Menthol
a white crystalline substance obtained from oil of peppermint, and considered a valuable remedy in neuralgic affections of the face and head. The crystals are partially soluble in water, but entirely so in ether and the fixed and volatile oils.
MENTONE (-tō'ne) (French Menton), a town in the department of Alpes Maritimes, France, pleasantly situated on the Mediterranean, 1/2 miles from the Italian frontier and 14 miles N. E. of Nice. Owing to its S. exposure, and the fact that spurs of the Alps shelter it on the N. and W., it enjoys a delightful climate (average for the year 61°) and so has become a favorite winter resort of invalids and health seekers from England, Germany, and other countries. The town stands on a promontory that divides its bay into two portions; the native town clings to the mountain side, while the hotels and villas for the visitors extend along the water's edge. The harbor is protected on the S. and W. by a sea-wall. Great damage was done to the place by an earthquake in February, 1887. In the 14th century it was purchased by the lords of Monaco, and, except during the period of the revolution and down to 1815, when France seized it, the princes of Monaco kept possession till 1848. In MENTOR that year the inhabitants voluntarily put themselves under the protection of Sardinia, but that power yielded the town to France 12 years later. Pop. about 18,- 000.