MAHOG′ANY. This is the wood of Swietenia Mahogoni (Linn.), a native of the hotter parts of the new world. It is chiefly imported from Honduras and Cuba. The extract is astringent, and has been used in tanning, and as a substitute for cinchona bark. The wood is chiefly employed for furniture and ornamental purposes, and, occasionally, in ship-building.
Imitations of mahogany are made by staining the surface of the inferior woods by one or other of the following methods:
1. Warm the wood by the fire, then wash it over with aquafortis, let it stand 24 hours to dry, and polish it with linseed oil reddened by digesting alkanet root in it; or, instead of the latter, give the wood a coat of varnish, or French polish which has been tinged of a mahogany colour with a little aloes and annotta.
2. Socotrine aloes, 1 oz.; dragon’s blood, 1⁄2 oz.; rectified spirit, 1 pint; dissolve, and apply 2 or 3 coats to the surface of the wood, previously well smoothed and polished; lastly, finish it off with wax or oil tinged with alkanet root.
3. Logwood, 2 oz.; madder, 8 oz.; fustic, 1 oz.; water, 1 gall.; boil 2 hours, and apply it several times to the wood boiling hot; when dry, slightly brush it over with a solution of pearlash, 1 oz.; in water, 1 quart; dry, and polish as before.
4. As the last, but using a decoction of logwood, 1 lb., in water, 5 pints. The tint may be brightened by adding a little vinegar or oxalic acid, and darkened by a few grains of copperas.
Stains and spots may be taken out of mahogany furniture with a little aquafortis or oxalic acid and water, by rubbing the part with the liquid by means of a cork till the colour is restored; observing afterwards to well wash the wood with water, and to dry it and polish it as before.
MAIZE. Syn. Indian corn. The seeds of Zea Mays (Linn.). Like the other corn plants, it belongs to the Grass family (Graminaceæ), and has albuminous grains sufficiently large and farinaceous to be ground into flour.
Maize is extremely nutritious, and although it is poorer in albumenoid matters than wheat, it is, of all the cereal grains, the richest in fatty oil, of which it contains about 9%. (Dumas and Payen.) It is remarkable for its
fattening quality on animals, but is apt to excite slight diarrhœa in those unaccustomed to its use. Its meal is the ‘POLENTA’ of the shops. The peculiar starch prepared from it is known as ‘CORN FLOUR,’ In America the young ears are roasted and boiled for food.