Mekhitar Kosh, surnamed tlie neanlless, a learned Armenian ecclesiastic, who was born about 1140, found- ed a monastery in the valley of Dandsoud, in I'^astern Armenia, in 119], and became its first abbot. He died in 1213. Alekhitar Kosh left several works, but they still continue in MS. form, and are of minor value. See Hoefer, Xoin: Jiior/. Generale, xxxiv, 786.
Meko'nah (lleb. Mekonah', n!-?., a h(tsc, as in I Kings \ ii.J7.eli-. : Sejit. in most editions omits, but v. r. y\a\ra and .Mr/i'Ji';';, A'ulg. .1/((c/(0H«), a town in the southern part of the tribe of .ludali, and inhaljited after ' the exile (Neh. xi, 28). From its being coupled (in that passage) with Ziklag, we shoidd infer that it was situ- ated far to the south, while the mention of the " daugh- ter towns" (n23, A.V. " villages") dependent on it, seem to show that it was a place of some magnitude, lie-
land {Palcest. p. 892) thinks it may be identical with Mechanum, a village located by Jerome between Kku- theropolis and Jerusalem, eight miles from the former (Onomust. s. v. Betlimacha). It seems strange that Je- rome should speak of a village south of Jerusalem when describing Beth-maachah, which lay at the northern extremity of Palestine (2 Sam. xx, 14). The only un- appropriated site at about the required distance is Je- rush, not far north-east of Beit Nettif (Robinson, Re- searches, ii, 342, note).
Mekshirim. See Talmud,
Mel (iir Mali), Conrad, a German theologian, was born Aug. 14, 1666, at Gudensberg (Hesse). He was the son of a Protestant minister, studied theology at the Dutch University of Groningen, then returned to Ger- many, and performed pastoral tluties at Jlittau, Me- mel, and Kfinigsberg. In 1705 he was called to take charge of the Gymnasium of Hersfeld as director, and later received due recognition for his services from his prince, the landgrave, in the position of superintendent of the churches of Hesse, He died at Cassel, May 3, 1733, IMel had made sacred antitpiity a special study, and, if his works were written too liastily, it must be at- tributed to the necessity of providing for the support of a large family. Mel belonged to the Royal Societies of London and lierlin. (_>f his works we notice Die Posavne f/e/-y->/7/.r(V— sermons (Kiinigsb. 1697,4to; 7th edit. Cas- sel, 175.5, 4to) ; there is a kind of sequel, under the title l)er J/erohl der Ewiykeit (Berlin, 1729, -Ito) -.—Legatio orienialis Sinetmum, Samaritunorum,Chahkeonnn, et He- breeoriim, cum interpretationihus (Kiinigsberg, 1760, fol) : — Omina hruta (1704, 8vo); inserted in D'Haubert's Bibl. may tea : — Der wUrdige Cast an des Jleirn Tafel — sermons (Konigsberg, 1704, 4to, eight editions): — An- tiquarius sacer, seu de usu antiquitatitm Juduicarum, Grcecai-itm, et Romanarum in erplkandis obscurioribus Scripturw dictis (Schlensingen, 1707, 8vo; the edition of Frankfort, 1719, 4to, is augmented by the addition of four small works): — I'antometrvm nauticum (Hersfeld, 1707, fol.). He invented a machine by which he pre- tended to measure longitude at sea with great exact- ness, ami offered models to several academies; those of London and Herlin presented several objections, to which he replied in the I'hurus illii.<lntns (ibid. 1709, Ibl.) : — Der Tabernackel oder (pilndiihe /uschrdliinig der Sl{fis- hiitte, samint alien ihren Thtilcii i/nd hi ilii/en Gerahten (Frankfort, 1709, 1711, 4to; Cassel. 1720, 4t'o) :—J/jWo- narins evaiigelicus (Hersfeld, 1711, 8vo) : — Zinn's I.ehre und Wimder — sermons (Frankfort, 1713, 4to, eight edi- tions): — J)as Leben der I'atriarchen (Frankfort, 1715, 171(;, 2 vols. 4to) -.—Die Lust der lleiligen (Cassel. 1715, 8vo; l.')th edit. ibid. 1779);— i'<i/o«(07("s Temptl (Frank- fort, 1724, 4to; Cassel, 1726, 4to). The manuscripts of Mel are jirescrvcd in the library of Cassel, among w hich is a J/istoire lilleraire de la Hesse, See Acta Jlistor, Kccles. i, 105; J. H. Lederhose, Khrengfddchtniss Conrad Mel (Cassel, 1733, 4to) ; Streides, Griatdl. zu einer liess. Gelehrlen Gescbichte, viii, 391. (J, H, W,)
Melach. See Salt,
Melah. See Ti-.i.-MKi.Air,
Melancholy, in so far as it is a mental disease, and must more or less afll'ect the religious state of the believer, demands our consideration. It is generally held that melancholy is the exaggeration of the natural and legitimate feelings of grief, despondency, and ap- prehension, which become morbid w here the emotion is without a cause, or is disproportioncd to the actual cause, or is so intense as to disturb and destroy the exercise of the other mental powers. This dejection and suffering is found associated with exalted .sensations, or delusions as to the personal or jihysical condition of the individ- ual, which originate in habitually cherishing certain impres.sions, in lixing the attention upon certain vital processes, which may be unhealtliy,,or become so by the very concentration of thought bestowed ujion them. The patient lives in fear of death, in the conviction that
MELANCTHON
53
MELANCTHON
he is differently or more exquisitely constructed than those around ; that he labors under some foul or fatal disease ; that he is destitute of strength or comeliness. This has been regarded as hypochondriacal melancholy
tlie maladie Anglaise, and affects the opening of life.
Similar feelings are called forth in reference to the social position. There arises a dread of poverty and want. The victim is haunted by imaginary debts, obligations, peculations. He feels incapable of extricating himself. The poor, as well as the rich, entertain such doubt and dread. They starve iu order to husband their resources. This affection prevails at maturity— at the period of greatest activity and usefulness. Towards the decline of life— although encountered at every age— morbid de- pression assumes the form of religious anxiety, despair, remorse. Moral statistics show that among the inhab- itants of Northern Europe the number of cases of mel- ancholy exceeds those of mania ; and it has been sup- posed that the rudiments of the malady may be detected in the original character, the temperament and habits of the race, as well as in the climate, domestic condi- tion, and diet, by which these are modified. Defective blood nutrition, or anajmia, appears to be the physical state with which the great majority of cases of melan- choly are connected, and to which all modes of treat- ment are directed. Powerfid and permanent and de- pressing moral emotions act as effectively in arresting healthy digestion and alimentation as the use of inju- dicious food, or the use of proper nourishment under circumstances such as the respiration of impure air, or indulgence in intemperate or degraded tendencies, which render assimUatiou impossible. The aspect of the mel- ancholiac corroborates the view of inanition and ex- haustion. The surface is pale, dry, cold, attenuated, even insensible ; the muscles are rigid ; the frame is bent; the eyes sunk, and fixed or flickering; the lips parched and colorless. There is a sense of exhaustion or pain, or impending dissolution. It has been remarked that in proportion to the intensity of the internal agony is there an obtuseness or anaesthesia to wounds or ex- ternal injuries. Such an immunity causes in lunatics an indifference to the most grievous forms of suffering, and has given rise to the supposition, on the part of those scientists who cannot see any virtue in religion, that Christian martyrs displaj^ed at the stake a fortitude inspired rather by a lunatic condition than by heroic faithfulness to their convictions Chambers, Cyclop, s. v.