeded a kind of Ge-
part of the Feil-ale of any Kind, wherein the Fagus is neratlion ; and where
certain Things feems to acquire a
conceived and noutriflied till the Time of its Delivery. In  new Being, or
at leafl a new Manner of Being: of this
Womnen, it is fituated in the Pelvis. or Capacity of the Hly- kind are the
Moulds wherein the Printers Types or Let-
pogajirium, between the Urinary Bladder and the Intelti- ters arecaft, and
thofe uifed in firikinig Money and Medals,
mum Ref urn, and reaches as far as the Flanks. It is fur- call'd alfo Coins.
See MATRItIE.
rounded and defended by mighty Bones;5 before, by the   MATRON, among the
Romnans,. fignify'd a married
Os Pubis; behind, by the Sacruin ; on each fide, by the  Woman, and the Mother
of a Family. There was, how-
ilium and Jfcbium. It is in figure forrewhat like a flat ever, forme difference
between Matrona and Mater-familias.
Flask, or dried Pear.  In Women with Child, it ex- Servius fays, that forre
imagined the Difference, to lie in
pands and receives different Formrs, according to the d(if- this,' That AMatrona
was a Woman who had one Child,
ferent Times and Circumfiances of Geflation. It has fe- and Mater-farnilas
fhe that had feveral., But others, par-
-veral Coats, Arteries, Veins, Nerves, and Ligarhients, and  ticularly -Alus
Ge/haus, take the Name Matrona to belong to
is interwoven with feveral different Kinds of Fibres. Ana- a married Woman,
whether lhe had any Children or no ;
tomniffi divide it into the Fundas and Cervix 5 a broad Part, the Hope and
Expeifation of having them, being enough
and a Neck. It is in Extent, from the Extremity of the  to warrant the Title
of Mother, Matrona : and for which
one to that of the other, about three Inches in Length ; reafon it isi; that
Marriage is called Matrimony. This Opi-~
its Breadth at the Fundus is about two and a half, and its nion is fupported
by Aulus Gellitis and Nonius.
Thicknefs two. It has but one Cavity, unlefs we diffin-  MVATRONALIA, Feafis
of the Roman Ladies, or ra-
gufflh between the Cavity of the Uterus, and that of its ther Matronis, celebrated
on the Calends of March, in ho-
INeck. That of the C'ervix is very fmall, fcarce fufficient nour of the God
Mars. No Men living in Celibate; were
to contain a Garden-Bean. At the Bottom or Neck, to- allow'd to affaif at
the Feafi. The Word comes from the
wiards the Fandus, it grows very narrow in Virgins ; the Ex-~ Latin Matroita.
trmit   fi is calld the ofculurn Internum: In prgnant   MATROSSES, are SolIdiers
in the Train of Artillery,
Wmen it opens, more efpecially towards th  Time of next below the Gunners
i their Duty is to affifl the Gun-
Delivery. The other and lower Orifice of the Neck, ners in traverfing, fpunging,
loading, and firing of Gunsi
towards the Vagina, called Ofeulum Exter-num, is a little  &-c. They
carry Fire-Locks, and march along with the
prominent, refembling, in fomne meafure, the Glands of Store-Waggons.
the Virile Organ. The Subfiance of the 'MatriAx is mnem-  MATTADORE, fee
OmBrE.
branious and carnous. It confifis of three Tunics;4 or, ac-  MATTER, or BODY,
an extended, folicd, divifible,
cording to foame, who deny that Name to tho middle Sub- moveable and palfive
Subfiance, the fitfi Principle of all
fiance, of two only. The external Tunic, call'd alfo the  natural Things,
from the various Arrangements and Corn..
Communis, is derived from the Peritoneum, and confifis of binations whereof,
allI natural Things are formed. .4riftatle
two Lametle   the exterior of which is pretty fmootb% makes three Principles,
matter, Form, and Privation:
the interior rugged and uneven : This Membrane invefis Which lift the Cartefians
throw out of the number 5 and
the whole Matrix, and connelts it to the right Intefline, others, the two
lafi. See PhINCIPLE.
Bladder Wc. The middle Tunic is ver thick, and camn-    The Properties of
Matter we are pretty Well acquainted
pofe4d o firoing Fibres variouily difpo'fed. Some think it with, and can
reafon about its Divifibility, Solidity, Lec.
contributes to the exclufion of the Fxtus; j  ho' others ima- fee D iv xs
i l L IT r, FEd~c. But the Effence thereof, or the
gine, it ferves only to recover theTone, after any violent Di- Subjed wherein
thefe Properties refide, or their Subjiratum,
f'ceofon. The inner Tunic is nervous. The Matrix is con- is dill a Myfleryi
Ariflotle fpeaks very darkly on the
neaed by its Neck to the Vagina;5 behind, by its outward  Subje&, defining
Matter to be nec quid, nec quantumi nec
common Membrane, and before byi the fame to the       quale, nor any certain
or determinate Thing at all;5 which
Bladder. Its Sides are tied to other Parts ; but the Fun- many of his Followers
interpret fo, as to believes that
dus is left loore, that it may expand and dilate more free- Matter does not
at all exifi. See BODY.
ly. its Ligaments are four, two of which are called _. The Cartefians make
the Effence of Matter to con-
broad, and two 'round, from their Figure.  The broae-fift in its Extenfioni
arguing, that fince the Properties
Ligaments are membranous, loofe, and foft ; whence they  above-mention'd
are all that are effential to Matter, fome
have been compared by forne to the Wings of Bats, and  of them mull conflitute
its EiTence. and fince Extenfion
called Rid f'efpertilionum~. The round Ligaments are' of a is conceived prior
to all the reft, and is that, without
firmer Texture, and confift of a double Membrane, wrap- which none of the
teil can be conceived, Extenfion is that
ped -up in its Arteries, Veins, Nerves, and Lymplhxdua*s. which conflitutes
the Effenice of Matter. But the Conclu-
The Blood-Vefifels, both in thefe and the round Liga- fion, here, is unjuft;
for on this Priniple, the Exiflence
ernets, make a great p art of what is called their Sub- of Matter, according
to Dr. Clark, would have the faireft Ti-
11ance: Thefe, as well as the others, ferve to keep the  tle to conflitute
its _Effhnce, th vi eieeb Incoeid
Womb in its right Pofition;5 and are very liable to be  pir to all Properties,
and even to Exterifion. Since then
injured by unskilful Midwivcs. On each Side of the Fun- thre Word Extenflon
appears to go further, and to be more
dius of the Womb, raries a Dual, which opens into the  general than Matter
; that impenetrable Solidity, which is
Womb with a fmaisll Orifice, but in its Progrefs enlarges, effential to all
Matter, and to Matter alone, and from which
and towards the End is contraafed again: At the End  all its Properties manifefily
flow, may, with more Propri-
next thecovaria, which is at liberty, it expands again into  ety, be call'd
the Eflence of Matter. See ESSENCE.
a kind of Foliage fringed round;5 which Expanifion Falto.  Again, if Extenfion
were the EfTence of Matter, and fo
pixs, the firft Difcovcrer, imagined like the End of a  Matter and Space
the fame thing;i it would follow, that
TJirumpet; whence he called the whole Du&1 Tuba. It Ma44ter is infinite
and eternal, that it is a neceffry Being,
confiffs of a double Membrane. Both Veins and Arteries and could neither
be created nor annihilated;5 which is
are very numerous here, efpecially the latter, which, by  abfurd. Befides
that, it appears both from  the Nature of
various Ramifications and Contortions, make the main  Gravity, the Motions
of Comets, the Vibrations of Pen-
Subilance of them. Dr. Wharton gives them  Valves, but dulums, Vc. thtCpcei
not Matter : and therefore 'tis
the other Anatornifts difallow it. ~ee FALLOPIAN TUBE, not Extenfion; bu
 oiipntrable Externfioin which
VitsriIRTILioNum     AtJE, &.C. &C                   has a Power
ofrflig       ht  conflitutes Matter-. See
The antient Greeks call'd the Matrix- '4rey, from  IA471p, VACUum  and ETNIN
Moth~er: 'Whence, Diforders of the Womb are frequently  Many among the old
Philofophers maintain'd the Eter-.
call'd Fits of the Mother. They alfo call'd it 6si46r, as be- niity of Matter,
out of which they fuppofed all things to
ing the laft of the Entrails, by its Situation. They  alfo  be formed by
the hands of Nature s as Jeing unable to
call d it 1w'oi;, or Natara 5 and Vu~lva, from volvo, to fold or conceive
how  any thing  Thould be formed out of no-
envelop, or Valva, a Door. Plato and Pythagoras took it thing.  Plato maintain'd,
that Matter had exiffed eter-
for a diflin&   Animal within another.  P. .i~gineta ob- nally, and concurred
with God in the Produaion of all
ferves, that the Matrix may be taken away from  a Wo- things, as a paflive
Principle, or a, kind of collateral
mnan, without her Death;5 and there have been Inflances Caufe. See ETERNITrx.,
of People, who have lived a long time after the Lofs of