MUCUS, a semi-fluid substance, of a viscid, tenacious character, produced by the various mucous membranes of animals, and found cov ering the exposed surface of such membranes. Thus it is produced in the mucous membrane lining the nose, the mouth and throat, the gullet, stomach, large and small bowel, the air-tubes of the lungs, the kidneys, ureter, and bladder, the gall-bladder, the ducts of glands, the bile-ducts, etc. In all these situations it serves to lubricate the membrane over the surface of which it is spread, and to protect the delicate surface from the action of irritating agents. Its viscid char acter prevents it being readily removed, and thus enables it more effectually to discharge its protective function. It is to be noticed that many of the mucous membranes have special glandular structures embedded in them, which produce special secretions, not mucus, such as the mucous membrane of the stomach and bowels, whose secretions have special properties connected with the digestion of the food. The saliva from the mouth is a mixture of mucus and the special secretion from the salivary glands, which acts on the starchy elements of food. Other mucous membranes have no such special structures, and only mucus is secreted by them, such as the mucous membrane of the nasal passages. Mucus is secreted by glands situated deep in the mucous membrane, and such glands are found in the mucous mem brane of the nose; similar glands of very mi nute form are found scattered thickly in the mucous membrane of the mouth, and are found of considerable size in the back part of the tongue, in the gullet, and other situations. But mucus is also produced by single epithelial cells, lining mucous membranes. The form of epithe lial cell called the °goblet cell' is believed to be a mucous-secreting cell, and it is found in large numbers lining the mucous membrane of the air-passages, the stomach and bowels. So
that by their agency the special digestive secre tions of stomach and intestines contain a large admixture of mucous material. Pure mucus is transparent, but it is usually turbid from the presence of fortign materials, and epithelial cells from the secreting membrane. Its chief ingredient is mucin, a derivative from albumin ous bodies, consisting of carbon, hydrogen, oxy gen and nitrogen, but, unlike albumin, contain ing no sulphur. It is held in suspension by water, forming an opaque liquid, but is not dis solved by it. Besides mucin, mucus contains small quantities of proteid substances and salts, chiefly common salt. Water constitutes nearly 94 per cent of its bulk. From fluids containing it in suspension, such as bile, it may be pre cipitated in a flocculent stringy mass by alcohol. Heat does not coagulate it; and it is dissolved by weak solutions of alkalies and alkaline earths.
MUD (or PEAT) BATH, in which the body is immersed in mud or peat. At Eger, Bohemia, black mud is heated to a temperature of It contains sulphate of soda, iron, lime, alumina and ulmic acid. The body is immersed for 15 minutes, after which the patient goes into water to remove the mud. Such a bath may be of use in chronic skin diseases, rheu matism, gout, etc.
a name, in the leather trade, for the Indian buffalo (Bos bubalus) as found in a wild or semi-wild condition in the Malay Peninsula, where they frequent swamps and are shot for the sake of their hides. These hides are not tanned, but are sent green to India, Europe and America to be used in the making of loom-pickers, mallets, gears and other tools used in cotton-milling. They become harder than wood, and are tougher and more elastic.
See CATFISH.