Shows a kilted figure standing on a river bank, wielding sword and a banner
labelled 'Buccleuch and nae Thoroughfare' (a reference to the opposition of
Walter F Scott (5th Duke of
Buccleuch)Scott, Walter Francis Montagu-Douglas-, 5th Duke of Buccleuch and
7th Duke of Queensberry
(1806–84)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> to the proposed
Thames
EmbankmentThames Embankment
CloseView the register entry >>). He attempts to stop a horse-drawn carriage whose
driver is told by Mr Punch to ignore the Scotsman.
The initial letter forms part of an illustration with a small, long-nosed
figure peering through the eyepiece of a theodolite. The text discusses the
argument, reported by
Prince George (2nd Duke of
Cambridge)George (George William Frederick Charles), Prince, 2nd Duke of Cambridge
(1819–1904)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>, that English soldiers consider it 'derogatory' to 'fight
behind walls'. Punch thinks this argument insane, and likewise the
notion that English sailors consider it demeaning to fight behind iron
plates.
Noting an advertisement for the 'twin medicaments' (pills and ointment) sold
by
Thomas
HollowayHolloway, Thomas
(1800–83)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>, suggests a number of 'twinned' consitituents from which
they might be made, such as 'spermaceti and beeswax'. Submits that Holloway is
the twin brother of the late
James MorisonMorison, James
(1770–1840)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>,
and that their mother was 'HUMBUG'.
Opens by attacking the 'Scotch Duke'—a reference to the
Walter F Scott (5th Duke of
Buccleuch)Scott, Walter Francis Montagu-Douglas-, 5th Duke of Buccleuch and
7th Duke of Queensberry
(1806–84)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>—for his opposition to 'popular advancement, to the
march of intellect and reform' and his attempts to dispossess people of their
'right of way' in such places as the Scottish glens and the banks of the Thames
(a reference to the proposed
Thames
EmbankmentThames Embankment
CloseView the register entry >>).
Race, Amusement, Travel, Cultural Geography, Ethnology
Discusses a report in the
Morning
PostMorning Post and Daily Advertising Pamphlet
(1772–1900+)
Waterloo Directory
CloseView the register entry >> relating that
King Kamehameha
IVKamehameha IV, King of the Sandwich Islands
(1834–63)
WBI CloseView the register entry >> of Hawaii (then known as the Sandwich Islands) delighted in his
prime minister wearing Scottish costume. Speculates on how much the same dress
will be enjoyed by 'aborigines of the Coast of Africa', and urges that
missionaries should accordingly use it for travelling and for charming the
natives away from 'prostate barbarism'.
Physical Geography, Mapping, Publishing, Cultural Geography,
Class
Reports that, after seeing an advertisement for a 'Select Atlas', Mr Punch
described his interest in a socially exclusive atlas that would only include
'countries in which a gentleman can really take an interest', and thus avoid
being another of those 'fat' books so detested by Mr Punch. Playing on the
connotations of the word selection, suggests that 'A good deal in the way of
civilisation might be done by "cutting" all nations that do not conduct
themselves with grace and decorum'.
Responds to a claim in a 'weekly Penny Guide to Politics and Social
Sciences' that 'the ladies of England are no better than they ought to be'
because they still send for doctors when needed. Observes that 'Penny Wisdom'
urges women to send not for a physician but for the fictional Mrs Gamp, and
warns that most 'women of England' remain unconvinced that receiving advice
from a male doctor is 'unwomanly'.
Urges the 'CLERK OF THE WEATHER' (i.e. the imaginary functionary supposed to
control the weather) to 'return to his disconsolate office' after an
unaccountable leave of absence. Promises to discharge
Robert FitzroyFitzroy, Robert
(1805–65)
DSB CloseView the register entry >>
if the clerk has been jealous of him.
Notes the continuation of the 'Embankment Debate' and a related dispute over
the architecture of buildings to be erected on the embankment. Also notes
details of the 'Fortifications Debate'.
Notes the discovery by German chemists of a starch that can be converted
into gunpowder—a claim that prompts Punch to observe that should
the substance be used in war it 'will prove a stiffer for many a tall
fellow'.
Comparative Philology, Superstition, Meteorology, Religious Authority,
Religion, Unbelief, Periodicals, Natural Theology, Observatories, Education,
Government
Ironically upholding the causal relationship between the weather on
St Swithun'sSwithun, St.
(d. 863)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>
day and the succeeding forty days as a 'pious opinion', asks for the
TabletTablet
(1840–1900+)
Waterloo
Directory CloseView the register entry >> editor's
opinions on an
AthenaeumAthenaeum
(1828–1900+)
Waterloo
Directory CloseView the register entry >>
report containing the 'dangerous if not pernicious statement' that there is no
meteorological evidence supporting this tradition. The author seeks to prove
his piety by condemning the
Royal Observatory,
GreenwichRoyal Observatory, Greenwich CloseView the register entry >>—where such evidence was produced—as 'one of
those pestilent institutions where the Book of Nature is read and interpreted
under no condition of restraint or guidance by ecclesiastical authority'.
Proceeds to condemn observers at Greenwich for publishing facts which 'ought
never to have taken place' and points out that this contradiction of Catholic
doctrine would 'be impossible under a system of Catholic teaching', a system
being blocked by
Henry J Temple (3rd
Viscount Palmerston)Temple, Henry John, 3rd Viscount Palmerston
(1784–1865)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>, the 'persecuting
PREMIER'.
Thinks the
Metropolitan RailwayMetropolitan Railway Company
CloseView the register entry >> has been so
frequently 'inundated' with rain that it is better called the 'Underwater
Railway' than the 'Underground Railway'.
Lamenting the excessive size of women's petticoats', discusses the case of a
Quaker arrested for attempting to pick the pocket of a lady visiting the
'Machine Room' of the
International ExhibitionInternational Exhibition (1862), London CloseView the register entry >>.
Notes that the counsel for the accused defended his client by stressing that he
was visiting 'his brother's machinery' at the exhibition and, as a man of
'considerable property', had no financial incentive to commit the robbery.
Reveals that the accused was released following strong evidence of his good
character, but Punch describes ways in which people may avoid being
accused of picking pockets.
Invention, Technology, Religious Authority, Exhibitions
Surprised that critics of the
International ExhibitionInternational Exhibition (1862), London CloseView the register entry >> have
not drawn the attention of the public to 'an exquisitely carved pulpit'
designed to deal with the problem of 'long sermons'. The illustrations and
remaining text reveal that the pulpit's cover is designed to fall down on the
preacher and thus prevent him from speaking or being heard—a technique
that the author suspects is caused by 'machinery'. Hopes his letter will boost
the inventor's sales to 'metropolitan congregations'.
Shows a 'Fond Parent' observing a boy who has fallen asleep in a chair and
dropped his book on the floor. The mother surmises that the son has read
himself to sleep with a book on 'Geography' or 'something of that sort',
although the title of the work, 'Cookery Book', is turned away from her.
Exhibitions, Physiognomy, Phrenology, Mineralogy, Engineering,
Statistics, Gender, Representation, Evolution, Human Development
Describes his visit to the
International ExhibitionInternational Exhibition (1862), London CloseView the register entry >>.
Opens by insisting that it is impossible to see the exhibition
'systematically', unless one possesses 'indomitable patience and a regular
"grinding" organ of Individuality' owned by such individuals as the 'editor of
Bradshaw's Railway Guide' or the 'Perpetual "Grand Vice" of the
Statistical
ClubStatistical Club
CloseView the register entry >>'. Notes that he prefers to take things as he finds them in
'the World's Fair', and goes on to describe how an aristocratic woman made the
'unreasonable' suggestion of writing a Punch article about some 'mineral
products' the correspondent was examining at the exhibition. Describes the
crowds who gathered to see 'the piping bullfinch of Switzerland' and the
'peculiar' fascination that the English possess for ascending high places, a
tendency illustrated by the number of Englishmen climbing the exhibition's
'Tasmanian wood trophy'. Later describes a display staged by 'An ingenious
German' to illustrate his theories about human growth and the height which we
should reach at particular stages of life. The author considers these theories
'far-fetched'.
Human Development, Nutrition, Health, Medical Treatment
Discusses a report in
The TimesThe Times
(1777–1900+)
Waterloo
Directory CloseView the register entry >> of
the long life and death of
Étienne D, duc de PasquierPasquier, Étienne Denis, duc de
(1767–1862)
CBD CloseView the register entry >>.
Considers the reasons for the long lives of celebrated individuals. Links
Pasquier's long life to his habit of eating a great deal of everything that
'should do him good', and the celebrated
Thomas Parr'sParr, Thomas ('Old Parr')
(d. 1635)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> to the
fact that he did not take any medicines. Noting that 'Sauces and spice, and all
meats nice, / Are what the greatest men are made of', believes that Pasquier's
notorious 'good-living' demonstrates the connections between on the one hand,
good food, and on the other, mental and bodily health, and that his example
should be followed.
Consists of spoof reports of the proceedings of astronomical, zoological,
geological, geographical, statistical, and theological societies. The
proceedings of each society typically reveal that members' names are based on
their area of expertise, and that their pursuits are either fantastically
chimerical or completely banal. At the 'Astronomical' society, for example,
Herr von Orbitz read a paper proposing a scheme for helping ships sail in
'Great Circles' by connecting them to comets' tails; at the 'Geological'
society, there was a paper on 'Use of Basalt for pickling purposes' and a
much-debated exhibition of 'thunderbolts found on Mount Olympus'; while at the
'Statistical' society, Mr Dumdiddy described his work on the 'number of persons
who were asleep in London at half-past 11 p.m.'. The participants in these
societies are also represented as charlatans: Mr Descartes of the
'Geographical' society, for example, produced a map of the interior of
Madagascar, a country that it was later revealed he had never visited.
Written in the legal language of an official act of
ParliamentHouses of Parliament
CloseView the register entry >>, this document presents the
reasons why the
Commissioners of Woods and
ForestsCommissioners of Woods and Forests
CloseView the register entry >> should be 'authorised and empowered' to sell waste lands to
the 'Best Bidder' and thus enclose such lands. It opens by noting that,
following the petition from 'PETER BELL, of the County of
Cumberland, Potter' (a reference to
William
Wordsworth'sWordsworth, William
(1770–1850)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> poem, 'Peter Bell'), the primrose and other flowers
found on common ground are 'not any other things, except in as far as they may
be used and applied in the Arts and Sciences', and are 'either noxious weeds,
or at least unserviceable for the food of Man or Beast'. Its claims regarding
the uselessness of the very waste grounds that 'nourish the vain fancies and
conceits of unprofitable Writers and Poets' support its argument for turning
such lands 'to some Profitable Account', such as 'Arable or Building Land', or
'Game Preserves'.
Reports on 'some interesting experiments on incubation' undertaken by
country gentlemen, who also support the recent 'Bill for the protection of
Game' and who have apparently 'succeeded in hatching poached eggs'.
Punch, 43 (1862), 57.
Crumbs of Comfort for Country Cousins, Who Can't Come Up to the
Exhibitions
Complains to his cousins about the 'uncomfortable' state of London, notably
the overcrowding, the fast and dangerous traffic, and the high price of food.
In a postscript, he denies that the
International ExhibitionInternational Exhibition (1862), London CloseView the register entry >> is
worth visiting, noting that 'beyond some guns, a piping bullfinch, and a few
pickles and toys, there is positively nothing in it'.
Discusses a 'machine for milking the four teats of a cow at the same time'
displayed at the
International ExhibitionInternational Exhibition (1862), London CloseView the register entry >>, a
machine noted for its cleanliness and 'lightness of touch'. Anticipates the
'lacteal deluge', satisfied cats, and the number of unemployed dairymen that
the machine will cause.
Describes an elevated part of the
International ExhibitionInternational Exhibition (1862), London CloseView the register entry >> in
which 'educational works and appliances' are displayed. This display features
such items as 'Desks, drawing pads, and cricket-bats, globes, orreries, and
footballs, marbles, maps, and magic lanterns', but also a barrel-organ 'shown
by a scientific gentleman' who has devoted much of his life to teaching speech
and spelling with the help of music. Discusses some of the advantages and
disadvantages of this system of education.
Laments that the
International ExhibitionInternational Exhibition (1862), London CloseView the register entry >>
appears to have 'sunk into a shop' owing to the fact that exhibitors now
advertise that their wares can be 'obtained' within the exhibition building.
Stresses that this stops Mr Punch from treating the exhibition as a place to
'improve his mind' because his wife is constantly being pestered by merchants.
Mr Punch insists that he will take no part in any 'underhand transaction' at
the 'World's Show'.
Praises a new model omnibus from Manchester, drawing attention to its
greater space, cleanliness, comfort, and speed, and hopes 'Cottonopolis' can
'send up to London a real Patent Safety Cab'. Believes the latter will greatly
'relieve our police magistrates of a very great portion of their labours.
States that Punch will 'never say a word against the Manchester School
again' if the Manchester cab stops the accidents caused by cabmen.
Reflects on changes to the design of naval ships, emphasising that the
waves, which now 'laugh' at their ancient governess Britannia, can only be
controlled by iron ships. Notes how surprised old seafaring characters
(including the Vikings) would be to see ironclads and speculates on how the
introduction of iron clad ships will change naval customs: for example, the
replacement of 'cocked hats and epaulettes' by 'leathern aprons and gloves',
the use of 'spike and sledge hammer' instead of a cutlass, and the eventual
transformation of the board of the
AdmiraltyAdmiralty
CloseView the register entry >> into an
'ironing board' for 'rubbing out' 'hostile squadrons' like 'wrinkles'.
Cultural Geography, Human Development, Evolution, Descent,
Degeneration, Race, Politics
Addressed to Jonathan, the personification of the United States of America,
the author of this letter laments the sorry fate of his 'Model Republic, your
go-ahead people, the freest and most enlightened on the globe', and the
severance of his 'Model Republic' into two snakes, each trying 'to crush and
chaw each other'. Believes that his countrymen are 'descending to the very
lowest place', 'approaching the Red Indian type', and, given their aggressive
attitude to Britain, behaving like the brutal Sepoys. Continuing Punch's
concerns about the descent of the 'Yankee' race, notes from 'the theory of the
"Origin of Species"'Darwin, Charles
Robert 1859. On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural
Selection; or, The Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life,
London: John Murray
CloseView the register entry >> that
'there may be an inversion of the originating process', and that if they
continue committing acts of barbarity, 'American citizens' will descend in
species type until they become
Paul B Du
Chaillu'sDu Chaillu, Paul Belloni
(1831–1903)
CBD CloseView the register entry >> savage 'Fans', gorillas, or 'apes with foreheads villanous
low'. Urges Jonathan to take care he does not become a Yahoo and wonders
whether he will 'acknowledge that you are a man and a brother'.
Directed at the designer of the building housing the
International ExhibitionInternational Exhibition (1862), London CloseView the register entry >>, this
parody of 'The House that Jack Built' is offered 'to the
London Stereoscopic
CompanyLondon Stereoscopic Company
CloseView the register entry >>, as a subject for a series of views "to be sold in
the building"'. It describes the interior of the building, notably 'the
Tro-phies, / That jammed the Nave' and the 'Canute-Commissioners, hoping to
brave / The onslaught of Crinoline's closely-pent wave'. The rhyme is annotated
with footnotes which explain the meaning of some of the lines and, in many
cases, offer some very critical remarks about the design of the building.
Reports that a 'Distinguished Surgeon' has advised
Emperor Napoleon
IIINapoleon III, Emperor of France (originally
Louis Napoléon (Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte))
(1808–73)
CBD CloseView the register entry >> of France to 'withdraw the French Army from Rome', because it is
exciting 'inflammation in Italy'.
Notes how photographers exploit 'muggy' weather: it is too oppressive 'to do
anything upon', so photographers consider it 'best adapted for taking a
person's "mug"'.
Attempts to respond to a correspondent in the
Hampshire
AdvertiserHampshire Advertiser
(1823–1900+)
Waterloo
Directory CloseView the register entry >> who attacked Punch for suggesting that the
antiquaries who visited
Netley
AbbeyNetley Abbey, Hampshire CloseView the register entry >> 'for a sake of a laugh tear down those things which, though
trifling in themselves, are valued for their rarity by those who really can
appreciate them'. Punch is mystified by this attack.
Accidents, Gender, Reason, Invention, Medical Practitioners,
Periodicals
Begs ladies to digest
Edwin
Lankester'sLankester, Edwin
(1814–74)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> verdict on a fatal accident in which a woman burnt to
death when her crinoline dress caught fire. Observing that 'When Fashion enters
the door, Common Sense too generally flies out of the window', hopes that women
will take heed of his warnings about 'dangerous crinoline', and endorses
Lankester's proposal to broadcast such dangers in the press. Suggests the
publication of a 'Deaths through Crinoline' column which, if the cause of death
were found to be crinoline, should lead a jury to return a verdict of
'suicide'.
Written by an extremely illiterate shady character who links society's
feelings of 'hurt' at such problems as being 'garroted o' nites' to the
desperate need for food. Wishes the 'guvment' would find him and similar people
'a ticket of leaf—something to do in the collonys on guvment a count',
which would be 'cheaper than our garoting and eye-way robery'.
Aeronautics, Technology, Gender, Gas Chemistry, Measurement,
Amusement
Discusses a
Dover
ChronicleDover Chronicle
(1835–1900+)
Waterloo
Directory CloseView the register entry >> report of a woman who was blown into the sea near
Margate by a fierce wind being 'caught under her crinoline'. Explains how 'a
lady' dressed in a large crinoline dress could be turned into a kite, an idea
that will lead to boys being able to 'divert themselves by flying their
sisters, and [their] sisters' young friends'. To avoid the 'ill consequences of
a too rapid descent' suggests flying women 'over the sea a little clear of
boats', and recommends that 'A young lady of a scientific turn, whilst enjoying
an airing in the upper regions of the atmosphere, might also take advantage of
her position to make barometrical and hygrometrical observations, and ascertain
the quantity of ozone in that situation'.
Compares the claim 'well known to physicians' that stopping 'any habitual
outgoing from the human system' can cause 'dangerous diseases', to a similar
problem in the 'body politic': the potential danger to the United Kingdom of
stopping emigrants ('injurious agents') to the United States.
Hunting, Military Technology, Animal Behaviour, Taxonomy, Heat,
Instruments
The author describes his experiences of 'blackcock shooting' in Coolmer
Forest. Notes how he used a thermometer to gauge the coolness of the early
morning on which he arose to shoot the birds, and complains of the small range
of guns with the exception of
William G
Armstrong'sArmstrong, Sir William George, Baron
Armstrong of Cragside
(1810–1900)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>. Plagued by flies at Coolmer, recalls how he 'wished
that Nature had provided them with a better occupation', and boasts how
virtuous he was to follow regulations and not shoot the hens. Notes how he
observed a 'fine old cock' on 'Pigmoor', which 'owes its name to
ROGER
BACONBacon, Roger
(c. 1219–c. 1292)
DSB CloseView the register entry >> calling for 'more pig' when he was at a pic-nic
there', and describes the game birds which he could have shot.
Upholding the national importance of mutton, discusses the alarming news
that Dorsetshire and Wiltshire sheep are infected with small-pox. Denies that
Mr Punch wishes to make fun of this story, but wishes to 'deprecate the madness
of attempting to arrest [the disease] by inoculation', a move suggested by
John A
SymondsSymonds, John Addington
()1807–71
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>. The author stresses that his position is shared by
John T TyrellTyrell, Sir John Tyssen, 2nd Baronet
(1795–1877)
WBI CloseView the register entry >> who
stated in
The TimesThe Times
(1777–1900+)
Waterloo
Directory CloseView the register entry >> that
he advises destroying infected animals rather than inoculating them. Insists
that since the inoculation of Christians has been 'abandoned and condemned', it
should be stopped for sheep. Argues that this is the same argument as stopping
the spread of disease by such agents as bluebottles and birds. Warns that
inoculation would help spread small-pox over the country.
Reports from the
NapoléonienNapoléonien de l'Aveyron
(1860–70)
Bibliotheque
Nationale CloseView the register entry >> that the
Agricultural Society of
AvignonAgricultural Society of Avignon
CloseView the register entry >> has prompted 'large scale' 'experiments for raising cotton
in the madder lands', areas which have become unprofitable owing to the fall in
consumption of 'articles used in dyeing' caused by the American Civil War.
Supposes that these 'madder lands' are in the Union states, since the 'Yankees'
appear to be on the brink of defeat by the south.
War, Disease, Medical Treatment, Medical Practitioners,
Anaesthesia
Written to represent 'Yankee' speech, the poem ponders the 'sweet and
comely' idea of dying for one's country out of duty, but balances this notion
by the pain suffered on the battlefields of the American Civil War: 'Wen dyin'
of a bullet wich the docter can't extract, or / A shattered leg, an' gangreen
on a comminooted fracter, / Praps you may feel sum comfert in your torter, ef
your trust is / That you're sufferin' marterdum acause you fit for justis'.
Points out that 'ain't no chloryform / Wun't stop the smart o' ne'er a wound'
and 'Honner ain't wuth a cent ixcept to them ez lives to brag on it'.
Suggests that, in a similar manner to the prevention of cruelty to animals,
'some one ought to start a scheme for picking up stray foreigners, and
conducting them in safety whither they may want to go'. Proposes that members
of 'a London Geographical Society' look out for and help such stray
individuals.
Reflects on the way in which 'the Penny-a-Liner' is benefiting from
accidents caused by wearing crinoline, a material that 'seems to have inherited
the secret of the patent of Nessus' shirt—a secret that we always thought
had been for ever extinguished with the life of its first Herculean
wearer'.
Mental Illness, Human Development, Medical Practitioners,
Psychology
Set in a parlour hall where Mr and Mrs Naggleton are preparing to leave for
a holiday. Mrs Naggleton chides Mr Naggleton for not wanting to take their
children with them, and thinks his 'horrible' language about the children is a
'sign of incipient softening of the brain', which she claims on the authority
of
Forbes B
WinslowWinslow, Forbes Benignus
(1810–74)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>.
Discussing some of the 'remarkable absurdities' uttered at the
'International Temperance and Prohibition Conference at the Hanover Square
Rooms', reports the question posed by a Scottish doctor: whether it was 'not
inconsistent with equity and the British law' that 'persons convicted of crime
committed whilst they were intoxicated' should be punished and treated just
like lunatics. Stresses that drunken people should not be treated as lunatics
'when they get sober' and points out that 'It is not only consistent with
British Law, but it is a British law-maxim, that drunkenness is no excuse for a
crime, but aggravates the offence', and that drunkards and imbeciles should be
treated in the same way.
The title of this poem refers to
George B
McClellanMcClellan, George Brinton
(1826–85)
CBD CloseView the register entry >>, a general in the Union army in the American Civil War,
and his recent march against
Robert E Lee'sLee, Robert E (Edward)
(1807–70)
CBD CloseView the register entry >> army
in Maryland. The poem compels the soldiers to 'run to turn another day' and to
adopt a 'retrogression style' of advancing, and compares 'our course of wrath'
to 'The fiery comet' which 'rolls, on path / Elliptic, through the sky', and to
'Blazing stars'.
Claims that 'the Comet' was 'so dissatisfied with what it beheld' on the
Earth (where it was due to spend a 'holiday trip') that it decided to hurry
away. Given the dreadful consequences of a collision between the comet and the
Earth, the author is delighted by this news.
Reports that the
Hastings Board of HealthHastings Board of Health
CloseView the register entry >> has 'done a
good deal for the Drainage, which used to be outrageously bad', and despite
some 'awfully fishy odours' in the town, has detected 'nothing objectionable in
the general atmosphere'. Suggests that the appearance of the name of the board
on the backs of seats along the sea-front may 'perpetually remind visitors that
there is a Body watching over the sanatory condition of the place'.
Announcing the invention of matches that 'will ignite only in contact with
the box in which they are sold', notes that this has reminded 'A wedded friend
of ours' that the invention is like a 'well-bred couple' who only explode with
one another, not with 'friends and strangers'.
Puzzled by a report of a man charged with stealing '500 feet of gas'. Notes
how fortunate gas companies are that 'aëriform fluids are capable of being
measured somehow', so that thieves can be tried and punished effectively, but
wonders what will happen 'when gas is superseded by electricity', which 'can't
be weighed, being one of the "imponderables"' and is 'incapable of being meted
by the pint and quart'. Notes that 'The electrometer does not divide it into
quantities', and anticipates the invention of an instrument which will
'indicate the amount of electricity which a rogue has filched from a wire'.
Claims that reports of the reappearance of 'the Potato Disease' are
exaggerated, and presents an extract from 'a correspondent' called 'A
TUBER', who insists that the disease is only a mild form of ophthalmia
or 'all my eye'.
Set in 'An Electric Telegraph Office', this drama features
'MR. MORYAS HONT, a mild gentleman who wishes to send a
message', and some clerks, and reveals the delays which
'HONT' encounters before he can send his message to the town
of 'Fortywinks' (117). The problems include rewriting his message to save money
(but which destroys the polite tone of the message), the desultory attitude of
the telegraph boy, and the busy condition of the company's line.
Criticises the tyrannical approach to reform taken by temperance societies,
including the
United Kingdom Temperance
AllianceUnited Kingdom Temperance Alliance
CloseView the register entry >>. Speculates on the consequences of vegetarians, publicans,
homeopathists, and quacks adopting similarly drastic measures. For example,
expects that vegetarians and 'consumers of animal food' would each seek
legislation against the other, that there would be cries of grievance expressed
by homeopaths and hydropaths about each other, and that wars would be waged
between rival vendors of 'infallible remedies'. Concludes by insisting that
'the days of prohibition are over' and wants 'Free Trade in eating and
drinking'. Defending the right of people to do as they please, rejects the
'moral and dietectic guidance' by the Temperance Alliance.
The first letter of the initial word of the article (describing a visit to
the
International ExhibitionInternational Exhibition (1862), London CloseView the register entry >>) is
formed from an illustration showing a man peering into the barrel of a large
cannon in a room containing several other cannons.
Opens by describing the tale of Icarus who, on flying too near the sun with
wax wings, plummeted into the Aegean. Insists that this account is a 'lie'
because
James GlaisherGlaisher, James
(1809–1903)
DSB CloseView the register entry >>
and
Henry T
CoxwellCoxwell, Henry (Tracey)
(1819–1900)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> rose to an altitude of six miles in a balloon, a height so
great that Glaisher and Coxwell were 'half stifled for want of breath', while
Glaisher 'was nearly froze to death'. Challenges the Icarus fable by explaining
that 'Aloft 'tis cold instead of hot' and that 'Wax wings would freeze, not
run'. Thinks that Glaisher's and Coxwell's 'pluck' 'is something to admire' and
explains how, as the balloon ascended, 'One kept on reading at his glass, /
Whilst he could see or stand', and the other attempted to warm his numbed
hands. Ponders the use of such fables as Icarus in the face of 'wonders that
are facts'. This article refers to the famous balloon ascent of Glaisher and
Coxwell on 5 September 1862, when the aeronauts reached a height of almost
seven miles, although at this altitude Glaisher became unconscious and
Coxwell's limbs became numb.
Responds to a report of some military officers on the island of Gozo who
threw hot copper coins to a crowd of boys. Noting
Charles
Babbage'sBabbage, Charles
(1792–1871)
DSB CloseView the register entry >> notoriety as a scourge of 'dirty Italian organ-grinders',
suggests that Babbage adopt this 'expedient to rid himself' of the organ
grinders, whom Punch thinks are very different from the 'inoffensive
children' in the reported case.
Agrees with
Jean B A
Assolant'sAssolant, Jean Baptiste Alfred
(1827–80)
WBI CloseView the register entry >> claim that Britain is a 'nation of savages' because of
the 'mischievous inequality' of its tobacco duty.
Opens by introducing the characters Dan'l and Dick, a 'brace of clowns' who
stand on Hampshire hills, separated by a vale. The clowns discuss news that
small-pox has infected sheep in Wiltshire, although Dick is surprised by the
possibility of 'Small-pox in ship' and expects ''Twool make the butchers look
uncommon blue'. After Dick notes the fact that the disease does not affect
swine, they wonder why some species are affected by the disease more than
others. They note that pigs 'our sart o' poor relations be' and the wide gulf
''twixt ourselves and ship', but that both pigs and sheep would contract
diseases found in humans such as measles. Dan surmises, however, that the
peculiar infection of sheep might be related to the fact that they are 'new
schemes o'breed' that 'Departun off from Natur's good old ways'.
Reporting news of the discovery of a glow-worm that 'feeds on Snails', notes
that Mr Punch sees 'great fitness in this arrangement of nature' for 'The slow
folks of society are the proper parties to furnish dinners for the
Brilliant'.
Rejects the efficacy of vaccinating against small-pox in sheep because it
has been unsuccessfully applied 'perhaps because the sheep cannot have the
cow-pox'.
Noting the satisfaction with which Mr Punch has greeted the publication of
the 'Report of the Decimal Committee' (refering to
Final Report of the
Decimal Coinage CommissionersFinal Report of the Decimal Coinage
Commissioners: Final Report of the Decimal Coinage Commissioners, Presented to
Both Houses of Parliament by Command of Her Majesty, House of Commons
Parliamentary Papers, Session 1859 [2591], 11, 1–115
CloseView the register entry >>), summarises some of the ways in which the
public will be prepared for the 'Decimal System', and presents a list of
questions with which Mr Punch will be able to determine whether his 'young
friends' 'will distinguish themselves' in the system. These questions poke fun
at the technical language used in zoology and mathematics: for example, 'What
is your idea of the Purbeck Mammalian genus Plagiaulaux?'.
Reports on the visit by sharks to the waters off Scarborough, drawing
attention to the apparent 'extreme coolness' with which the sharks approached
swimmers. Claims that the shortness of their visit might be due to them 'having
accidentally caught a glimpse of several of the lodging-house keepers of the
place' and feeling that they would not have a chance of obtaining 'a living
among the natives'.
War, Photography, Telegraphy, Language, Cultural Geography
Notes the inclusion of photographers and telegraph operators in the French
army, but the absence of both from the Union regiments in America, since the
telegraphs never having 'told the truth'. Thinks photography could easily have
replaced telegraphy since it only had to transmit to Washington 'so many
negatives'.
Opens with a reference to the
International ExhibitionInternational Exhibition (1862), London CloseView the register entry >>, a
place where 'winged creation becomes a solace to the Cockneys' who can get away
from work, and where they can enjoy seeing artefacts that they would normally
decline to use: for example, a gun. The author describes his own experiences of
the exhibition which he left 'with infinite regret'. He wandered 'carelessly'
about the place, carrying the official catalogues under his arm, determined to
see such displays as the '"Skull of Confucius", the antediluvian, exhumed and
immortal Frog', although he can get 'no information concerning these objects of
interest'. Continuing to complain about the lack of information, wishes he was
'scientific enough to describe the various machines' that he saw (including the
'thrashing machine', the 'washing-machine', and 'mowing-machine') and recalls
his confusion caused by the 'burr of wheels, the bustling of visitors and the
plashing of water'. Distinguishes himself from those who are attracted to such
machines as the 'centrifugal pump' and the 'sugar-crushing machine', and
concludes by noting his scepticism about a display of a 'gigantic
sax-horn'.
Criticises the incredulity with which people greet the claim that the 'Frog
in the
[International] ExhibitionInternational Exhibition (1862), London CloseView the register entry >> got
into the Coal about the period of the creation, and jumped out just in time to
be ready for the International Show of 1862'. Attempts to dissipate this
scepticism with his discovery of a frog in some coals he was about to put on a
fire, a frog he believes to be 'at least' 'six thousand' years old.
Discusses news of a fight between the 'Kerry Indians' and 'Tipperary
Indians' who had settled in the neighbourhood of Gray's Inn Lane. Adds that the
police, who intervened in the conflict, were injured. Questions why the
'Fathers' of the tribe, 'spiritual medicine-men', could allow this to
happen.
Discusses a report of a Japanese ambassador's cure for sea-sickness, which
consists of an exotic soup and some champagne. Thinks this mixture would have
the same effect as 'antinomial wine', and should work because 'like cures
like'. Adds that the ambassador must have taken more than the infinitesimal
dosage needed for such a cure.
Describes the political characteristics of the 'Palm' (i.e.
Henry J Temple (3rd
Viscount Palmerston)Temple, Henry John, 3rd Viscount Palmerston
(1784–1865)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>)—a plant which is superior 'in point of
verdure' to the 'Ivy green'. For example, notes how 'Palm is found in all
places' and although 'it clings to the
House [of
Commons]House of Commons
CloseView the register entry >>, certainly the House derives additional respectability'
from it. 'Nervous Politicians when they see a time-honoured institution covered
with lichen, are apt to be distrustful of its stability, but when connected and
fortified with Palm, they feel that the Church is in no danger'.
Discusses a railway director's letter in
The TimesThe Times
(1777–1900+)
Waterloo
Directory CloseView the register entry >>
declaring the threat posed by 'some monster trains' of his firm to the
financial state of shareholders and the safety of passengers. Accepts the
correspondent's proposal for the firm to pay for passengers' fares and for
passangers 'to stay at home', pointing out how little this will affect
shareholders' prospects. Believes that 'it would be a positive gain to many
Railways, if they closed their premises, and ceased running their trains
altogether'.
Thinks that giving the name 'Ram' to the 'iron-plated monsters' (ironclads)
is inappropriate, and, given their purpose to 'sweep the seas', suggests
'Ramoneur' as more suitable.
Following reports of a few deaths from 'scarlatina maligna' traced to the
'foetid exhalations' from a sausage factory in Bethnal Green, wonders how many
more deaths will result from such 'zymotic effluvia' and from the consumption
of the writer's beloved sausages, which produce such noxious substances. Wishes
Punch would 'say what is necessary to put the law in motion for sweeping
away the sausage-factories which reduce the inferior population, and diminish
the enjoyment of your occasional reader'.
A spoof report that the frog which emerged from a block of coal displayed at
the
International ExhibitionInternational Exhibition (1862), London CloseView the register entry >> spoke
in 'the Welsh tongue' shortly before its 'untimely decease', and that it spoke
of 'the cause of it being so immured', although there were no Welsh-speaking
people present to interpret what it said. However, goes on to note that the
Welshman, David ap Morgan ap Rees, managed to understand the frog. He told
Punch how the frog sought to overcome public feelings that it was 'an
imposture' and became agitated at news that it had been confused with its
brother, the 'Frog who was swallowed up by the lily-white duck'. Punch
proceeds to explain how
Roderick I
MurchisonMurchison, Sir Roderick Impey, 1st Baronet
(1792–1871)
DSBODNB CloseView the register entry >> inspected the coal containing the frog and went away 'a
disbeliever', while
Friedrich
Max MüllerMax Müller, Friedrich
(1823–1900)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> conversed with the frog and 'pronounced it to be of
the Ayran family'. Concludes by noting how
Francis T
BucklandBuckland, Francis Trevelyan
(1826–80)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> made inquiries about stuffing the frog after its death,
which caused the frog to become 'nervous and hypochondriachal'.
Animal Behaviour, Zoology, Human Development, Crime, Domestic
Economy
The first letter of the article is made from an illustration showing several
monkeys, dressed in human clothes, up a tree. The illustration portrays scenes
from the story in which the (somewhat illiterate) and shocked author of the
letter comments: an old woman is courageously surprised and attempts to stop a
burglar (deemed a 'gooriller' by 'the author) in her house. The author
complains that although 'one pays a mint o' money every quarter for
perlice-rate [...] one can't take up a paper without one's being orrified by
hawful deeds committed by bugglers and garotters, who goes a prowling like
goorillers seeking poor old lonely unprotected females to dewour'.
In reference to the frog that emerged from a block of coal displayed at the
International ExhibitionInternational Exhibition (1862), London CloseView the register entry >>, the
author ponders the identity of 'this toad in the hole [...] Who spends all his
life in a coal', who, from its aristocratic colours, 'was famous of yore', who
has inspired an 'Opéra Comique' in which 'BUCKLANDBuckland, Francis Trevelyan
(1826–80)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> does alto and
bass', and whose antiquity (it 'yachted with Noah in the ark') inspires awe.
Considers the 'morning primaeval' seen by its 'somnolent eyes' and that its
sounds 'Preluded Lab-rinthodon's croak'. Compares the frog favourably to the
remains of other prehistoric beasts, including the mammoth and the iguanodon,
and tells various geological and palaeontological specimens from earth's
antiquity that they cannot compete with the frog in the coal.
Noting the interest shown by 'the geological student' in the 'composition of
the crust of the
Great
GlobeWyld's Great Globe, Leicester Square CloseView the register entry >>', insists that it consists of 'fir balks, with lath and
plaster', rather than silurian, igneous or any other type of rock. Similarly,
rejects geologists' claims that the interior of the globe is 'in a state of
fluidity' but is full of rubbish, at the centre of which is a statue of
King George IIGeorge II, King of Great Britain and Ireland and
Elector of Hanover
(1683–1760)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>.
Describes the proposal to form a 'Universal Alliance for the Depression of
Animal Spirits and Encouragement of Gloom', an organisation which aims 'to
repel hilarity and give the jocund glow a check'. While supporting its views on
evidence of the 'evils' of high spirits, admits cases of 'quinsy cured by the
exercise of the risible muscles', but insists that only free members of the
alliance should be allowed to take a joke 'medicinally'.
A response to the erection in Bolton of a statue of
Samuel
CromptonCrompton, Samuel
(1753–1827)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>, the person whose 'spinning-mule' 'made Bolton'. A brief
biographical overview of Crompton's career emphasises his struggles and the
fact that just as charity has funded the stone symbolising 'the massive mind of
the man', so charity had to relieve him from the impoverishment of his 'latter
days'. Complains how Crompton was cheated by Bolton master manufacturers and
that 'nobody can say that Bolton has been too quick to pay even this much debt'
to Crompton. Notes that Crompton's legacy consists of 'the memory of his wrongs
and struggles' and an impoverished family, and deplores the fact that
Crompton's living descendants are still in straitened circumstances and were
not invited to the inauguration of the statue of their ancestor. However,
acknowledges the possibility that the 'Committee' involved in the construction
of the statue was ignorant of such descendants, and would have helped the
descendants had their existence been known. Expects that Bolton will prove
Punch's conclusions to be correct, and that there will soon be
established a 'Crompton Fund' for caring for the inventor's descendants.
Stresses that 'All Cottonia owes its pounds and its mites to the same cause'
and the sight of Crompton's monument looking down on one of his impoverished
descendants a 'monument' of the shame of 'cotton counties' rather than
Crompton's 'inventive power'.
Punch, 43 (1862), 155.
The Cambridge Duet. As Performed Before the British Association
Describes a confrontation between 'PROFESSOR O.' and 'PROFESSOR H.' (i.e.
Richard OwenOwen, Richard
(1804–92)
DSB CloseView the register entry >> and
Thomas H
HuxleyHuxley, Thomas Henry
(1825–95)
DSB CloseView the register entry >>) at the Cambridge meeting of the
British
Association for the Advancement of ScienceBritish Association for the Advancement of Science
CloseView the register entry >>. Professor O insists
that since human brains are 'Made in Providence's Image, / Man must not be
called an Ape', while Professor H denies that he is being 'funky' and retorts
that 'Man is really but a Monkey, / Save in moral points of view'. They
conclude by accusing each other of being a 'drunky' or a 'flunky' for
believing, respectively, that man is or is not an ape.
Responds to the claim made by
Edward SmithSmith, Edward
(1819–74)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> at the
British
Association for the Advancement of ScienceBritish Association for the Advancement of Science
CloseView the register entry >> meeting, that tobacco
can, like alcohol, act a stimulant (Smith 1863Smith, Edward
1863. 'Tobacco: Its Effects Upon Pulsation', Report of the Thirty-Second
Meeting of the British Association held at Cambridge in October 1862,
Notices and Abstracts of Miscellaneous Communications to the Sections,
135
CloseView the register entry >>). Reports that Dr Punch asked Smith whether
such side-effects might be 'obviated' by smoking a cigar while drinking
alcohol, a question that Smith declared he had not addressed, but one into
which he encouraged experimentation. Dr Punch, Smith, and 'the distinguished
philosophers' were later reported to be pursuing such investigations 'until a
late hour'.
Following news of a Lyons farmer's use of cod-liver oil as a way of
fattening cattle, suggests that 'experience will show whether its
administration tends to promote or arrest the consumption of butcher's
meat'.
Notes Mr Punch's observation that the French government 'obligingly
interferes in everything', including 'astronomers theories on the movements of
the world', and now, 'the provincial theatres', where it has prohibited
hissing.
Describes a meeting of the leading members of the Presbyterian and other
churches to discuss a petition to open the
Royal Botanic Garden,
EdinburghRoyal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh CloseView the register entry >>, on Sundays. Considers those who oppose this petition to
be 'fanatics' and strongly criticises their arguments for closing the
garden.
Evolution, Animal Development, Darwinism, Zoology, Human Development,
Controversy, Anatomy
Similar to
Gorilla, 'Monkeyana', Punch, 40 (1861), 206, this is written from the
perspective of a gorilla who, as the opening lines reveal, is clearly perplexed
by Owen's and Huxley's opposing views on man's ancestry. 'Must I humbly take
rank as quadruman / As OWEN maintains I ought: / Or rise into
brotherhood human, / As HUXLEY has flatt' ringly taught', he
asks, and urges his readers to have a 'scintilla' of feeling for a gorilla's
quest to know 'one's relation'. Feeling no need to apologise for his
'ignorance', he offers his own views on the subject that stress the ways in
which 'man's above monkey' but others in which 'monkey's far above man'. The
areas where apes are superior to man, 'Are where man apes the apes' and these
include the 'power of jaw' (which apes have in greater quantity than 'fellows /
Of your scientific societies'), gymnastics (in which chimpanzees excel over
Charles
BlondinBlondin, Charles (Jean François Gravelet)
(1824–97)
CBD CloseView the register entry >>), and in the 'gagging, grimacing and chaff' of 'low comedy
actors'. Proceeds to insist that the 'crowning distinction' between 'man and
monkey' is the inability of the former to 'keep silent', and then notes how
much he is being 'swayed' by disputes over the anatomical 'distinctions of
brain'. Concludes by begging 'Professors [...] For English opinion', alluding
to his suffering from the dispute between
John E GrayGray, John Edward
(1800–75)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> and
Paul B Du
ChailluDu Chaillu, Paul Belloni
(1831–1903)
CBD CloseView the register entry >>, and seeking an answer to his original question.
A reference to the recent meeting of the
British
Association for the Advancement of ScienceBritish Association for the Advancement of Science
CloseView the register entry >>, the events of the poem
are set in the
Cambridge
GuildhallGuildhall, Cambridge CloseView the register entry >>. The poem parodies the address of the association's
president,
Robert WillisWillis, Robert
(1800–75)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> (a
version of which was published as
Willis 1863Willis, Robert
1863. 'Address', Report of the Thirty-Second Meeting of the British
Association for the Advancement of Science; Held at Cambridge in October
1862, li–lxi
CloseView the register entry >>), who opens by
relishing the 'twenty thousand pounds' being 'lent or spent or given or lost'
on such schemes as finding out 'why the lightning quivers' and 'some physical
cause / That superintends all physical laws'. Goes on to outline the
president's discussion of the instruments used at the
Royal
Observatory, KewRoyal Observatory, Kew CloseView the register entry >>, notably
Warren De La
Rue'sDe La Rue, Warren
(1815–89)
DSB CloseView the register entry >> 'Photo-Heliograph' which the astronomer took to Spain to
'observe the eclipse', and a range of other instruments with which the
observatory is 'infested'. The president then describes surveys undertaken of
the British coast and distant British colonies, all done 'Very magnetically, /
Hydrotheoretically', pauses to reflect on the 'progress, / Of Science',
Charles-Eugène
Delaunay'sDelaunay, Charles-Eugène
(1816–72)
DSB CloseView the register entry >> imminent book on the moon, and then outlines
James
Glaisher'sGlaisher, James
(1809–1903)
DSB CloseView the register entry >> heroic ascent to the 'starry heights of heaven', and the
way in which 'Chemistry thrives' on the discovery of new hydrocarbon compounds.
Also notes
John S Russell'sRussell, John Scott
(1808–82)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>
connection of the 'force and form / Between a model ship in a storm' and large
waves, and
William
Fairbairn'sFairbairn, Sir William
(1789–1874)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> report of prodigious firing of artillery at Shoeburyness
(a version of which was published as
Fairbairn 1863Fairbairn,
William 1863. 'On the Mechanical Properties of Iron Projectiles at
High Velocities', Report of the Thirty-Second Meeting of the British
Association for the Advancement of Science; Held at Cambridge in October
1862, 178–184
CloseView the register entry >>). Ends
by noting how the
International ExhibitionInternational Exhibition (1862), London CloseView the register entry >>
demonstrates the virtues of 'competition / In things of mechanical power', the
increasingly dramatic speed of new locomotives.
Evolution, Zoology, Animal Development, Language, Human Development,
Race, Cultural Geography, Politics, War, Religious Authority,
Degeneration
Insists that the 'preferable side' in the 'Gorilla controversy' is that of
'the philosophers who maintain themselves descendants of a Gorilla' because it
'tends to expand the sphere of their affections'. Attempts to supply the
'deficiency' of the 'Gorilla theory', which is that 'no known fact' provides
its 'foundation'. Observes that the 'gulf [...] between the Gorilla and the
Negro' can be bridged by 'a tribe of Irish savages', 'the lowest species of
Irish Yahoo' which 'talks a sort of gibberish' and is 'a climbing animal' that
ascends ladders 'with a hod of bricks'. Details more of the apparently savage
habits of this species, including its tendency to attack 'civilised human
beings that have provoked its fury', notably those people who recently
supported
Giuseppe
GaribaldiGaribaldi, Giuseppe
(1807–82)
CBD CloseView the register entry >>. Describes its 'abject and truculent devotion' to
Pope Pius IXPius IX, Pope
(1792–1878)
CBD CloseView the register entry >> and its
brutal ways of attacking the 'friends of the Italian monarchy'. Suggests that
the ability of the Irish Yahoo to 'utter articulate sounds' shows that it is a
'development, and not [...] a degeneration of the Gorilla'. Concludes that the
discovery of this 'Missing Link' will make readers conceive of their fellow
creatures 'in a truly liberal and catholic spirit'.
Discusses a report in
The TimesThe Times
(1777–1900+)
Waterloo
Directory CloseView the register entry >> of a
scheme to remove moisture from the Paris streets by covering them with chloride
of lime, pointing out that since this compound will also destroy 'unpleasant
odours' it will 'kill two birds with one stone'.
Discusses an attempt to construct across the Serpentine, 'from the designs'
of
Francis FowkeFowke, Francis
(1823–65)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>, a
pontoon bridge intended for
Viceroy Sa'id PashaSa'id Pasha, Ottoman Viceroy of Egypt
(1822–63)
CBD CloseView the register entry >> of
Egypt. Points out that the report that the 'pontonniers "fell in"' was not due
to the collapse of the bridge itself.
Cruelty, Animal Behaviour, Crime, Human Development
Supports the recent decision of a magistrate to punish severely 'two
fellows' for 'certain acts of cruelty to animals', but feels that the
punishment should be 'administered in the most calm and argumentative form,
that of a sort of Lecture'. Describes how Professor Punch would do this, by
explaining that whipping produces pain, and demonstrating the claim by whipping
the villain until he understands.
Railways, Invention, Transport, Commerce, Engineering, Technology,
Cultural Geography, Nationalism
Discusses the anti-English views of
George F TrainTrain, George Francis
(1829–1904)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>
whose 'street-railways' (tramways) proved commercially unsuccessful in
Britain.
Punch, 43 (1862), 169.
Sir Charles Coldstream on a New Sensational System
Invention, Transport, Nationalism, Cultural Geography,
Technology
Replies to the 'ribald bankrupt'
George F Train'sTrain, George Francis
(1829–1904)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>
views that the English are 'fools and knaves', and 'Gluttons and blockheads,
brutes and slaves', declaring his views 'idiot trash', and questions whether it
is worth sustaining a friendship with those Union states which shared Train's
views.
Addressed to the 'London Magistrate',
Mr
MansfieldMansfield, Mr
(fl. 1861)
PU1/40/17/2 CloseView the register entry >>, presents Mr Punch's praise of Mansfield for having no
regrets about prosecuting the 'ill-advised ruffians' who 'broke peaceful
Englishmen's heads in the Park', and for prosecuting the street musicians who
irritated the 'great mathematician'
Charles
BabbageBabbage, Charles
(1792–1871)
DSB CloseView the register entry >>. Notes Mr Punch's suggestion that the 'animals' who irritate
Babbage might be 'some kind of Gorilla' and that Babbage and
Paul B Du
ChailluDu Chaillu, Paul Belloni
(1831–1903)
CBD CloseView the register entry >> could investigate them. Inveighs against these 'creatures'
for not comprehending that Babbage's 'genius' is an 'honour to the country', or
the importance of his inventions. Wonders if there is 'female malice in it', a
'shrewish Materfamilias' who would have disturbed
Isaac NewtonNewton, Sir Isaac
(1642–1727)
DSB CloseView the register entry >> and
Blaise PascalPascal, Blaise
(1623–62)
DSB CloseView the register entry >> in
their studies.
Spiritualism, Quackery, Mental Illness, Religious Authority, Animal
Magnetism, Supernaturalism
Subtitled '(For theSpiritual
MagazineSpiritual Magazine
(1860–77)
Waterloo
Directory CloseView the register entry >>)', this article discusses a story in the
Morning
PostMorning Post and Daily Advertising Pamphlet
(1772–1900+)
Waterloo Directory
CloseView the register entry >> of a 'mysterious epidemic' in Morzines (France) around
the year 1857. The symptoms associated with the epidemic were 'hysteria and
epilepsy', symptoms which several 'crafty deluders' appeared to cure. Proceeds
to explain how the 'Inspector-General of Lunatic Asylums
Dr CorstansCorstans, Dr
(fl. 1862)
PU1/43/18/1 CloseView the register entry >> was
appointed to investigate the phenomenon, and found that the inhabitants of
Morzines believed themselves to be 'possessed by a devil' and that the
municipal authorities deemed 'the ordinary remedies of science' useless, but
'exorcisms, pilgrimages to holy lands, and animal magnetism' to be effective.
Thinks that spiritualists will use this to demonstrate that animal magnetism
too is a 'supernatural virtue', while 'incredulous people' will use this to
'demonstrate the same thing in confutation of both Spiritualists and
Romanists'. Notes how the epidemic suddenly disappeared when the parish priest
was removed and the police and infantry arrived in the town, events which the
author thinks undermines the argument of the 'materialists', as the epidemic
ceased because the 'medium' was removed, not when the troops arrived. Concludes
with a description of what the author believes to be the comparable treatment
of
Urbain
GrandierGrandier, Urbain
(1590–1634)
WBI CloseView the register entry >> who was burnt alive for being the 'demon' behind an
epidemic of mental illness.
Discusses the fashion for red hair dye, and notes the way in which
advertisers of the product reassure customers that it 'does not injure' the
skin, and that 'It will deceive the sharpest eye, / And e'en the microscope
defy'.
Questions the plausibility of
Richard
Cobden'sCobden, Richard
(1804–65)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> argument that 'no neighbours e'er would harm us' and that
Britain should correspondingly abolish its 'fleet and troops' and 'ArmstrongArmstrong, Sir William George, Baron
Armstrong of Cragside
(1810–1900)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> guns'.
Notes that it would be a 'blunder' to keep ships 'for show', but that it would
also be foolish to pay 'for armaments too small' to meet our defence needs.
Concludes by upholding the need for the British to possess means of
'self-protection' 'immensely to excel' those of 'foreign forces'. Observes, 'If
arm we must, we must arm well'.
Medical Practitioners, Quackery, Imposture, Crime,
Government
Describes a court case in which
Henry ScottScott, Dr Henry
(fl. 1862)
PU1/43/19/3 CloseView the register entry >> was
confused with a quack who was assuming his name. Noting Scott's criticism of
the magistrate's decision to punish the quack under the Medical Act, agrees
that the act is a 'dead letter'.
Ponders the amount of arsenic likely to be given off by a 'lady's
ball-dress' during a dance, and accordingly considers these balls to be 'as
deadly and destructive as a cannon ball'. Upholding the physical benefits of
dancing, hopes 'poisoned dresses will soon go out of fashion'.
Medical Practitioners, Medical Treatment, Patronage, Crime,
Imposture
Discusses a report in
The TimesThe Times
(1777–1900+)
Waterloo
Directory CloseView the register entry >> of
an inquest into the death of a child whose treatment had been delayed by the
doctor,
Henry BussBuss, Henry
(fl. 1862)
PU1/43/20/2 CloseView the register entry >>, who had to
persuade the child's father to sign an agreement to pay a fee. Understands why
the jury felt strongly that the doctor appeared to be putting his remuneration
before the child's health, but points out that the jury overlooked the fact
that the doctor wanted to 'guard against imposition' or the possibility that
the family would obtain his services free. Reports that the judge noted
precedents for the doctor's decision, but the jury censured the doctor.
However, Punch points out that had the jury understood the cause of the
child's death—serum on the brain—they would have known that the
doctor could not have saved the child. Also urges that the jury should have
understood the pecuniary circumstances of some medical men, circumstances that
force them to be careful.
The illustration shows a dentist in his surgery standing behind a large
snake sitting in the dentist's chair. This refers to a passage in the article
in which the author, following
William
Shakespeare'sShakespeare, William
(1564–1616)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> remark 'about a child being more objectionable than
the tooth of a serpent', insists that if he were a dentist and confronted a
serpent in his 'operating chair', he would tell the beast to consult his
'brother practitioners' instead.
Punch, 43 (1862), 198.
Ode to Father Thames on His Approaching Purification
Opens by noting the long time during which the Thames has been pouring
'London's outshot stuff' into the sea, and the fact that it will be 'a silver
stream once more' and like a tributary that sprang 'from crystal fountains
cold'. Affirms that the river will receive such noxious effluents as 'sluices
[...] From chemic reservoirs and tanks', which will be mixed 'with the brine'.
Anticipates some of the consequences of this process, including the appearance
of whitebait in the 'pellucid tide' and the ability of 'The passenger of
Chelsea boat' to admire 'Unwonted salmon' instead of dead dogs and cats.
Concludes by urging 'old Thames' to 'pour fresh lymph' into 'another urn', and
by praising the chief engineer at the
Metropolitan Board of WorksMetropolitan Board of Works
CloseView the register entry >>,
Joseph W
BazalgetteBazalgette, Sir Joseph William
(1819–91)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>.
Human Species, Morality, Phrenology, Domestic Economy, Political
Economy, Gender
Challenges
Adam Smith'sSmith, Adam
(1723–90)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> idea that
'Man [...] is an animal that makes bargains' on the grounds that women are
better at this task, since women possess the larger 'organ of cheapness' and
carry 'Domestic Economy' 'to extravagance'.
Discusses an advertisement for 'The Shilling Hair-Waver'. Doubts the
reliability of an instrument that can produce 'a "beautifully natural" wave of
hair' in a 'few minutes' and suggests that the invention is designed 'for
people without brains'.
Light, Instruments, Gas Chemistry, Accidents, Time
Shows a man standing in a room poorly illuminated by a 'Moderator Lamp'
which produces large quantities of soot. Unaware of this, the man, recovering
from 'forty winks', checks the time on a clock on his mantlepiece.
Evolution, Descent, Darwinism, Physiology, Race, Language
The writer of the letter begins by telling Mr Punch that man 'is radically
and really a fish', noting
Charles R
Darwin'sDarwin, Charles Robert
(1809–82)
DSB CloseView the register entry >> claim in the
Origin of SpeciesDarwin, Charles
Robert 1859. On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural
Selection; or, The Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life,
London: John Murray
CloseView the register entry >> that
'all vertebrate animals having true lungs' have descended from an 'ancient
prototype [...] furnished with a float-apparatus or swim-bladder'. Suggests
that Darwin could have strengthened his argument by appeal to
Trench 1851Trench, Richard
Chenevix 1851. On the Study of Words: Five Lectures Addressed to
the Pupils at the Diocesan Training School, Winchester, London: John W.
Parker
CloseView the register entry >> and the fact that
humans are often described as being 'a queer fish', 'pale about the gills', or
being 'like a fish out of water'. Thinks that anybody who denies man's descent
from fishes is 'a very dull man', and is not considering the existence of the
'talking fish'. Ends by praising Punch's recent article (, Anon, 'The Missing Link', Punch, 43 (1862), 165) showing the 'missing link' between 'man
and the Gorilla'. The author signs his article 'Struggle for Life
Place'. The illustration, captioned 'A Real Native', shows the face of a
negro carved into a rock on a beach.
Considers the advantages of having 'Ourang-outangs and Gorillas and the
monkey-tribe' being so civilised that they could be turned into acrobats, a
move prompted by a recent accident suffered by a female acrobat. Later argues
that 'Monkeys are by nature better fit' for acrobatics, since 'they have more
muscle than men, and having fewer brains, have not such fear of falling'. The
measure would therefore reduce the number of accidents among human
acrobats.
Lamenting the paucity of compelling titles in the 'literary world',
Punch has decided that 'the art wants a little new life putting into it'
and makes several suggestions for works of 'General Interest', 'Travels',
'Novels', and 'Miscellaneous'. These include 'PROFESSOR
GORILLA, On the Jaw Bone of an Ass' and 'CHAILLU?Du Chaillu, Paul Belloni
(1831–1903)
CBD CloseView the register entry >> Or shall you
not?—An African Romance'.
Describes how the prison system provides prisoners with 'a wholesome and
nutritious [...] diet' and 'healthy exercise' and notes that if the system
cures criminals, then conditions could be relaxed and more 'benevolent' ways of
treating offenders might be introduced. However, points out that the regime
does not 'cure thieves of roguery and felony' and suggests that they should
suffer a 'workhouse-diet' and have no exercise. Believes the way to 'avoid the
expense of keeping a felon comfortably, correct the offender himself, and
constitute him a caution to other villains' is to 'Imprison him on pauper's
allowance, and whip him'.
Opens by wondering 'Who will open England's purses' to help the 'million'
from whose 'eyes is glaring / Hunger's wolfish gleam', and who will give
direction to England's 'motions blind' and stir 'towards helpful action /
England's heart and mind'. Famine answers that she has drained the life from
many, but she fails to open the purse. Fever attempts the task by 'spreading
madness / Through the blood and brain', but the purse still resists being
opened. Finally, Frost attempts the task with chills 'that nip man's life and
nature's / In the blood and blade', but is also defeated. Eschewing rivalry,
Famine, Fever, and Frost resolve to work together to open England's purse.
Hospitals, Health, Sanitation, Environmentalism, Medical
Practitioners, Patronage
Subtitled 'Apropos of the Removal of an Hospital to the Suburbs, as proposed
by the Grand Committee under the auspices of MESSRS.
TITE and BAGGALLAY', this comprises a
dialogue between the new hospital's architect
William TiteTite, Sir William
(1798–1873)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> and
its treasurer
Richard
BaggallayBaggallay, Sir Richard
(1816–88)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>, both of whom attempt to defend the new location and
design of the hospital. Tite begins by noting Baggallay's calmness in the face
of criticisms by medical practitioners of the design and suburban location of
the new hospital. Baggallay draws attention to those who oppose the
move—those who sing of the 'sanitary slough that claims / The patients of
St. Thomas by the Thames'. Tite stresses that despite the fact that patients
will suffer more injuries on the bumpy journey to the new site, they will
benefit from the 'azure of unclouded sky' and should they die, they will 'sleep
beneath a sod of growing grass'. Baggallay anticipates that surgeons and
physicians will no longer worry about the time of the journey when they enjoy
the 'pure oxygen' and green hedgerows. Tite then turns to patients' relatives
who, despite not being able to enjoy weekly 'free access' to the building, can
enjoy the thought of the patients' fortifying pastoral surroundings. Baggallay
shares Tite's opinion that patients would willingly endure the rough journey to
the hospital in order to inhabit Tite's 'Palladian hall'. The poem concludes
with Tite and Baggallay exchanging glutinous complements about each other's
skill.
Class, Heredity, Human Development, Disease, Quackery, Medical
Treatment
Speculates on the possibility that 'good birth' might cause such complaints
as baldness, corns, and poor eyesight, a possibility suggested by the number of
advertisements for quack medicines and restoratives that stress how popular
treatments for these complaints are with the nobility. Anticipates what a
'lamentable picture' would be drawn by a 'French caricaturist' of a 'British
Lord' based on these representations. Concludes by noting Lord Punch's
rejection of the authenticity of this caricature, and urges that the relevant
quack advertisements be stopped.
Puzzled by an advertisement in the
Chemist
and DruggistChemist and Druggist
(1859–1900+)
Waterloo
Directory CloseView the register entry >> from a young chemist claiming that he is '25 feet
10 inches' tall. Speculates on the possible implications of these physical
characteristics, suggesting that he could deliver medicines to attic windows
and that he should try obtaining work in 'Wapping, as he would certainly make a
wapping chemist'.
Presents Mr Punch's compliments to the directors of the 'Underground
Railway, or
Metropolitan RailwayMetropolitan Railway Company
CloseView the register entry >>, or Sewer
Railway, or whatever they call the thing that has been making such a horrible
mess in the New Road', and asks them to explain to the public why they keep
delaying the opening of the railway. He offers the public the reasons
'generally assigned for the delay', all of which are highly improbable: for
example, 'the entire tunnel is fallen in' and 'the
Pneumatic CompanyLondon Pneumatic Despatch Company
CloseView the register entry >> have
taken it for experiments in transmitting parcels by air-pump'. Concludes by
asking for the 'truth' about the railway.
During a conversation between the 'Penny-a-Liner' and his wife, the former
refers to a dish as consisting of 'the rabbit from the Cambrian Principality,
or the four-footed quadruped from a seaport not a hundred miles from
Ostend'.
Following the passage of the 'Garrotting Act' in July 1862 (legislation
making forcible robbery punishable by flogging), this article suggests that the
public will still need to protect itself from 'garrotting ruffians' and
proposes several garments which will fulfil this task. These include 'great
coats made à-la-porcupine', 'SNIP AND CO.'S steel
helmet' and 'coat of mail'. The illustration shows a man, 'CAVE TOMKINS',
wearing clothes to which huge spikes have been attached and defying garrotters
to 'try it on again'.
Includes Mr Naggleton's response to a letter from one of his children who
asks his father whether he can take him and his brother to the 'sologcal
Gardings [Zoological Society GardensZoological Society of London —Gardens
CloseView the register entry >>]
today' (238). Later Mrs Naggleton insists, in reference to her husband's praise
of her educational prowess, that 'When a husband begins to praise, a wife
should look out for an insult that is seldom far off'. Mr Naggleton replies,
'LORD
ROSSE'SParsons, William, 3rd Earl of Rosse
(1800–67)
DSB CloseView the register entry >> telescope wouldn't show you one in this case, my
dear'.
Describes the exhibits 'At the Metropolitan Fat-Cattle
ShowSmithfield Club—Cattle Show
CloseView the register entry >>, Dec. 1862' of
Joshua JebbJebb, Sir Joshua
(1793–1863)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>, the
surveyor-general of prisons. Pays particular attention to 'the Dartmoor or
Portland variety of the old black-legged, coarse-featured, bull-headed,
thick-necked
NewgateNewgate Prison
CloseView the register entry >>
Breed'—an allusion to the fact that Jebb designed
Dartmoor
PrisonDartmoor Prison
CloseView the register entry >> and
Portland
PrisonPortland Prison
CloseView the register entry >>. The report describes the inmates in Jebb's prisons as if
they were lambs. These 'lambs' are judged to be 'the most perfect examples yet
seen of what may be done to develope the animal by careful selection of the
stock' and by subjecting the 'animal' to good conditions of 'health and
comfort'. Compares the 'old Newgate breed', that is generally 'uncared for', to
Jebb's animals, who 'are the very perfection of development' and have the
'general air of content and well-being'. Warns, however, that his are a 'very
costly breed' who tend to 'break bounds and run wild', but adds that Jebb has
successfully dissipated the idea that 'lambs of this class ought to be kept
hard', and that large numbers of his animals have been safely let loose and won
the praise of senior judges. (243) Proceeds to praise the good feeding and the
healthy conditions that Jebb's lambs enjoy, but expresses concern that this
breeding may create 'inflammatory tendencies' (243–44).
Discusses
John B Byles'sByles, Sir John Barnard
(1801–84)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>
remarks on the quality of prisoners' diets. Agrees with him that were a
labouring man to be fed on a poor diet he would be deprived of his 'only
wealth', but stresses that the same cannot be said for the 'thieving man' who,
after suffering a poor prison diet, is deprived of the strength to 'clutch the
throat and batter the heads of people' as soon as he is let loose upon society.
Urges that such individuals should be fed on a 'less generous diet'.
Shows one of a line of prison inmates being weighed on some scales. On
seeing that the prisoner weighs eighteen stone, a prison official (possibly
Jebb himself) remarks 'Oh, you'll do;—here's your
Ticket-of-leave', a reference to Jebb's healthy and relaxed regime of
correction.
Discusses the apology offered by the directors of the
Metropolitan Railway CompanyMetropolitan Railway Company
CloseView the register entry >> for
the delay in the opening of their scheme, which was published in
The TimesThe Times
(1777–1900+)
Waterloo
Directory CloseView the register entry >> but
was apparently prompted by Mr Punch's recent article on the subject (Anon, 'A Growl at the Underground', Punch, 43 (1862), 228).
States that the cause of the delay was reportedly 'the Fleet Ditch irruption',
which stalled the Farringdon Street terminus, but urges the directors to have
the motto of 'slow and sewer' rather than 'swift and smash'. Ends by noting
that such excitement has been caused by the opening of the railway in the New
Road that surprising acts of goodwill were observed such as 'omnibus cads'
speaking 'civilly to passengers'.
Following discussion in the
LancetLancet
(1823–1900+)
Waterloo
Directory CloseView the register entry >> and
Cornhill
MagazineCornhill Magazine
(1860–1900+)
Waterloo
Directory CloseView the register entry >> on the 'The Effect of Railways on the Health',
notes that a 'distressed shareholder' wishes 'some great analytical enquirer
would start another scientific investigation' into the 'Effects of the Railways
on the Pocket'. The shareholder anticipates that the effects will be
'disastrous', with the 'constant collisions, the numerous accidents, the
alarming ups and downs of the
Stock
ExchangeStock Exchange
CloseView the register entry >>', and other problems having 'completely paralysed' his
pocket.
Reports that a 'Sewing Machine' has died owing to competition with other
machines that 'didn't require feeding, nor clothing, and could live rent free'.
Concludes that this (evidently human) sewing machine 'was a poor
Shirt-maker'.
Discusses an advertisement in the
Bengal Hurkaru
Bengal Hurkaru
(1795–1866)
Indian Daily News
(1866–1900+)
COPAC CloseView the register entry >> for an ourang-outang that can entertain and wait on its
owners. Anticipates the delight caused by having such a monkey dressed in
footman's livery and acting as a servant or valet.
Comprises three letters between Mr Punch and
Richard OwenOwen, Richard
(1804–92)
DSB CloseView the register entry >>
discussing the nature of a 'specimen of an American Eagle' sent to Mr Punch by
the Secretary of the United States Treasury,
Salmon P ChaseChase, Salmon Portland
(1808–73)
CBD CloseView the register entry >>.
Owen informs Mr Punch that the specimen is not an eagle but a 'turkey-buzzard',
but the latter stands by his belief that the specimen is an eagle, stressing
that he is 'too wide awake to mistake such a "varmint", or indeed, any other
kite that MR. CHASE might fly, for the genuine Gold Eagle,
which was once the pride of America'.
Discusses a report in
The TimesThe Times
(1777–1900+)
Waterloo
Directory CloseView the register entry >> of
the differences between convicts' heads (characterised by 'low retreating
foreheads') and 'ordinary people's'. Argues that if it is 'a fact' that
'persons whose brains are deficient in certain regions are practically found to
be stupid, brutal, and vicious', then convicts should be imprisoned until their
heads have expanded 'to normal proportions'.