Madder
in botany, the genus Rubia, and specially R. tinctorum. It is a trail ing or climbing annual, supporting itself by its leaves and prickles. It is supplied chiefly from Holland, France, Italy, and Turkey. Indian madder, called also madder of Bengal, is R. cordifolia; madder of Chile, R. augustissima or Relboum.
In chemistry, the root of R. tinctorum is extensively used in dyeing for the production of a variety of colors, namely, red, pink, purple, black, and chocolate.
The colors produced from madder are very stable, the well-known Turkey-red being one of them; and the tints and shades obtainable, according to the mordant used, are very numerous. Alizarin, or madder red, discovered by Robiquet, may be extracted with solvents, or obtained by sublimation in the form of beautiful reddish needles (see ALIZARIN).
In pharmacy, madder is a tonic, a diuretic, and an emmenagogue. Brown madder, a rich red-brown pigment, prepared from the roots of R. tinctorum.
MADEIRA (mä-dā'ō-rä), a Portuguese island in the North Atlantic, 360 miles from the coast of Africa, 530 miles from Lisbon, 1,215 from Plymouth; length, 30 miles; breadth, 13 miles; area, 314 square miles; pop. about 175,000.
The island is traversed by a central mountain ridge, the highest point of which reaches 6,000 feet; from this great spurs descend to the coast, forming lofty precipices; and in the bays formed between these volcanic cliffs are situated the villages of Madeira. Adjacent to Madeira is Porto Santo, a small island,