Genre:

Introduction, Spoof; Extract, Reportage, Spoof; Letter, Reportage, Spoof; Poetry, Spoof

Relevant illustrations:

wdct.

Illustrators:

T Hood Hood, Thomas (1799–1845) ODNB
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Subjects:

Microscopy, Politics, Medical Treatment, Engineers, Industrial Chemistry

    The various news reports and letters recount the supposed political disturbances at Stoke Pogis. A letter signed 'H. J. P.' reports: 'fear magnifies every thing; and, like Carpenter's Carpenter, Philip (d. 1833) Turner 1989
Close   View the register entry >> celebrated Solar Microscope, produces the most terrific Bugbears out of next to nothing, till you almost expect that mite will overcome right' (5–6). A song mistaken for an incendiary song includes the lines: 'Burn all Steers's Opodeldoc, / Just for being good for burns' (34) and 'Burn all bores and boring topics; / Burn Brunel Brunel, Sir Marc Isambard (1769–1849) ODNB
Close   View the register entry >>—aye, in his hole Thames Tunnel
Close   View the register entry >>!' (35). The line 'Burn all swindlers! Burn Asphaltum!' is accompanied by an illustration captioned 'The Devil to Pay, and no Pitch Hot' (facing 34), which depicts a number of angry investors mobbing the shrugging and anxious-looking men coming out of a building labelled 'Assphaltum Company'.

Genre:

Poetry, Drollery

Relevant illustrations:

wdct.

Illustrators:

T Hood Hood, Thomas (1799–1845) ODNB
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Subjects:

Physiognomy

    The illustration captioned 'Fizzyognomy' (49) depicts a butler mounting the stairs carrying two bottles, the corks of which have just shot out, soaking his face.

Genre:

Catechism, Spoof

Relevant illustrations:

wdct.

Illustrators:

T Hood Hood, Thomas (1799–1845) ODNB
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Subjects:

Natural History, Animal Behaviour, Medical Practitioners, Medical Treatment

    The article addresses a series of comic questions about animals: 'Are Fish Deaf as well as Dumb?' (50), 'Can a Fly read in a book?' (51), and 'Has a cat nine lives?' (53). The illustration captioned 'A Drop of the Creature' (facing 53) depicts a genteel mother and her family being knocked over by a cat falling into the street. The article ends with an anecdote about 'an eminent and eccentric surgeon', whose advice for the treatment of a particular bodily wound was to 'Put on a Cataplasm', or, in the case of a child, 'a Kittenplasm' (56).

Genre:

Illustration, Drollery

Relevant illustrations:

wdct.

Illustrators:

T Hood Hood, Thomas (1799–1845) ODNB
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Subjects:

Menageries

    Depicts a woman vainly attempting to recover (using a parasol) her fancy hat, which has been seized by a giraffe, standing behind a low fence. The latter is apparently interested in the vegetation adorning the hat.

Genre:

Ballad, Drollery

Subjects:

Technology, Industrial Chemistry

    The ballad recounts the adventures of Ben Bluff, a whaler who retired 'when Gas took the shine out of Oil'. 'He turn'd up his nose at the fumes of the coke, / And swore the whole scheme was a bottle of smoke: / As to London he briefly deliver'd his mind, / "Sparmacity," said he—but the City declined'. (62)

Genre:

Introduction, Drollery; Poetry, Drollery

Relevant illustrations:

wdct.

Illustrators:

T Hood Hood, Thomas (1799–1845) ODNB
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Subjects:

Meteorology, Prognostication, Medical Treatment

    The 'Drapers' movement' has suggested an inquiry of general importance to humankind, 'namely, "When ought we to leave off?"' (89). Among those whom Hood considers do not know when to leave off are 'all Murphy's Murphy, Patrick (1782–1847) ODNB
Close   View the register entry >> frosts, showers, storms and hurricanes' (90). The illustration captioned 'Counter Irritation' (facing 91) depicts two long-suffering assistant drapers standing behind a counter at which an apathetic-looking young lady of fashion listlessly examines a large number of rolls of cloth.

Genre:

Fable, Spoof

Relevant illustrations:

wdct. [3]

Illustrators:

J Scott Scott, John (fl. 1836–39) Engen 1985, CA1/7/2, CA1/10/8
Close   View the register entry >> / T Hood Hood, Thomas (1799–1845) ODNB
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Subjects:

Naturalists, Medical Practitioners, Expertise, Government, Societies, Prognostication, Scientific Practitioners, Menageries, Pharmaceuticals, Animal Behaviour, Utilitarianism

    Ali Ben Nous is presented as a character from the 'Arabian Nights'—a 'Philosopher of the sect of Diogenes' who decided to 'travel in search of some happy country, where he could keep his originality to himself' (108). On travelling to the city of Yad, his evasion of the 'Great Serpent' by a simple expedient was greeted with acclaim: 'A mere bottle of oil! And we who have Magistrates, and Wise Men, and Conjurors! And Naturalists, and Zoologists, and Projectors, and a Faculty of Doctors, and a Committee of Public Safety, and a Society of Snake Charmers—and yet they never thought of a bottle of oil!' (111). The illustration captioned 'Fancy Portraits—Professor Silliman Silliman, Benjamin (1779–1864) DSB
Close   View the register entry >>' (facing 111) depicts a man with somewhat simian features—a low forehead, protuberant eyebrows and nose, a receding chin—and a dull look in his eye. On travelling to the city of Guz, his evasion of the 'Rok' by another simple expedient was greeted with similar acclaim: '"Holy Prophet!" cried the people, "and yet we have Councillors, and Elders, and Tacticians, and Ornithologists, and Bird-catchers, and Prognosticators of Rain, and nobody ever though of an umbrella!"' (114). On travelling to the city of Jug, his evasion of a tornado by a further simple expedient was once again greeted with acclaim: 'We that have a May'r and a Corporation, and Learned Bodies, and Scientifics, and a Company of Wax Chandlers, and Mechanics' Institutions, and Utilitarians, and nobody ever hit upon the waxen cushion!' (117). The illustration captioned 'A Day after the Fair' (facing 119) depicts utterly exhausted animals, including a cheetah, two lions, a polar bear, and a monkey, asleep inside their cages; the showman and his dog are also asleep. Weary of being imitated, Nous at last resolved to commit suicide. He repaired to a solitary spot near a wood 'with a large phial, or rather family bottle, of mortal poison in his pocket', and took a fatal dose, only to have the remainder of it snatched from him by an orang-utan, who aped his suicidal action. The illustration captioned 'Off by Mutual Consent' (facing 121) depicts a captive monkey in the act of having his head blown off by a canon which he has ignited with a long taper.

Genre:

Poetry, Drollery

Relevant illustrations:

wdct. [4]

Illustrators:

T Hood Hood, Thomas (1799–1845) ODNB
Close   View the register entry >> / J Scott Scott, John (fl. 1836–39) Engen 1985, CA1/7/2, CA1/10/8
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Subjects:

Aeronautics, Invention, Instruments, Amusement, Astronomy, Comparative Philology, Meteorology, Prognostication, Charlatanry, Authorship, Expertise, Physics, Controversy

People mentioned:

Thomas Monck Mason, Mason, Thomas Monck (1803–89) WBI
Close   View the register entry >> Robert Hollond, Hollond, Robert (1808–77) ODNB
Close   View the register entry >> Margaret Graham Graham, Margaret (fl. 1836–53) Rolt 1966
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    The poem begins by reminding readers of the descent of an aeronaut from a balloon by means of a 'parasol thing', the preceding September (133). The description appears to be a slightly fictionalized or inaccurate allusion to the parachute descent of John Hampton Hampton, John (c. 1799–1871) WBI
Close   View the register entry >> at Cheltenham on 8 October 1838 (Rolt 1966 Rolt, L. T. C. 1966. The Aeronauts: A History of Ballooning–1903, Longmans
Close   View the register entry >>). The illustration captioned 'An Air Pump' (facing 134) depicts a man descending rapidly in a basket attached to a parachute, clinging to the ropes with a grim expression, his sparse hair blown upwards, as his balloon floats away high into the sky. The question of where the liberated balloon might land was much discussed: 'Some held, but in vain / With the first heavy rain, / Twould surely come down to the Gardens Royal Gardens, Vauxhall
Close   View the register entry >> again!' (134). The poet avers that 'The firm Gye Gye, Frederick, the elder (1781–1869) ODNB
Close   View the register entry >> and Hughes Hughes, William (fl. 1821–38) ODNB, s.v. Gye, Frederick, CA1/10/7
Close   View the register entry >>', proprietors of the Vauxhall Gardens Royal Gardens, Vauxhall
Close   View the register entry >> and patrons of ballooning, 'Wore their boots out and shoes, / In running around and inquiring for news' (135). When at last the balloon descended six weeks later, it caused a great public sensation: 'off ran the folk,— / It is such a good joke / To see the descent of a bagful of smoke' (136). The illustration captioned 'Taking a Fly at a Watering-Place' (facing 138) depicts a gentleman chasing a butterfly with a net, his hat and wig falling off in the act of running into a pond. It was seen that there was a person aboard, and the observers speculated which of the leading aeronauts it might be. The figure was, however, of startling appearance, and spoke an incomprehensible language. John Bowring Bowring, Sir John (1792–1872) ODNB
Close   View the register entry >>—'A Doctor well able, / Without any fable, / To talk and translate all the babble of Babel' (143)—acted as interpreter. The man introduced himself as 'the Lunatick Man, / Confined in the Moon since creation began', who, having found the 'Wind-Coach' on the 'horns of the moon', had decided to visit the earth (144). The illustration captioned 'The Music of the Spheres' (facing 144) depicts a black musician wearing a turban, and about to strike cymbals together. The man in the moon's visit was in part occasioned by his having 'heard of a profiting Prophet [i.e. Patrick Murphy Murphy, Patrick (1782–1847) ODNB
Close   View the register entry >>] below [...] Who pretended to gather / The tricks that the Moon meant to play with the weather'. Being 'shortish of cash' he had decided to sell his own almanac to the trade. In addition, he had wanted to honour his 'friend Sir John Herschel Herschel, Sir John Frederick William (1792–1871) DSB ODNB
Close   View the register entry >>', and had inscribed his almanac to his name, 'Which is now at the full in celestial fame'. (145) Some showmen sought to kidnap the man, but Bowring declared: 'You ignorant Turks! / You will be your own Burkes Burke, William (1792–1829) ODNB
Close   View the register entry >>— / He holds all the keys of the lunary works! / You'd best let him go— / If you keep him below, / The moon will not change, and the tides will not flow' (146–47). As he left, the man threw down 'quite a flight / Of Almanacks, wishing to set us all right— / And, thanks to the boon, / We shall see very soon / If Murphy knows most, or the Man in the Moon!' (148). The illustration 'Losing Ground' (148) depicts two men fist-fighting, one having just knocked the other backwards into a frozen lake.

Genre:

Poetry, Drollery

Relevant illustrations:

wdct.

Illustrators:

T Hood Hood, Thomas (1799–1845) ODNB
Close   View the register entry >>

Subjects:

Medical Practitioners, Pharmaceuticals, Charlatanry

    'There once was a Doctor, / (No foe to the proctor,) / A physic-concoctor, / Whose dose was so pat, / However it acted, / One speech it extracted,— / "Yes, yes," said the Doctor, / "I meant it for that!"' (159). The poem gives various droll instances of this, ending with a patient for whom the 'dose was his death' (162). The illustration captioned 'For Better or Worse' (facing 159) depicts a disconsolate man sitting in bed wearing his nightcap, with a bottle in one hand bearing the label 'To be Taken' and a wineglass full of liquid in the other.