MEDICINE-CHEST, is composed of all sorts of medicines necessary for a campaign, together with such chirurgical instruments as are useful, fitted up in chests, and portable. The army and navy are supplied with these at the expence of government.
Specific regulations have been issued by the war and navy offices, respecting the quantity and quality of the different medicines.
MEDIUM GUARD, a preparatory guard of the broad sword or sabre, which consists in presenting the sword in a perpendicular line with the centre of the opposed object, having the point upwards, the ward iron, and the cutting edge next the object.
MEER BUKSHY, Ind. Chief paymaster.
MEER TOZUK, Ind. A marshal whose business is to preserve order in a procession or line of march, and to report absentees.
MEGGHETERIARQUE, Fr. The commanding officer of a body of men, who formerly did duty at Constantinople, and were called Héteriennes, being composed of soldiers that were enlisted in the allied nations.
MELEE, Fr. a military term, which is used among the French to express the hurry and confusion of a battle; thus, Un Général habile conserve sa tranquillité au milieu du combat, et dans l’horreur de la mêlée:—An able general preserves his presence of mind in the thickest of the battle, and remains calm during the whole of the conflict. Mêlée corresponds with the English expression thick of the fight.
MEMOIRS, in military literature, a species of history, written by persons who had some share in the transactions they relate, answering, in some measure, to what the Romans call commentarii, i. e. commentaries. Hence Cæsar’s Commentaries, or the Memoirs of his Campaigns.
Memoir is the title given by military officers to those plans which they offer to their government or commanders on subjects relating to war or military economy.
MEMORIAL, an address to the government on any matter of public service.