Summarises a forthcoming article (Anon, 'The Quack in the Pillory', Punch, 47 (1864), 248) on a quack doctor who 'overstepped the
boundary of the law, and attempted to extort money from one of the fools who
had confided in him' (viii).
Notes the rejection of a bill 'for making all the Irish railways run Sunday
trains', a decision informed by economic rather than religious interests
(2).
Announces news that 'a machine for washing dishes has lately been patented
in America', although doubts the use of the instrument, given the rising cost
of food caused by the American Civil War and the corresponding dwindling need
for dishes.
Pondering 'the immediate cause [...,] the design, and [...] the guiding
laws' of croquet, notes that while a knowledge of cricket and its origins is
something 'every one can get by heart', the situation with croquet is very
different: 'let the curious start / With book and plan to trace its wandering
course / Like
SPEKESpeke, John Hanning
(1827–64)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> and
GRANTGrant, James Augustus
(1827–92)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> the Nile, up to its
source, / Its streams run back until you end the chace'. Adds that 'Some think
when
NEWTONNewton, Sir Isaac
(1642–1727)
DSB CloseView the register entry >> viewed the planets roll,
/ A thought of Croquêt glanced athwart his soul: / In Jupiter the Blue,
in Mars the Red, / He saw, while Croquè'd comets madly sped. / If so I
wish the Master of the Mint / Had taken Thyme to put his thought in print'.
Punch, 47 (1864), 7.
Punch's Notes and Queries: A Shameless Piracy Upon Our Honoured and
Inestimable Friend N. and Q.
Crime, Steam-power, Technology, Exhibitions, Mechanics, Cultural
Geography
Discusses an extract from an article in the
Albany
Evening JournalAlbany Evening Journal
(1830–1900+)
RLIN CloseView the register entry >> which describes the punishment meted out to a
deserter from the Yankee army. Draws attention to the Yankees' preference for
the 'rack' and thinks the 'Federal Steam-Rack may be expected to figure in any
considerable contribution which Yankeedoodledom may make to any future
International Exhibition', the Yankees adapting 'steam, as a motive force, to
all varieties of the more complicated machinery of torture'.
Praises
Edward M
Palliser'sPalliser, Edward Matthew
(fl. 1860)
WBI CloseView the register entry >> new form of ordnance, a 'chilled shot [...] made by being
cast in a mould of cold iron', which can penetrate 'the side of an iron-clad',
and which costs 'only 2s a-piece' compared with £1 10s for steel
shot.
Medical Practitioners, Scientific Practitioners, Engineers,
Meteorology, Quackery, Class, Reading, Status
Noting that 'changes in society' have 'rendered the old Tables of
Precedence, to be found in the Peerage, &c., obsolete', presents
Punch's new table of precedence which reflects the periodical's attitude
towards certain individuals and professions, notably its support for the
monarchy and Punch readers, and its hostility to boring preachers and
crinoline wearers. The list of 'precedence among men' places Mr Punch third,
Joseph PaxtonPaxton, Sir Joseph
(1803–65)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>
eighth, the 'Medical Profession but no advertisers, quacks or other scum',
eleventh, and 'Admiral
FitzroyFitzroy, Robert
(1805–65)
DSB CloseView the register entry >>, while
Clerk of the Weather', twenty-sixth. The list of 'precedence among women'
places
Florence
NightingaleNightingale, Florence
(1820–1910)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> fourth.
Medical Treatment, Amusement, Disease, Mental Illness,
Gender
Discusses a
Morning
PostMorning Post and Daily Advertising Pamphlet
(1772–1900+)
Waterloo Directory
CloseView the register entry >> advertisement for 'Bella-Donna', a lotion for producing
'a brilliant Eye'. Warns that the lotion is made from 'Deadly Nightshade' and
will 'cause paralysis of the iris' which, because it has been artificially
opened by the lotion, will be exposed to too much light. Goes on to warn that
'The use of Belladonna by stupidity to give itself the appearance of animation
is likely, therefore, to result in the addition of ocular blindness to the
mental', and denying that the lotion produces a genuine gaze, urges fathers and
brothers to dispose of any such lotion found in their houses.
Discusses news of the discovery of a 'soap-mine' in California, warning that
it is not a safe investment on the grounds that 'the earth hath bubbles', of
which there are many in Britain.
Spiritualism, Commerce, Political Economy, Nutrition,
Manufactories
Noting the dramatic changes in the prices of 'precious metals and
provisions', suggests that such 'rising and oscillating movement on the part of
gold must clearly have been caused by spiritual agency', and that this was
behind the 'rise in bread prices'. Wishes the spirits would 'effect a rise in
bread just at the right moment in the manufacture', but laments that 'unluckily
the spirits never condescend to stoop to any sort of useful work'.
Museums, Comparative Philology, Zoology, Display, Politics,
Government
Reports the parliamentary debate on the
British
MuseumBritish Museum
CloseView the register entry >>, in which
Spencer H
WalpoleWalpole, Spencer Horatio
(1806–98)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> observed that the public would not be able to see various
new acquisitions 'until those beasts and birds shall be taken away'. Adds:
'While we can see four beautiful giraffes and two hippopotamuses alive, it is
too absurd to fling lovely Greek marbles into a cellar, to leave room for that
dusty splitting old straddler of a camelopard, and the wooden-looking
river-horse at the Museum'.
Human Development, Health, Disease, Medical Treatment, Medical
Practitioners
Discusses the rules devised by the
Early
Rising AssociationEarly Rising Association
CloseView the register entry >>, which imposes fines on people for being late.
Puzzled by the fourth rule which states that 'No excuse for being late will be
taken except illness, in which case no fines need be paid'. Ponders how serious
the illness has to be before the sufferer can escape the fine, and 'who is to
certify the illness'. Wonders whether the association has its 'own doctors for
verification'. (33)
Amusement, Music, Disease, Mental Illness, Cultural Geography,
Gender
Begins by noting the representation of somnambulism and insanity on the
'operatic stage', alluding to 'Amina' who 'walks in her sleep', and
'Lucia' who 'goes mad'—references to protagonists of
Vincenzo
Bellini'sBellini, Vincenzo
(1801–35)
CBD CloseView the register entry >> opera La Somnambula, and
Gaetano
Donizetti'sDonizetti, Gaetano
(1797–1848)
CBD CloseView the register entry >> opera Lucia di Lammermoor respectively. Proceeds
to describe other operas in which the heroine dies of consumption (a possible
reference to
Giuseppe F F
Verdi'sVerdi, Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco
(1813–1901)
CBD CloseView the register entry >>La Traviata), or is 'smitten by a sun-stroke, and
dies after seeing visions, which she vocally describes'. Suggests that ague
might be the next subject for 'operatic treatment', drawing attention to the
fact that the 'French vibrato style of singing' would be appropriate since it
'fosters quite an agueish vibration of the voice'. Complains that there is
enough sickness in the world to make it a suitable subject for an opera, and
wishes that the operatic character who falls victim to sunstroke would take the
precaution of using a parasol. (38)
Shows a mother and her two daughters sitting before a model of Noah's ark
and its animals. One of the sisters holds a baby girl on her knee and the
mother holds a model of a hippopotamus before the infant. The mother remarks
that her baby is 'beginning to know all the beasts in the ark by name, too',
but when she asks the baby the identity of the model she holds in her hand, the
baby replies 'Mam-ma'.
Commerce, Patronage, Medical Treatment, Imposture, Medical
Practitioners, Class
Presents short announcements by joint-stock companies which may be
patronised by aristocrats and other 'People who have more money than they know
what to do with'. These include 'The Medical Attendance Company (Limited)'
which seeks to acquire the 'practice of the Principal Physicians and Surgeons
of London' and supply medicine to the 'British Public'.
Astronomy, Prognostication, Politics, Crime, Manufactories, Human
Development, Music, Environmentalism, Internationalism, War,
Observatories
Song sung to the air of 'There's a Good Time Coming Boys', this opens by
describing the imminent appearance of a comet, whose day of arrival has not yet
been ascertained by
John R HindHind, John Russell
(1823–95)
DSB CloseView the register entry >>, and which
is expected to be 'stronger' and 'longer' than the 'last Comet' (the great
comet of 1858). Proceeds to describe some of the dramatic social and political
changes that might take place when the comet is finally seen. These include
'Workhouses shall ope their doors, / None shall die of honger, /
Organmen shall quite our shores', 'poor needlewomen may / For fair work receive
fair pay', 'To the [American Civil] war an end there'll be, / When Americans
shall see / The Comet Coming' and 'Universal Peace there'll be'. Concludes by
anticipating the amount of dust created if the comet should strike 'the Earth's
upper crust', and wonders whether Hind and
Charles G
TalmageTalmage, Charles George
(fl. 1886)
WBI CloseView the register entry >>, who also works in
George Bishop'sBishop, George
(1785–1861)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>South
Villa ObservatorySouth Villa Observatory, Regent's Park CloseView the register entry >>, are in fact mistaken.
Gives advice on observing two 'star' actresses. Treating them as if they
were celestial bodies, the author notes that they are 'both evening stars' of
the 'first magnitude', but that they will be 'setting in a very few more
nights'.
Quackery, Medical Treatment, Adulteration, Charlatanry, Imposture,
Commerce, Periodicals, Reading
Describes some of the lessons that can be learned from quack doctors about
the 'art of getting money', notably the fact that a 'penny-worth' of worthless
substances and a 'five-shilling advertisement, is a failure if it only produce
five or six sovereigns'. Describes how such a principle can be adopted in other
forms of trade, including how an 'unscrupulous printer' can circulate a book
which contains a mixture of such unsavoury ingredients as 'mendacity' and
'indecency' and yet count on sales to 'lunatics'. Concludes by lamenting the
'utter failure' of the 'Medical Act' which was designed to protect the public,
and presents Dr Punch's warnings to his 'credulous friends' who might be duped
by the 'jack-puddings [buffoons] of 1864, whether the latter advertise
themselves as "registered" or "non-registered practitioners", or resort to
newspapers of apparent respectability'. Notes that the 'very best tonic for
nervousness can be obtained in Fleet Street, every Wednesday, for
three-pence'—i.e. Punch.
Punch, 47 (1864), 50.
'Who's Griffith?'. An Ode In Commemoration of a Grand Parliamentary
Feat
Health, Human Development, Climatology, Animal Behaviour
Shows a male figure bathing up to his neck in a lake. He looks nervously
over to a hippopotamus that is bathing nearby. The caption insists that
'Acclimatisation is all very well in its way—but it is no joke, on rising
to the surface, after taking a header, to find a lively hippopotamus as your
companion of the bath'.
Railways, Medical Practitioners, Imperialism, Sanitation, Engineering,
Politics, Government, Accidents, Transport
Notes the royal assent given to 'several tons of Railway Bills' and the
rejection of a bill for 'sending out raw and half-taught medical officers to
India' (52). Later notes a new act for 'making Advances for Public Works in the
Manufacturing Districts', and reminds readers of the benefits of being away
from London during the construction of
John Thwaites'sThwaites, Sir John
(1815–1870)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>
'Sewer barricades' and other public works. Also notes the 'Act for making it
easier to make Railways', which Punch thinks 'will make them cheaper to
make' but warns that unless directors improve the communication facilities
between passengers and guards, then accidents will happen and 'it is to be
hoped that juries will give thundering damages'. (53)
Medical Practitioners, Medical Treatment, Surgery, Education,
Charlatanry, War, Amateurism, Professionalization, Class, Commerce
This spoof letter is headed 'To EARL DE GREY AND
RIPON', apparently a conflation of the names of former Secretary of
State for War,
Henry G Grey (3rd Earl
Grey)Grey, Henry George, 3rd Earl Grey (formerly styled
'Viscount Howick')
(1802–94)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>, and current Secretary of State for War,
George F S
Robinson (1st Marquess of Ripon)Robinson, George Frederick Samuel, 1st Marquess
of Ripon, 2nd Earl of Ripon and 2nd Earl de Grey
(1827–1909)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>; the salutation is 'MY DEAR
DE GREY', and the letter is signed 'George', and addressed from
'Horse
GuardsArmy—Commander-in-Chief's Office (Horse Guards)
CloseView the register entry >>'. It urges that 'Something must be done to provide the
ArmyArmy
CloseView the register entry >> with competent Surgeons',
noting that the terms and payment offered by the army are not good enough for
'men of education'. Draws attention to the problems of raising army surgeons'
pay and recognising their 'social standing', notably the fact that other
officers regard them as 'intermediate between gentlemen and tailors'. Suggests
that a solution to the problem is to revise the standard of qualification
needed to become an army surgeon, in the belief that army surgery requires no
more skill than that possessed by a butcher or cabinet-maker, and should not
depend on proficiency in Latin. Similarly, noting the disagreements between
doctors, thinks 'what they call medical science is all humbug' and believes
that 'any druggist's apprentice' could undertake the duties of an army medical
officer. Questions why an army medical officer should be catechised 'in botany
and chemistry and philosophy' and insists that he be examined 'in his own
business'. Concludes by pointing out that if 'illiterate snobs' are accepted as
army surgeons, they will be 'satisfied with moderate pay' and will not want to
associate with 'officers and gentlemen'.
Introduces 'a set of entirely New Rules and Regulations drawn up for the
future guidance of officials connected with the New Railway Line' which will be
called the 'N.S.E.W. Colwell Hatchney Railway' (a reference to the lunatic
asylum in
Colney HatchColney Hatch Asylum
CloseView the register entry >>). The rules
illustrate the incompetence and confusion associated with a railway company:
for example, the 'General Signals' include 'Blowing a Nose' and 'Playing the
Trombone', and the rules stipulate that such signals 'may mean anything,
everything, nothing, or something'. The rules for 'Time' and the 'Duties of
Signalman' are equally worrying. For example, they stipulate that 'The Company
intend to run Trains just whenever they like, without reference to any stated
times', and that 'The Signalman may wave the Red Flag, whenever he feels elated
or excited'. The rules for 'Guards' are somewhat more reassuring. For example,
the guard should 'carry all the Acts of Parliament affecting Railways' and that
he 'must know the current number of
Bradshaw's Railway
GuideBradshaw's Monthly Railway Guide
(1841–1900+)
ODNB, s.v. Bradshaw, George CloseView the register entry >> by heart'.
Punch, 47 (1864), 64.
The Old, Old Story (Respectfully Dedicated to Small German Princes in
General)
Comparative Philology, Animal Behaviour, Politics, Military
Technology, War, Internationalism
Describes the fable of a cat and monkey, whose 'moral's seen in action in
all ages, ranks and climes'. The cat is an allegorical representation of
Prussia and/or
Otto E L von
Bismarck (Count of Bismarck-Schönhausen)Bismarck, Prince Otto Edward Leopold von, Duke of Lauenburg
(1815–98)
CBD CloseView the register entry >>, while the monkey
represents 'the smaller powers'. The poem describes how the cat and the monkey
lived together but that, one day, the cat 'closed her soft fur round' the
monkey who was a generally well-behaved and peaceful animal that 'kept out of
the way of edge-tools, gun-powder, fire'. The cat and monkey then craved for
'Duchy chestnuts' (a reference to the Danish duchies of Schleswig-Holstein over
which Prussia and Austria were fighting Denmark), but after roasting the
chestnuts the cat used the monkey's paw to 'extract the dainties from the
fire's hungry maw', an act that caused extreme pain to the monkey but which
enabled the cat to enjoy the food. The moral of the poem is that the cat
(Prussia) is the 'artful one', while the monkey (smaller powers) is 'the tool
eximious'.
Disease, War, Medical Practitioners, Medical Treatment,
Commerce
Shows an American military officer (a 'Federal Malingerer') and an English
officer in the bar of a New York hotel. Much to the English officer's
consternation, the American officer complains of having gastric fever and
states that he expects to contract small-pox. He proceeds to explain: 'I go to
a civilian doctor, and tell him I want a month's sick leave—and I just
give him twenty dollars, so he certifies I'm sick, and goes to an army doctor
who certifies it-is-so. I git my leave, and the two doctors trouser
the dollars between 'em'.
Medical Practitioners, Medical Treatment, Taxonomy, Education,
Instruments
Written from the perspective of a medical assistant whose duties include
minding 'the Surgery bell' and rolling 'the frequent pills', proceeds to
describe his beloved as 'a banker's only child' who is the 'beauty of the
shire'. He notes how his 'counter-irritant, the [surgery] boy' observes his
reaction to Bella when 'she goes riding by', and how his medical surgery is
disrupted by the recollection of Bella: for example 'the merest glimpse of
Bella's nose nosology upsets'. Goes on to describe his ambition to be educated
at
Guy's HospitalGuy's Hospital
CloseView the register entry >>
and to 'live on pulse' until he is the 'boast of my market natal town', but
then feels palpitations which 'no stethescope can tell'. The palpitations are
evidently caused by his knowledge of the fact that Bella is to be married to a
General J, an event that dissipates his hopes of 'sitting by the Surgery fire'
and of giving Bella 'the sweet emulsion of a kiss'. Concludes by lamenting the
fact that there is no medical treatment for his condition.
Set in a 'First Class Carriage', this is a conversation between a 'Swell'
and a 'Surgeon' on the monument erected at Netley to commemorate the
'fifty-four medical officers who fell in the Crimea'. They break into
conversation when the surgeon extracts a piece of cinder from eye of the swell,
an act which prompts the swell to urge the need for every train to carry a
surgeon and to praise the Netley monument. The surgeon warns, however, that the
monument will not encourage more 'fellows' to enter the army, and goes on to
explain that army surgeons require better pay, better treatment, and
'Fraternity and equality' with fellow officers. The swell reminds the surgeon
that 'combatant officers' would not accept these terms, while the surgeon
insists that 'a fellow who may have to take up an artery in a shower of
bullets' is as much a 'combatant officer' as a 'General who as often as not
directs strategic operations at a safe distance' from the field of battle. The
swell and the surgeon agree that the army still regards surgeons as snobs (i.e.
people of inferior social rank), and the surgeon explains that this has
prompted the army to advertise for 'Acting Assistant Surgeons'. Replying to the
swell's suggestion that the army should explicitly advertise for 'Snobs for
Surgeons', the surgeon warns that applicants will be snobs rather than educated
men. (78) The surgeon concludes that either 'Surgeons in the Army must have
their claims conceded, or the Army will have to do without Surgeons', a problem
which the swell thinks will be solved by placing the 'medical profession on a
level with the military' and raising a 'distinguished Surgeon' to the peerage
(79).
Consists of a spoof correspondence between Prof. Holloway (an allusion to
Thomas
HollowayHolloway, Thomas
(1800–83)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>) and Barry Du Barry & Co. Holloway upholds the efficacy
of the 'DELICIOUS HEALTH-RESTORING REVELENTA ARABICA FOOD'
sold by Barry Du Barry & Co., a substance that Holloway claims will treat a
bewildering range of medical complaints, from indigestion and constipation to
hydrophobia and delirium tremens. Holloway supports his claim by appealing to
the fact that he successfully tried the remedy on the late
Mason G Stratford
(5th Earl of Aldborough)Stratford, Mason Gerard, 5th Earl of Aldborough
(1784–1849)
Cokayne 1910-59 CloseView the register entry >>, the notorious supporter of homeopathy. The
firm of Barry Du Barry & Co. reciprocate by upholding the efficacy of
'HOLLOWAY'S PILLS AND OINTMENT' as cures for an equally
bewildering number of illnesses. They explain that the pills and ointment 'act
harmoniously in preserving the pure and best materials of the body, and in
expelling all that is redundant, effete, or corrupt, restoring the British
constitution by a process precluding any occasion for the ballot and extension
of the suffrage'. They support their views by citing three cases out of '60,000
cures' allegedly effected by Holloway's treatment.
Describes the geographical and cultural remoteness of 'Winklebeach', an
'out-of-the-way spot', which the 'Railway has not yet reached' and where 'a
message by telegraph is unknown'.
Reports that a railway engine on the 'new portion of the Great Southern and
Northern Railway' fell into a street in Clerkenwell after a railway bridge
collapsed. Parodying the grave tone adopted in serious reports of railway
accidents, the report begins by hailing with 'not an unreasonable pleasure'
'every extension' of 'our Railway System', but stresses the 'drawbacks which,
though they cannot be regarded as blemishes upon a noble invention, are not
unfrequently productive of serious mischief'. Proceeds to describe the 'boon'
which the 'auxiliary branch of the Great Southern and Northern Railway' has
proved to the local area, but regards the accident to be an 'exception' to the
'rule' that the railway has not caused any casualties. Noting the uncertainty
over the precise time of the accident, the author describes the 'extraordinary
excitement' caused by the incident and points out that the only casualties were
'a large number of herrings and apples' belonging to a costermonger. Notes the
sympathy expressed for the costermonger and the uncertainty as to the
'proximate cause of the accident', but points out that several local
inhabitants did not think the bridge looked strong enough 'to bear the weight
that constantly passed over it'. Concludes by adding more information
concerning the identity of the train: according to a crossing-sweeper, its name
began with an '"F", probably the Fly or the Phantom'.
Railways, Technology, Religious Authority, Religion
Announcing the opening of the
Northern Spanish RailwayNorthern Spanish Railway
CloseView the register entry >> by 'a
person denominated King of Spain' (i.e.
King-Consort Francisco D A
Bórbon y BórbonBórbon y Bórbon,
Francisco de Asís María Fernando, King-Consort of Isabel II,
Queen of Spain
(1822–1902)
WBI
RLIN CloseView the register entry >>), describes the close connections
between the railway and Catholicism. For example, 'No end of priests' blessed
the engines, 'The boilers are to contain nothing but holy water', and 'A
first-class carriage is to be fitted up as a confessional in case of
accidents'. Ponders the fact that while one end of the line is in 'devout
Madrid', the other is in 'VoltaireanVoltaire, François Marie Arouet de
(1694–1778)
DSB CloseView the register entry >> Paris'. Asks: 'Which
way will flow the stronger current of thought?'
Written to represent a Scottish speaker, opens by pondering the reasons for
'This here long drought' and why 'the larned can't explaain' it. Turning to the
weather prophets of the day, asks
Robert FitzroyFitzroy, Robert
(1805–65)
DSB CloseView the register entry >>
'How long 'twool last' and whether 'Zadkiel' (Richard J
MorrisonMorrison, Richard James ('Zadkiel')
(1795–1874)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>) can 'voretell' the 'weather by the stars' as he does for
'Plags, earthquaaks, vamuns, wars'. Resolves that in future he will not rely on
Zadkiel or
Francis MooreMoore, Francis
(1657–1714?)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> and
that while the 'Earth cracks wi' thurst' he will quench his with 'a quart o'
beer'.
Evolution, Human Development, Instinct, Human Species, Animal
Development
Begins by insisting that the 'interest excited by the late swimming matches'
revives the 'controversy about Man's place in nature', which he thinks may be
answered by
Richard OwenOwen, Richard
(1804–92)
DSB CloseView the register entry >> and
Thomas H
HuxleyHuxley, Thomas Henry
(1825–95)
DSB CloseView the register entry >> (whose
Evidence as to Man's Place in
NatureHuxley, Thomas
Henry 1863. Evidence as to Man's Place in Nature, London:
Williams and Norgate
CloseView the register entry >> greatly fuelled the controversy). Noting that animals can be
distinguished from man by 'deficiencies' as well as 'endowments' and 'instinct
by want of reason', the author argues that if, unlike man, 'quadrupeds swim
naturally', then this is an 'essential difference between Simia and Homo'. He
urges that this can be tested by plunging 'the orang-outang into the
hippopotamus's tank' at the
Zoological Society
GardensZoological Society of London —Gardens
CloseView the register entry >>. In a postscript, he admits being hasty in assuming that no
humans can swim, and wonders if babies can perform this task.
Punch, 47 (1864), 89.
The Anti-Railway Assault and Robbery Guarantee Company
Military Technology, Experiment, War, Steamships, Commerce
Ponders the results of the trials of
William G
Armstrong'sArmstrong, Sir William George, Baron
Armstrong of Cragside
(1810–1900)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> 'monster gun' at Shoeburyness. Stresses that all there
is to show for the expenditure of 'forty pounds' per shot is a 'Hole in a
shield, the model fence / Of Ironsides [...] Save proof that if, with skilful
aim, / The gun were levelled true, / And Ironsides invading came, / 'Twould
riddle her sides too'. Acknowledges the need to fight 'Imaginary foes' to
prepare for war, but notes how much further 'the money goes' when the foe is a
real enemy. Draws attention to the waste of money caused by inaccurately aiming
the gun during firing practice, and concludes that 'the bolt, so pitched
aright' will cause much damage to 'foreign Ironsides'. Concludes by maintaining
support for 'dog-cheap' ordnance instead of 'firing off the sum / Of forty
pounds in vain'.
Medical Practitioners, Adulteration, Imposture, Government,
Politics
Discusses news that 'Upwards of two hundred doctors' have supported
Arthur H
HassallHassall, Arthur Hill
(1817–94)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> as a candidate for the 'New Medical Officer' in Marylebone,
a judgement that has 'enraged that awful body the
Marylebone
VestryMarylebone Vestry
CloseView the register entry >>'. Reports that the vestry has denounced the 'Medical
Profession for its interference' but cannot understand this reaction as
Marylebone is not known for unscrupulous tradesmen whose adulterating
activities would be exposed by Hassall. Concludes that 'it still looks fishy to
see Trade banded against Hassall, and for the sake of the "good taste" of which
these swell parochials are so justly proud'.
Ponders the identity and swimming behaviour of 'the new bream' and calls on
Francis T
BucklandBuckland, Francis Trevelyan
(1826–80)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> to supply the 'icthyological information' when he 'goes out
of mourning for the lamented sturgeon'.
Human Development, Animal Behaviour, Degeneration, War, Politics,
Government, Cultural Geography
Insists that 'now the belligerent Yankees have sunk to the level of savage
beasts', the existence of an 'Animal Republic' can be added to that of the
'Animal Kingdom'.
Addressed to Mr Punch, this letter opens by noting a few details concerning
'the Starry
GALILEOGalilei, Galileo
(1564–1642)
DSB CloseView the register entry >>' including his vital
dates and the fact that he preceded the writer in 'remarking that the world
still moves'. Proceeds to describe the writer's (usually miserable) experiences
of remaining in London during the very hot holiday season. Later notes his
failure to 'go and see the balloon start from the
Crystal
PalaceCrystal Palace
CloseView the register entry >>', but recalls an earlier ascent that he made with
Charles GreenGreen, Charles
(1785–1870)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>
from
Cremorne
GardensCremorne Gardens
CloseView the register entry >>. Also notes the progress of the
Thames EmbankmentThames Embankment
CloseView the register entry >> and the frequent fall of
a horse and cart into this river. He points out that 'Sometimes horse and cart
are dragged out [...] but at other times I incline to believe that the animal
being drowned, is interred in the Embankment, and laid away for a few
centuries, at the end of which his bones will be dug out, and set up in the
British
Museum at KensingtonSouth Kensington Museum
CloseView the register entry >>, in evidence that the English of the Victorian
age buried horses with funeral rites' and are therefore not as Christian as
documents suggest. (104)
Punch, 47 (1864), 110.
The Refining Effects of the Metric System in the Colliery
Districts
Metrology, Education, Language, Class, Industry, Cultural
Geography
Shows two miners whose faces are covered with soot, and who talk to a
gentleman sitting on a horse. One of the miners gives directions to the
equestrian figure, informing him in strong Yorkshire dialect and with reference
to the metric system, how to reach an undisclosed destination. Punch
plays on the fact that apart from the references to 'centimetres',
'Dekametres', 'Hekometre', and 'Dakare', the metric system has not refined the
speech of those from the colliery districts. For example, the miner explains,
'Wuny oop 'igh Park Colliery, a'll toorn to roight 'boot centimetre oop rooad,
then goa on straight rooad 'boot Dekametre'.
Addressed to 'Railway Directors', this article discusses a letter in the
Morning
PostMorning Post and Daily Advertising Pamphlet
(1772–1900+)
Waterloo Directory
CloseView the register entry >> containing an 'alarming account of a fire in a railway
carriage, caused by a lump of burning coke which entered it from the engine'.
Describes how the burning coke ignited the furnishings of the carriage and how
one passenger attempted to control the blaze with his paletôt, the
carriage not being supplied with water. Punch urges railway directors to
'provide all your trains with a water supply' for extinguishing carriage fires,
a move that will protect the carriage furnishings but also the lady occupants
wearing 'inflammable fabrics'. Explains how a 'hose, running, the whole length
of the train', connected to a 'properly constructed reservoir', would enable
'any gentleman at a moment's notice to constitute himself fireman to a lady on
fire'.
Medical Practitioners, War, Class, Medical Treatment
The writer begins by asking Punch not to blame 'the Swells' for the
'Surgeon-Famine in the
ArmyArmy
CloseView the register entry >>' and identifies himself as
a swell whose family has 'always lived sumptuously on the labour of others' and
who entered the army in order to become something more than a swell. Upholds
the claim that the surgeon is the most gentlemanly of all 'in a Regiment', not
least because of his education, and explains other officers' indignation
towards army surgeons on the grounds that the former regret not having 'rank
and birth'. Accordingly notes the low breeding of most army officers, many of
whom are sons of 'a large mercantile rogue, or a swindling railway jobber'.
Being 'purse-proud' snobs they assert their position by 'insisting on the
abasement of Army Surgeons'. Reasons that it is the 'Snobs' rather than the
swells who are 'insolent to the Surgeon', and defends the need to regard
surgeons as much as combatant officers as others. Threatens to resign his
commission if the 'reasonable demands of the Army Surgeons' are not granted,
and upholds the need for effective surgery in the army.
Crime, Medical Treatment, Adulteration, Government
Noting the apparent link between the reduced frequency of garotting and the
'assignment of flogging to those crimes', suggests that the same punishment
should be used for those who supply adulterated lime-juice to the
Royal NavyRoyal Navy
CloseView the register entry >>. Notes
that in a letter to
The TimesThe Times
(1777–1900+)
Waterloo
Directory CloseView the register entry >>,
Henry LeachLeach, Henry
(1836–79)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>, the
'resident medical officer to the
DreadnoughtDreadnought, ship CloseView the register entry >> hospital-ship',
explains how lime-juice supplied to the navy is made from 'tartaric and other
acid'. The author regards this adulterated substance as 'good-for-nothing
rubbish' and the act of producing and supplying it 'a heartless fraud'. While
he tolerates the lenient punishments given for 'ordinary acts of cheating and
swindling', believes the manufacture of 'sham lime juice', which allows
'multitudes' to 'rot and die' of a 'dreadful disease', should be punished by
whipping. Concludes by contemplating with abhorrence the prospect of flogging
the 'chief proprietor of those extensive works, a sleek, smooth, gentleman in a
suit of black', and suggests that neither Mr Punch nor anybody else could
tolerate this eventuality. He adds that he could not stand this, as his 'hatred
of a rascal is less intense than his veneration for a person whose deportment
and exterior are those of a respectable man'.
Shows a 'Excursion Tourist' and a 'Facetious Rustic' looking into the
distance where they observe a tree behind which stands an animal that looks
like it comprises two rear ends of horse joined together (it is merely two
horses standing face to face, but with their front ends obscured by the tree).
The tourist thinks he sees an 'Extra'or'nary cre'char', while the rustic boasts
that the animal was bred on 'this 'ere wery fa-arm'.
Written to represent an author of limited literary abilities, this presents
the author's 'long count of the weather of Last Month' that was dictated to him
from 'your Scitific Crospondent [...] after dinner'. The notes are somewhat
confused and chaotic: for example, 'Cumuli and cirrhi gave themselves up to the
full development of ozone; while Summer Meteoric Phosphorescent Trains met the
Radiating Streamers within five minutes of each other'.
Discusses the cost of furnishing, repairing, and redecorating the
Ophthalmic HospitalRoyal London Ophthalmic Hospital
CloseView the register entry >> and
puzzles over the apparently tragic-sounding cost for 'Rods for the Blind'.
Instruments, Display, Commerce, Heat, Astronomy, Meteorology,
Microscopy, Government
The letter-writer describes his 'delightful and instructive walk' on the
south side of the Strand, a journey that brings him into direct sunlight and
which prompts him to hope that 'Posterity will twist the Strand a little, and
amend this fault, unless the Sun himself shall correct it by some alteration of
the precession of the equinoxes' or 'other astronomical reform'. He goes on to
describe some scientific instruments in a window of an undisclosed shop,
including a 'thermometer that tells you how cold it will be on Christmas Eve
next', a 'telescope, very cheap, that will enable you to hear the doves cooing
in the planet Venus', and a microscope that reveals the coarseness of the skin.
Later, he comes across a 'picture-shop' whose windows display a photograph of a
'great photographic chemist', and a 'watch-face high up below a window', a
instrument apparently 'put there to test the power of certain Government
telescopes'. (124)
Discusses the claim that 'snuff is a great stimulant to thinking', which has
been supported by
Alexander
von HumboldtHumboldt, Alexander von (Friedrich Wilhelm
Heinrich Alexander von)
(1769–1859)
DSB CloseView the register entry >> who has asserted that snuff 'refreshes the memory'.
Unable to summon any evidence to refute this claim, and noting the ability of
some people who are able to remember an incident by recollecting a 'scent with
which it is associated', suggests that the nose be used as a 'mnemonical
assistant'. Presents examples of how this might be effected including sniffing
Eau de Cologne to recollect a 'tough problem of
EuclidEuclid
(fl. 295 BC)
DSB CloseView the register entry >>' or whiffing peppermint
to stamp on the memory 'an argument of
William PaleyPaley, William
(1743–1805)
DSB CloseView the register entry >>'.
Concludes by pointing out that the outcome of competitive examinations would be
won by 'the man who had not merely the most nous, but the most
nose'.
Discusses the unsafe and incommodious state of
Blackfriars
BridgeBlackfriars Bridge
CloseView the register entry >>, which is now being demolished, and points out that his
'friend',
Samuel JohnsonJohnson, Samuel
(1709–84)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>,
'was dissatisfied with the plan on which the [present] bridge was constructed'
although his designs for the bridge were not adopted. Adds that 'little more
than a century has vindicated the great philosopher's wisdom' and suggests that
the new bridge be called Samuel Johnson in recognition of his character and
profound good sense.
Describes a visit to Schevening in Holland and praises a tramway at the
Hague, a construction that prompted the writer to claim 'that the Dutchman hath
a genius for mechanical invention even hath the go-ahead American or Briton',
and identifies the railway as one of 'purely Dutch construction'.
Punch, 47 (1864), 131.
Putting Britannia on Her Metal. Letter from the Poet Laureate of the
Fleet
Written as if by an old naval captain of limited literary ability, this
describes his visit to his niece's wedding during which he sings a song
featuring the lines 'Arts of Oke are our ships'. This causes great amusement to
the husband of his niece who told the writer that he was 'bhind the Age' and
that 'to tawk of ships as "Arts of Oke" was habsurd, hand if i wornt aware that
Ships were like Spoons [...] i was litl better than a spoon myself'. The letter
is supplemented by a 'balad' entitled ''Ard as Oak are Our Ships', a ballad
that seeks to dissipate worries about the iron construction of ships: it
insists that 'The old British Lion with his new iron chain. / Is cast in mould,
that's all right in the main', that 'A Screw by an old Salt is not much
admired, / But quickly our Screws will shell out, when required', and that the
iron ships are ''Ard as Oak are our Ships'. Concludes by stressing the
advantages of an iron over a wooden ship, including the fact that 'no rot can
make he decay', and that 'our Bilers well made are by
MAUDSLAYMaudslay, Henry
(1771–1831)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> and
PENNPenn, John
(1805–78)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>, /
Won't become half so crusty as some Captains we ken'.
Discusses news of
Adolf, Freiherr von
WillisenWillisen, Adolf Freiherr von
(1798–1864)
WBI CloseView the register entry >>, 'Prussian Minister at Rome', who died of '"perniciosa"
fever', 'a sort of ague caused by malaria'. Punch regards this as a
victory for homeopathy because Von Willisen's physician was a homeopath who,
instead of treating his patient with 'large doses' of quinine, 'physicked' him
with 'globules', and thus caused him to die.
Continuing his description of his travels in this fictional Welsh village,
the narrator notes that he dined at an inn with 'three Jolly Companions from
College', one of whom was called Gorilla. He does not explain 'the peculiar
fitness of this title' but claims that 'if
DU
CHAILLUDu Chaillu, Paul Belloni
(1831–1903)
CBD CloseView the register entry >> had seen him, he would have shot him out of hand'.
The diary reveals that the somewhat aggressive behaviour of Gorilla may explain
his nickname. (134)
Botany, Collecting, Nutrition, Environmentalism, Zoology, Natural
History, Crime, Class
Discusses the move by 'Prudent practical farmers of the fen counties [...]
warning people against trespassing' in search of mushrooms. Proceeds to
criticise the law regarding the ownership of wild mushrooms and ironically
adopts an outrageously rigid position on wild and common natural property.
Declares that 'all wild things', including mushrooms and strawberries, and
common land and air, should be rejected. Adds that 'wild plants' should be
abolished too, since medical treatments and therefore money can be made out of
them, and that since 'All herbs and flowers' have a 'botanical value', they
should 'belong to the owner of the soil on which they grow', and that children
found guilty of picking them should be whipped in a house of correction. Goes
on to insist that chasing butterflies should be made an 'indictable offence'
and only legal for the 'proprietors of the fields and meadows over which they
flutter'. Concludes by dismissing the notion that 'wildness inherent in any
natural production' is 'common property' as a fallacy inherited from 'our
illiberal ancestors'. Notes that 'landed property' is passing from the
'hereditary aristocracy' to 'our merchant princes', who 'know what property is'
and have 'too much respect for the mushroom' to allow anybody to pick them.
Punch, 47 (1864), 139.
The Royal British Association Under Hydrothermal Influence
Discusses
Charles Lyell'sLyell, Sir Charles, 1st Baronet
(1797–1875)
DSB
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>
presidential address to the
British
Association for the Advancement of ScienceBritish Association for the Advancement of Science
CloseView the register entry >> on the 'mysteries of
geology and the hydrothermal blessings of Bath' (a version of which was
published as
Lyell 1865Lyell, Charles
1865. 'Address', Report of the Thirty-Fourth Meeting of the British
Association for the Advancement of Science; Held at Bath in September 1864,
lx–lxxv
CloseView the register entry >>). Focuses on Lyell's
claim that 'The inhabitants of sea and land [...] before and after the grand
development of ice and snow, were nearly the same'. Punch notes that the
'grand development' to which Lyell refered was the 'discovery' by
Dr
GrusselbackGrusselback, Dr
(fl. 1864)
PU1/47/14/4 CloseView the register entry >> that a snake 'which had been frozen to torpidity for ten
years' was 'restored to activity'. However, wonders why, in the 'interests of
science', Grusselback was not brought into the lecture theatre in a box of ice,
and then 'vivified by the President with hydrothermal applications' and thus
'evidence that he was like "other creatures" before and after this grand
development of ice and snow'. Ponders the practicallity of Grusselback's plan
to try his freezing/revivification process on criminals, and then turns to
several examples of the 'grand development of ice and snow'. These include the
'discovery of a number of people who had been frozen up in an Alpine Pass for a
period of some eighteen years', some of whom 'were subjected to SIR
CHARLES LYELL's "hydrothermal influence" and were likely to be brought
to life when the director of the experiment discovered the body of an uncle
whose estate he had inherited, and consequently gave up the experiment as a bad
job'. Punch also notes Lyell's claim that hydrothermal influence has
'transformed bits of Roman bricks into opals' and how the discovery, by
Aleksander F MiddendorfMiddendorf, Aleksander Fedorovich
(1815–94)
DSB CloseView the register entry >>, of a carcase
'preserved in a frozen mass for perhaps ten thousand years', shows 'nature
anticipating' Grusselback: had the latter been present at the site of the
mammoth, he would have resuscitated it by 'hydrothermal influence'. Praises
Grusselback's proposed experiments on criminals as 'novel, economical and
humane'. With a burgeoning prison population, the plan to 'Freeze them up' and
then subject them to '"hydrothermal" treatment' at the end of their sentences,
is welcomed. Punch then considers the benefits of freezing and later
heating 'great men' of the day. For example, asks 'Why should we not take
MR
GLADSTONEGladstone, William Ewart
(1809–98)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>, and freeze him up till another generation be fit
for democratic reform and philosophical finance'.
Opens by asking why, despite the sewerage system under London, 'millions of
money' is still being spent on sending 'our dregs to the Brine'. Questions
whether such locations as Hampton and Twickenham can supply pure water to the
Metropolis: to 'afford the Thames prettier / Tributaries of unspeakable mud /
Than those which now by the turtle-fed City are / Rendered'. Concludes by
urging 'Father Thames' to 'Pour, from [...] an elegant urn / Water of
crystalline diaphaneity' and to derive all his water from rural sources.
Ethnology, Animal Behaviour, Human Development, Religion,
Crime
Asks ethnologists to decide which 'tribe of barbarians' is responsible for
'chipping off the surfaces of our Cathedrals'. Noting that Armenians are said
to have flayed
St
BartholomewBartholomew of Farne, Saint
(d. 1193)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>, suggests that
Charles LyellLyell, Sir Charles, 1st Baronet
(1797–1875)
DSB
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>
'might connect them with his pre-historic skinners of flints'.
Noting how many London hospitals are named after saints, insists that
hospitals are 'peculiarly Christian', pre-Reformation inventions that are not
'among the errors of Popery'. Proceeds to describe
All Saints' Hospital,
EastbourneAll Saints' Hospital, Eastbourne CloseView the register entry >>, a 'Convalescent Hospital' that 'is [...] needful to
effect [...] a Perfect Cure'. Stresses how many London hospital surgeons have
demanded such an institution and calls on anybody 'who has money to spare' to
send it to All Saints' Hospital.
Ethnology, Human Development, Race, Cultural Geography,
Exploration
Notes that a 'distinguished explorer of Africa' has reported that 'the
Makololos justify cattle-stealing by the argument that those who cannot keep
their cattle have no right to them'. Suggests a comparison between the
Makololos and the M'Gregors discussed in
Scott 1818Scott, Walter
1818. Rob Roy, 3 vols, Edinburgh: Archibald Constable and Co.
CloseView the register entry >>, and wonders if
Makololos should be spelt M'Cullolo. Concludes by arguing that a supposed
'connection between the Land of the Cakes and the Land of Negroes is
corroborated by the fact that Scotland, as well as Africa, abounds in
BLACKIES'.
Noting that a paper on 'The Invisible Part of the Moon's Surface' was
presented to the
British
Association for the Advancement of ScienceBritish Association for the Advancement of Science
CloseView the register entry >> (a version of which was
published as
Webb 1865Webb, Thomas
William 1865. 'On the Invisible Part of the Moon's Surface',
Report of the Thirty-Sixth Meeting of the British Association of the
Advancement of Science held at Bath in September 1864, Notices and
Abstracts of Miscellaneous Communications to the Sections, 9
CloseView the register entry >>), surmises that 'For
all that appears to the contrary' that side of the moon may be made of 'green
cheese'.
Punch, 47 (1864), 143.
The Banting Restaurant Joint Stock Company (Limited)
Inspired by
William
Banting'sBanting, William
(1796/7–1878)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> extraordinary claims regarding diet and corpulence, this
item advertises an 'Association' for 'enabling persons endowed with a hearty
appetite, to gratify it without incurring the penalty of corpulence'. Explains
that the company will prepare 'viands which, whilst excluding, as much as
possible, saccharine, farinaceous, and oleaginous matters' guarantees pleasure
to the palette. Boasts that 'Leading Professors of Chemistry and Gastronomy'
have helped the company produce the required dishes.
Religion, Human Development, Animal Behaviour, Ornithology
Presents extracts from an 'elegant Epistle' of 'young lady in the Country',
which describes her father's need for a 'little Cold Curate', a species that
appears to be a game bird but which could also be a clergyman. The author
describes the curate as a 'shy bird', whose scarcity can be explained by the
'hardness of the ground' and the actions of the 'game-keepers of Manors'.
Stresses some of the delights of the curate, including the fact that it has a
'tender' tongue and, unlike turtle cutlets, it is not 'too rich', and it also
'endeavours to secure a nice roosting-place in the church'. Urges that
something should be done to 'make it more plump and partridge-like' and
suggests that
Henry J Temple (3rd
Viscount Palmerston)Temple, Henry John, 3rd Viscount Palmerston
(1784–1865)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> might throw a 'few bread-crumbs' into the
curate's 'soft bill'.
Societies, Scientific Practitioners, Astronomy, Geology, Time,
Stratigraphy, Human Development, Evolution, Controversy, Cosmology, Comparative
Philology, Gender
Written to represent a woman of limited literary ability, who is clearly
irritated by the claims made by scientific practitioners. She begins by
criticising the
British
Association for the Advancement of ScienceBritish Association for the Advancement of Science
CloseView the register entry >> as a 'nasty
good-for-nothin' lot' who engage in 'Ass-stronomy, geehology, and all that
nonsense, botheration'. Proceeds to dismiss claims about 'the earth's age bein'
so old as they makes it out', and ranks 'all them mouldy bones and things they
find in them there strater' as worth less than 'a rotten tater'. Questions the
value of excavating bones that do not contain any meat, and laments the 'row
and rumpus / About Dewelopment and things as we was never meant to compass',
disputes that 'comes to nothink'. Anticipates that 'one of these days' British
Association members will 'find out that they've been all on 'em mistaken', and
will be 'Forced to go back to what folks thought of old about the 'evinly
bodies'—that the world is flat and, 'Beneath the crystial firmament'
stands 'stock still'. Concludes by delighting in the possibility that 'relyin'
on our senses' and 'our ideers' will displace 'all that there philosophy and
wain pretences'.
Delighted at news that the
Royal College of PhysiciansRoyal College of Physicians
CloseView the register entry >> is to
appoint a committee to inquire into the 'condition of army medical officers',
but warns that the inquiry does not appear to be 'particularly well defined'.
Surmises that since the inquiry will probably not investigate 'the conditions
of the army medical service', it will examine 'the conditions of the bodies' of
practitioners, as well as their mental health and salaries.
Comprises a spoof correspondence between Grimalkin and Tabitha (two domestic
servants) on the revival in France of the fashion for eating horseflesh.
Grimalkin, who shares a name with a horse in
William
Shakespeare'sShakespeare, William
(1564–1616)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>Macbeth, complains that the eating of horses is
an infringement 'upon our vested rights', and anticipates the spread of the
culinary fashion to English tables, and its political consequences. In reply,
Tabitha, discusses the effect of the fashion on the eating habits of 'modern
menials', stressing how choosy domestic servants will become in the matter of
horseflesh dishes. In a postscript, she denies that there has been a
'deterioration in racers' and compares the much better quality of contemporary
horseflesh with that enjoyed by her great-great-grandmother.
The writer informs Mr Punch of his highly unpleasant experience of having
his hair cut by machinery. Resolving that he will never endure this experience
again, describes the scissors attached to ropes, the 'circular comb',
disconcerting whirring noises like 'the deafening sound in a small manufactory,
or in the
Royal Polytechnic InstitutionRoyal Polytechnic Institution
CloseView the register entry >>
during the hours of exhibition', the 'Medicated Balsamic Regenerator', the jet
of 'Emollient Capellarion' gushing from the ceiling, and the violent whirrs of
the mechanical drying machine.
Announces the attempt by 'several of our best conjurors' to expose the
'means whereby the Spiritualists accomplish what they grandly term their
"manifestations"', and the proposal to publish their labours in a book called
'Davenport Done', 'out of compliment' to
William H H
DavenportDavenport, William Henry Harrison
(1841–77)
WBI CloseView the register entry >> and
Ira E
DavenportDavenport, Ira Erastus
(1839–1911)
WBI CloseView the register entry >>.
Discusses news that 'Divers Assurance Companies' are refusing to compensate
those injured in a recent gunpowder explosion near Erith. Challenges the
juries' claim that 'damage sustained by an explosion is not damage by Fire' and
wishes them to declare that 'gunpowder can explode without a fire'.
Discusses a trial at a police court in which a young boy was charged with
cruelty to a cat. Disagrees with the judge's decision to sentence the boy to
the house of correction, believing that 'any respectable, if ragged, school is
fitter to instruct [such boys] in humanity'. Proceeds to note differences and
similarities between this crime and traditional hunting. Points out that cats,
unlike stags and hares, are not 'good for food', but, like stags and hares,
they are 'killed for sport', and adds that while the gentry have an 'excuse'
for shooting game, 'street-boys have not for killing cats'. However, the writer
stresses the similarity between the street-boy and the noble sportsman (who
might include the judge in the trial) and accordingly wonders why their
respective acts of cruelty towards animals are marked in such different
ways.
The narrator describes his experiences of waking early one morning. Likening
the 'large round-hand scrawl' in his diary to 'Spirit characters', he dismisses
'Spirits' but begins to imagine 'Unsettled Existences on the confines of space,
Beings neither altogether unearthly nor entirely ethereal, Incomprehensible
Agencies capable of visiting us mortals even in our own rooms!'. On seeing the
door to his room being opened, he momentarily refers this to the action of
'Nothing' and 'Spirits', and speculating that he might confront burglars,
decides that he would rather meet spirits than burglars.
Begins by judging that 'Humbug to spiritualism' is '"looking up", now that
the Brothers DAVENPORT [William H H DavenportDavenport, William Henry Harrison
(1841–77)
WBI CloseView the register entry >> and
Ira E
DavenportDavenport, Ira Erastus
(1839–1911)
WBI CloseView the register entry >>] are making "a sensation" out of their cupboard [the
Davenports' site of spiritualistic activity]'. Insists that the conjuror
John H
AndersonAnderson, John Henry
(1815–74)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> 'may outdo all the marvels of all the Mediums', and
contends that while it can accept Anderson, whose 'ingenuity and dexterity are
legitimately employed in tricking our senses', it cannot accept spiritualism
whose '"media" are substituted for mechanism, "spirits" for sleight-of-hand,
and the mystical jargon of uneducated impostors' for Anderson's 'clever
jugglery'. Proceeds to ridicule a 'circular' entitled 'The Greatest Discovery
Ever Made' which it regards as the 'about the biggest dose of "flapdoodle"
[nonsense]' to arrive in Britain from American spiritualists. The circular
describes 'MEDIATION WRITING direct to, and from, the Spirit World, in One
Minute', and Punch attacks the publication for poor grammar, a claim
suggesting that only 'incapable ghosts' can communicate with mediums with
'degrading performances', such as 'accordion-playing out of tune'. Gives the
false name Mrs Bounce Bubbler to the medium in question. Her powers of spirit
communication prompt Punch to sympathise with the 'poor ghosts', unable
to rest in peace. Presents the medium's explanation of her 'extraordinary gift'
drawing on the analogy between the ability of man to communicate via the
electric telegraph and the power of spirits to 'communicate from one sphere to
another'. Punch thinks her argument begs the question of whether her
gift is 'true' and wonders why the gift should be given to such 'hands' as
Daniel D HomeHome, Daniel Dunglas
(1833–86)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> and
Charles H
FosterFoster, Charles H
(fl. 1900)
WBI CloseView the register entry >>. However, points out that Bubbler wishes to share her gift
with others, although she does not explain how to receive answers to questions
written out for the spirits of 'loved ones'. Goes on to express bewilderment at
the number of spirits with whom Bubbler claims to be acquainted, a claim
suggesting that 'Death, like misery, evidently makes men "acquainted with
strange bedfellows"; and not the most heterogeneous "crush" at a scientific
London conversazione'. These spirits include
Isaac NewtonNewton, Sir Isaac
(1642–1727)
DSB CloseView the register entry >>, who
'gives a philosophical explanation of this mediation writing',
Emanuel
SwedenborgSwedenborg, Emanuel
(1688–1772)
DSB CloseView the register entry >>,
Francis Bacon (1st Viscount
St Alban)Bacon, Francis, 1st Viscount St Alban
(1561–1626)
DSB
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>,
Benjamin C
BrodieBrodie, Sir Benjamin Collins, 1st Baronet
(1783–1862)
DSB
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>, and
John FranklinFranklin, Sir John
(1786–1847)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>.
(161) Concludes by noting the low cost of Bubbler's séances and classes
on spirit-writing.
Noting the 'boldness of outline which distinguished the great Works of our
modern female Artists', thinks that women's 'works in steel [i.e. crinoline
dresses] have swept everything before them'. Insists that, in her crinoline,
'woman has triumphed over obstacles which some of our boldest engineers might
have shuddered to approach', and believes
Robert
StephensonStephenson, Robert
(1803–59)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> could not have carried 'a hollow cylinder over Ludgate
Hill' single-handed, despite his
'tubular
bridge'Britannia Bridge, Menai Straits CloseView the register entry >> over the Menai Straits.
Shows a male and a female medium, both of whom have their feet locked in
stocks and a hand locked onto the same post. The caption urges that the mediums
should be left there 'until the spirits release them' and reveals that the
'Old Female Medium' wishes this would happen.
Physiology, Nutrition, Animal Behaviour, Human Development
Discusses an extract from an article in
Galgnani's MessengerGalignani's Messenger
(1821–95)
Waterloo
Directory CloseView the register entry >> describing
the huge quantities of snails eaten by Parisians. Noting that 'it is now
understood that human beings acquire a certain portion of the nature of that on
which they feed', anticipates the ways in which 'Parisian nature will
assimilate itself to that of the snail'.
Thinks that like his 'next year's
AlmanacZadkiel's Almanac and Herald of Astrology
(1836–1900+)
BUCOP CloseView the register entry >>', Zadkiel is 'just out', because
he 'ne'er divined the drought'. Proceeds to argue that if Zadkiel could
'foretell' the weather 'by the stars' then he could 'prophesy' events too, but
that the latter could only be trusted if they were based on 'rational pretence'
rather than 'transparent impudence'. However, since Zadkiel cannot 'See if the
Seasons will be wet or dry', his Alamanac will only trusted by
simpletons. Zadkiel is proclaimed a 'quack'.
Written from the perspective of a Scottish cow, Jeannie, who begins by
proudly upholding the strength of a 'braw' from the 'Hielands', and boasting of
the fact that she and her ancestors have won prizes for their 'guid breeding'.
Proceeds to challenge an extract from an article in the
Illustrated London NewsIllustrated London News
(1842–1900+)
Waterloo
Directory CloseView the register entry >> which
claims that cows 'think nothing' of walking forty miles on round trips to
cattle shows. Jeannie wonders how the author can know what cows are thinking,
although she upholds the article as proof of the genuine superiority of
Scottish to the fatter Southern cows. Concludes by challenging any other 'prize
coo at the
Smithfield ShowSmithfield Club—Cattle Show
CloseView the register entry >> ta year to talk
frae Lunnon to the Land's Eend wi' a calf a piece beside us'.
Criticises a 'long dreary correspondence' received from a correspondent who
'babbles o' green fields' and generally laments the destruction of the natural
environment by industry. Considers the correspondent to be 'an unsocial,
ungenial, ridiculous old curmudgeon' and presents the correspondent's argument
that to sustain 'poetic faculty and the spiritual mind amongst us' a
'compromise should be struck with the utilitarian proclivity of the age by
transferring, to the most beautiful portions of the British scenery still
remaining, the various powder-mills and magazines'. Thinks the correspondent
'can't keep pace with these railroad times', and rejects his complaints about
polluted rivers and his refusal to accept the 'situation which the inexorable
logic of material utilitarianism imposes on him'.
Presents a series of advertisements 'from the London daily papers of ten
years hence'. All the advertisements poke fun at the claims and practices of
spiritualism by anticipating its future manifestations. For example, it
includes an advertisement from the 'Spectral Hands-Club' who meet at midnight,
an 'Apology' from a 'Spirit who inadvertently knocked out a gentleman's eye'
during a séance, and an announcement that the 'Ghost of
Wolfgang A
MozartMozart, (Johannes Chrysostom) Wolfgang Amadeus
(1756–91)
CBD CloseView the register entry >> will be called upon at the Musical Phantom Association
Meeting [...] and will play some variations on the supernatural music in Don
Giovanni'.
Points out that the role of
Mr CalcraftCalcraft, Mr
(fl. 1864)
PU1/47/18/4 CloseView the register entry >> in
the allegedly spiritualistic feats of
William H H
DavenportDavenport, William Henry Harrison
(1841–77)
WBI CloseView the register entry >> and
Ira E
DavenportDavenport, Ira Erastus
(1839–1911)
WBI CloseView the register entry >> has been overlooked. Explains how Calcraft ties the knots
in the rope that constrains the Davenports during their performance, and that
the brothers are prepared to attempt to undo the knots tied by Calcraft. Adds
that Calcraft is willing to tie up the brothers in the
Old BaileyOld Bailey Sessions Court
CloseView the register entry >> to 'prove
their pretensions'. Concludes by noting that if any mediums are handcuffed
after being arrested, the handcuffs would later be 'found unfastened'. The name
of the author of this article is probably inspired by
Jesse B
FergusonFerguson, Jesse Babcock
(fl. 1864)
Fodor 1934 CloseView the register entry >>, the American preacher who acted as the Davenport brothers'
secretary.
Medical Treatment, Quackery, Charlatanry, Periodicals
Relates a news story concerning a court case, with the names altered.
Chronicles Captain Blank's purchase of a 'popular medical work by Dr. Asterisks
and Co.', a book that 'is mainly a record of fictitious cases wherein symptoms
similar to his own [including dysfunctional liver and nervousness] are
attributed to unphysiological mistakes, which he is conscious of having made at
some time of his life' and which will cause him to be ridiculed. Blank then
orders medicines which Asterisks claims are the only cure for his symptoms.
However, Asterisks threatens to publicise Blank's embarrassing details if he
refuses to pay for the medicines. Lambasts Asterisks and Co. as representatives
of the 'whole tribe of scoundrels' whose names dirty the newspaper columns and
who deserve to serve 'penal servitude'. Urges those newspapers that 'publish
the advertisements of obscene quacks' that they are 'accomplices' of quackery,
and wonders whether their circulation is so small that they have to accept such
advertising. Emphasises the differences between qualified practitioners and
quacks, notably that the former do not advertise their addresses, but can be
found in
Churchill's Medical
DirectoryLondon Medical Directory
(1845–47)
London and Provincial Medical Directory
(1847–69)
Medical Directory
(1869–1900+)
Waterloo
Directory CloseView the register entry >>.
Written from the perspective of a female medium of limited literary ability,
this poem describes her attempts to communicate with 'sperrits'. She asks the
spirits to 'sinnify their presence in the usal way by raps' and then explains
to a gentleman how to use 'the halfabet' to decode the raps. She then enquires
whether there are any messages from the ladies and gentlemen to the spirits,
and vice versa, and asks the 'Sperrit' to 'rap the party' when she sees the
appropriate person. She reassures her 'party' that 'there ain't no
himposition', that 'sperrit 'ands is what you feels' and that she has 'got no
tame monkey what runs up my Crinoline'.
Consists of a long dialogue between Mr and Mrs Naggleton on the former's
visit to a séance. Mrs Naggleton is very surprised at her husband's
actions and reveals her scepticism towards the 'manifestations' that he claims
to have seen. She insists that he has been witnessing a 'wicked folly' that has
made him nervous and, despite her constant refusals to hear what he saw, she
allows him to relate his experiences. He later describes the séance
circle during which participants allegedly 'heard some scratchings and
knockings, and then music began to play in different parts of the room, the
instruments moving about'. Mrs Naggleton remains sceptical, suggesting
mechanical explanations for these spiritualistic manifestations: for example,
she thinks the 'strong and mysterious wind' felt by her husband was not
produced by 'spirits' wings' but by a 'Pair of bellows'. Mr Naggleton later
shows his wife a 'spirit hand' that she believes to be fraudulent, but then
reveals that the spirit hand confirmed his suspicions about the séance
but that he did not articulate such doubts during the séance. Mrs
Naggleton subsequently tells him that she is glad he 'had sense enough not to
be deceived by the jugglers'.
Punch, 47 (1864), [189].
The American Brothers; or, 'How Will they Get Out of It?'
This illustration shows
Abraham
LincolnLincoln, Abraham
(1809–65)
CBD CloseView the register entry >> and
Jefferson
DavisDavis, Jefferson
(1808–89)
CBD CloseView the register entry >>, the leaders of the Union and Confederate causes in the
American Civil War, as the American mediums
William H H
DavenportDavenport, William Henry Harrison
(1841–77)
WBI CloseView the register entry >> and
Ira E
DavenportDavenport, Ira Erastus
(1839–1911)
WBI CloseView the register entry >>. Just as the Davenport brothers produced spiritualistic
manifestations whilst tied to chairs in a wooden box, so the American leaders
are shown tied to wooden benches with ropes. The ropes around both are labelled
'debt': this is a reference to the crippling debts incurred both by the
Unionist and Confederate forces, debts from which neither side seemed able to
escape.
Asks whether spiritualists can show the same items of furniture 'in two
places at the same time', and boasts that Punch can: furniture standing
in a room in London 'is all in "Holland"'.
Spiritualism, Psychology, Mental Illness, Imposture, Charlatanry,
Methodology, Force
Begins by recalling his introduction to 'the Spiritual school' as a child
when he 'cowered' in dread from 'Old Boguey', but then describes the change in
the fashion for ghosts, with 'Old Boguey' being 'promoted / From nursery to
first floor' and spirits being 'employed' to provide 'fools'-caps'
rather than 'night-caps'. Describes the dubious feats of
Daniel D HomeHome, Daniel Dunglas
(1833–86)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>,
Charles H
FosterFoster, Charles H
(fl. 1900)
WBI CloseView the register entry >> and their gullible audiences. Turns to
William H H
DavenportDavenport, William Henry Harrison
(1841–77)
WBI CloseView the register entry >> and
Ira E
DavenportDavenport, Ira Erastus
(1839–1911)
WBI CloseView the register entry >>, stressing the ways in which they 'draw fools in' with
their ropes, and profit from 'wriggling' themselves loose, much like 'many a
politician'. Describes the support given to spiritualism by
Dion
BoucicaultBoucicault, Dion
(1820–90)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> and concludes by pointing out how 'humbug follows
science, / As shadow waits on light', and how truth has to fight, and proposes
a toast to to '"the great asinine mystery"—/ That oldest
"od-force"—folly'.
Begins by explaining how Mr Punch, 'having entirely and dispassionately
considered' spiritualism, 'having examined the evidences, having witnessed
thousands of experiments', having studied 'spiritual books', and having
'regarded the scholarly, pure, and disinterested character of the well-born and
refined persons who practise Spiritualism', has 'convinced himself that the
Spirits are genuine'. Explains the seriousness with which Mr Punch has taken
his new creed, including his construction of a 'Temple of Spiritualism', and
presents a diary of the séance at which his conversion took place. There
Mr Punch had observed such notorious spiritualistic phenomena as a fiery object
flying across the room and spirits rubbing people's legs. The diary reveals how
he communicated with the spirits of
Jonathan SwiftSwift, Jonathan
(1667–1745)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>,
Nicholas
CopernicusCopernicus, Nicholas
(1473–1543)
DSB CloseView the register entry >>, and others, Copernicus informing Mr Punch that the moon
is made from ivory taken 'From the tusks of mammoths, mastodons, and
megatheria, existing for fourteen billions of years before the world was
created, and it was fused together by the action of volcanoes, and polished by
attrition with the Equator or Eqinoxious Line'. However, Copernicus refuses to
answer Mr Punch's question regarding the habitation of the moon. Later Mr Punch
asks the spirits to help him locate a 'new pair of black trousers' which he has
mislaid: although the spirits provide much incomprehensible information
regarding other topics, they finally reveal that Mr Punch's trousers have been
pawned.
Spiritualism, Imposture, Gender, Commerce, Supernaturalism, Magic,
Cultural Geography, Race, Politics
This illustration shows two juxtaposed scenes from which the reader is
invited to see similarities. In one scene, a woman medium is seen handling bags
of money and she sits near the tools of her trade: 'spirit' hands on the end of
an extendable wire frame and an accordion. The caption from the 'English
Papers' relates the large amounts of money spiritualists make from 'duping
fools into the belief that they see supernatural performances'. In the other
scene, an Irish witch sits in a gloomy prison cell. The caption from the
'Irish Papers' indicates that she was found guilty of 'pretending to
show apparitions to her ignorant dupes' and has been punished.
Suggests that two tiresome 'attractions'—William BantingBanting, William
(1796/7–1878)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> (the
corpulent writer whose works on diet were proving immensely successful), and
the mediums,
William H H
DavenportDavenport, William Henry Harrison
(1841–77)
WBI CloseView the register entry >> and
Ira E
DavenportDavenport, Ira Erastus
(1839–1911)
WBI CloseView the register entry >>— should be combined. Proposes that Banting (who 'may
surely count' as two men) should go into the Davenports' famous spirit
'cupboard' and 'come out two BANTINGS, of DAVENPORT
size, while the two DAVENPORTS should also enter and
come out one DAVENPORT, of BANTING size'.
Spiritualism, Imposture, Race, Cultural Geography, Gender
Following
John Tenniel, 'Medium and Re-Medium', Punch, 47 (1864), [199], this poem contains puns on the
names of Mrs Do-hany in Carrick, and Mrs Do-many in London. While the former
'picks oakum on skilly', the latter 'lives well, and sacks guineas', and both
play on the 'folly of credulous ninnies'. Explains that Mrs Do-many makes money
from 'sperrits' that perform such feats as 'jingle / Accordions', and concludes
that just as Mrs Do-hany has been imprisoned, so should Mrs Do-many.
Challenges the decision of a Newcastle court to dismiss an application from
'a gentleman' who sought to prosecute
William H H
DavenportDavenport, William Henry Harrison
(1841–77)
WBI CloseView the register entry >> and
Ira E
DavenportDavenport, Ira Erastus
(1839–1911)
WBI CloseView the register entry >> under the Witchcraft Act, which 'enacts penalties or
imprisonment' on those who use 'skills or knowledge in any occult or crafty
science'. Thinks that the law should be changed so that it includes 'operations
of "the Spirits"', not least to protect the 'few silly women and sillier men
who believe in such things'. Claims that it is prepared to 'make allowance' for
the feelings of 'Spirit-mongers', but insists on regarding them as the lowest
type of 'knave'.
The writer of this letter introduces herself as 'an old woman living far
away from the Metropolis', and proceeds to discuss the activities of
William H H
DavenportDavenport, William Henry Harrison
(1841–77)
WBI CloseView the register entry >> and
Ira E
DavenportDavenport, Ira Erastus
(1839–1911)
WBI CloseView the register entry >>, 'wild young men' who 'repudiate all human ties,
excepting, of course, those of a purely moral nature'. Complains about the poor
security of parcels and reports that her 'carrier' explained how 'Sperets took
to undoing of knots' binding the goods. Likens the 'volatile spirits' to
mushrooms in that they 'spring up at night', Noting that the Davenport brothers
have been enrolled by 'Spectacle-Makers' and 'Cordwinders', believes 'something
should be done to relieve the poor distressed Spirits who perform all the
knotty work' and to find them 'more creditable employment'.
Introduces the Delphi Company as a 'Society' for taking money 'from the
pockets of the confiding public, and performing the wondrous operation of
raising the wind by spiritual agency'. Proceeds to compare modern with ancient
spiritualism, and explains that the medium employed by their firm is a
latter-day 'Pythoness' who sits on a 'three-legged stool', and thus constitutes
an 'Oracle'. Stresses that the number of spiritualists who have entered lunatic
asylums will answer shareholders' questions about the uses of spiritualism, and
that the spiritual provenance of the medium's power should not offend
'religious convictions'. Concludes by insisting that the 'respectability of its
projectors will preclude any idea' that they, unlike
William H H
DavenportDavenport, William Henry Harrison
(1841–77)
WBI CloseView the register entry >> and
Ira E
DavenportDavenport, Ira Erastus
(1839–1911)
WBI CloseView the register entry >>, will 'bolt with the money'.
Discusses a recent oyster show at the
Jardin d'Acclimatation, ParisJardin d'acclimatation, Paris CloseView the register entry >>.
The author expresses relish for the 'little fat oysters' on show and claims
that he will 'give a good account of them' if 'Acclimatising Gardeners, just by
way of experiment, would plant some in our larder'.
Punch, 47 (1864), 211.
Motto for the Society for the Propagation of Cruelty of Animals
Written in a style of a rustic who identifies
Grantley
BerkeleyBerkeley, George Charles Grantley Fitzhardinge
(1800–81)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> as a 'Spoortsman' and himself as a poacher, and discusses
the differences between a 'patridge and a sparrer'. Anticipating Berkeley's
greater knowledge of this question, he notes the sportsman's familiarity with
the Hampshire goshawks which are also confused with hen harriers. Explains that
he and Berkeley should 'know summut about hawks' and how the owl, 'the bird
o'widsom [...] knows a hawk from hen harrier' and wonders why 'English
gentlemen' are unaware of this difference. Thinks that the ancestors of such
gentlemen, people who 'spent their time in hawkun', would not be impressed by
their descendants' inability to distinguish a hen harrier from a goshawk.
Explains that ancient barons regarded goshawks as 'first-rate' hawks and could
distinguish them from 'long-winged hawks', 'short-winged hawks', and hen
harriers. Boasts that he has 'got a new book' which has helped him distinguish
the goshawk from the hen harrier and urges Berkeley to inspect the stuffed
birds at the
British
MuseumBritish Museum
CloseView the register entry >> in order to help him make the correct distinction.
Crime, Natural Theology, Anatomy, Religious Authority
Introduces a recent inquest held by Mr Punch upon an earlier inquest. The
latter revealed that a clergyman,
John HuntHunt, John
(fl. 1864)
PU1/47/22/1 CloseView the register entry >>, who
'systematically studied anatomy' in order to search out Nature's 'glorious and
miraculous works', had obtained from a physician a stillborn body for
'acquiring anatomical knowledge'. While his actions did not appear to infringe
the Anatomy Act or 'the decencies of life or death', a churchwarden took action
that resulted in his trial. During the trial, the judge defended the legitimacy
of Hunt's medical studies but the jury decided that Hunt should confine his
studies to 'matters of a clerical character'. Mr Punch's jury, however, accused
the actual jury of 'Snobbish Impertinence' and claimed that it would be better
if 'vulgar blockheads' were not 'eligible to serve on Coroner's juries', but
were instead 'obliged to mind their own business'.
Shows the various postures adopted by a Scottish man during his railway
journey from Edinburgh to London, 'in the vain endeavour to obtain relief for
his legs'. He tries resting with one and then both legs in the air, and then
with his legs brought up to his torso.
Spiritualism, Imposture, Display, Medical Practitioners
Describes how
John ScoffernScoffern, John
(1814–82)
COPAC CloseView the register entry >>
'exposed the whole concern' of
William H H
DavenportDavenport, William Henry Harrison
(1841–77)
WBI CloseView the register entry >> and
Ira E
DavenportDavenport, Ira Erastus
(1839–1911)
WBI CloseView the register entry >>. Explains that Scoffern visited the Davenports'
'exhibition' in London and became suspicious when the brothers prevaricated
over the question of 'how they operate', and refused to allow him to tie them
up or enter the 'wooden Cabinet' where they performed their allegedly
spiritualistic feats. Scoffern instead treated the cabinet as a 'case / Of
phthisicial affection' and listened to what was happening inside it. The
Davenports, however, proceeded to annoy Scoffern while he addressed the
audience, who subsequently 'hissed and hooted' the Davenports. Punch
concludes that 'there's an end to public pay / Of impudent deceivers'.
Environmentalism, Physiology, Health, Feeling, Natural Theology,
Progress, Industry
Evidently following news discussed in
Anon, 'Admirable Imitation', Punch, 47 (1864), 222, this poem begins by explaining that
just as Ataeus 'ever must renew his force / Upon earth's bosom' so we, to
prevent our decline, 'must regard the lilies of the field' and gain inspiration
from 'Heaven's hieroglyphics in Earth's book unsealed'. Questions how this can
be done 'if always spreading, day by day, / The City creep o'er meadow, heath,
and moor'. However, relishes the thought that there will be 'one
retreat'—Wimbledon CommonWimbledon Common
CloseView the register entry >>—'Kept sacred' by the
'noble'
John P Spencer (5th Earl
Spencer)Spencer, John Poyntz, 5th Earl Spencer
(1835–1910)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>.
Presents a 'fragment of the long lost Eleventh Chapter of the
Compleat AnglerWalton, Isaak
1653. The Compleat Angler; or, The Contemplative Man's Recreation. Being a
Discourse of Fish and Fishing, Not Unworthy the Perusal of Most Anglers
[...] London: Richard Marriot
CloseView the register entry >>',
which comprises a dialogue between 'Venator' and 'Piscator' on the
characteristics of various fish as connoted by their names. For example, the
chub is described as a fish that is 'very difficult to pick' (a reference to
the lock company founded by
Charles ChubbChubb, Charles
(1772–1846)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>)
and a variety of the 'Bramah' (a lock originally made by
Joseph BramahBramah, Joseph
(1748–1814)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>).
The parr is described as a fish 'that has been known to live upward of a
hundred years (a reference to
Thomas ParrParr, Thomas ('Old Parr')
(d. 1635)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>, known as
'Old Parr') and the pike is characterised as 'a solitary, morose, and very
voracious' fish that takes a 'toll of all that pass'.
Pollution, Sanitation, Commerce, Politics, Government, Public Health,
Engineering, Controversy
Discusses the 'movements at work in the City' which have 'rudely upset' the
author's 'favourite notions'. These include the fact that the
Metropolitan Board of WorksMetropolitan Board of Works
CloseView the register entry >> has
'of late giv'n up words, / And really taken to working', and that the famous
giants of London, Gog and Magog, who lie about in the 'Metropolitan Sewage',
are 'getting all by the ears with
ThwaitesThwaites, Sir John
(1815–1870)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> and his
peers' for not calculating the value of the sewage. Recalls the time when 'Town
Boards' rejected the idea of sewers, but observes how 'London's beginning to
think gold of winning / From her drains'. Anticipates that 'With our iron and
coal fields, we'll boast of our gold-fields, / Irrigated by streams (od)
auriferous' and expects sewage to yield guano and that its spreading will 'make
the world wiser'. Observes the number of recent battles, including those of
'styles, schools, and gauges', but adds that the 'quarrel that well fits this
new age / Which defines Dirt as "matter left in the wrong place"—/ The
battle of schemes for sewage'. The conclusion reveals that the battle is being
fought between 'THWAITES,
NAPIERNapier, Robert
(1791–1876)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> &
CO.', and
Thomas EllisEllis, Thomas
(fl. 1864)
Palmer's CloseView the register entry >>,
John BradyBrady, John
(1812–87)
Stenton 1976WBI CloseView the register entry >>, and
Robert
MontagueMontagu, Lord Robert
(1825–1902)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>, and hopes that the best will win.
Announces a list of forthcoming works whose titles bear some relation to the
names of their publishers. For example, 'A Treatise on the Skeleton (BOHN'sBohn, Henry George
(1796–1884)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>
Series)'.
Relishes news that judge
George W W
BramwellBramwell, George William Wilshere, 1st Baron
Bramwell
(1808–92)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> has passed custodial sentences on two advertising quacks,
A F HeneryHenery, A F
(fl. 1864)
Palmer's CloseView the register entry >> and
Mr AndersonAnderson, Mr
(fl. 1864)
PU1/47/23/3 CloseView the register entry >>,
who 'traded on the silly fears of a young officer' (cf.
Anon, 'Quacks and Contemporaries', Punch, 47 (1864), 186). Warns the governor of the jail to
be wary of 'felons with a smattering of medical science' who may feign illness.
Ponders the fact that only 'two rascals' have been 'caged', and that Mr Punch's
file contains information on many who have not come before Bramwell. Threatens:
'Woe to the first on whom Mr. Punch shall lay the Iron Flail'. Insists that
Punch is only mentioning this repugnant subject 'from a sense of duty'
to those who may fall victim to 'these cold-blooded extortioners and
quacks'.
Evolution, Human Development, Human Species, Natural Theology,
Religion, Supernaturalism
Reports that
Benjamin
DisraeliDisraeli, Benjamin, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield
(1804–81)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> has insisted that the 'question now asked by science of
society' is: 'Is man Ape or Angel'. Adds that Disraeli declared himself to be
'on the side of the Angel', a remark suggesting that 'Ministers had best look
out' for Disraeli 'shall henceforth be our "Angelic Doctor"'. Concludes by
pointing out that Punch 'never thought him in the least like an
Ape-man', although it 'fancied him a little of Apemantus'.
This illustration shows a balding elderly man writing a letter at a desk.
With only a few hairs sprouting from his scalp, he feels obliged to write a
testimonial to the producers of the hair restorer, noting that his 'hair has
already recovered its former luxuriance'.
Calls on Britons to demand cheaper gas, and to join the 'cheap gas movement
headed by the gallant
GEORGE
FLINTOFFFlintoff, George
(fl. 1864)
PU1/47/23/6 CloseView the register entry >>', and thus 'put the tyrannic Companies' pipes
out'.
Presents what Punch believes to be meteorological information
'totally inaccessible to the daily or weekly journals'. This information is
presented as if it were exclusive and esoteric, but is in fact quite vague and
mundane. For example, 'a friend whose official position gives incalculable
weight to any statement that he may make' states that it is 'a very cold day',
'a certain noble Lord' observed that the 'days would now begin to draw in', and
the 'Astronomer Royal' (George B AiryAiry, Sir George Biddell
(1801–92)
DSB
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>) after ordering 'two dozen
barometers' was only able to predict a 'wet night'.
Explains that, in response to the 'desire of the Scientific World', Mr Punch
has decided to present 'a record of the proceedings of the various societies
which meet to bewilder themselves with wisdom'. Points out that Mr Punch has
edited the proceedings and hopes that these will be regarded by scientific
societies as the source for the 'latest and best information on science'. These
spoof proceedings describe the activities of six scientific organisations,
namely the
Geological
SocietyGeological Society of London
CloseView the register entry >>, the
Zoological
SocietyZoological Society of London
CloseView the register entry >>, the
Royal Geographical SocietyRoyal Geographical Society
CloseView the register entry >>, the
Photographic
SocietyPhotographic Society of London
CloseView the register entry >>, the
Royal Astronomical SocietyRoyal Astronomical Society
CloseView the register entry >>, and
the
Royal Archaeological
InstituteRoyal Archaeological Institute
CloseView the register entry >>. Scientific activity is presented as bewildering,
abstract, and often absurd. At the Geological Society, Mr Fondlesquaw presented
his observations on 'a large number of interesting miocene corals' found on a
London street. At the Archaelogical Institute, Mr Grundy 'exhibited an ancient
heir-loom, which had evidently been used for looming hair'. (232) At the
Zoological Society, Professor Phlunkey 'exhibited an exceedingly fine toad,
which he had captured in a pond at Hampstead, and which he stated to be
edible'. At the Geographical Society, a letter was received from Mr Wool
Gatherer 'who stated that he did not know exactly where he was at present, but
that when he found out he would let the Society know': the society then awarded
him a gold medal for his efforts. At the Photographic Society there was a paper
on the 'Best Mode of Keeping Babies Still for the Photographic Sitting'. At the
Astronomical Society, the meeting featured a paper from Mr De Transit on his
'"Observations upon the last Solar Eclipse", which he had been unable to see,
owing to its being invisible in England'. (233)
Military Technology, War, Steamships, Internationalism
Reporting that the
AdmiralAdmiral, ship CloseView the register entry >>, a large
wooden ship carrying '121 guns, 1,100 men, and engines of 1,000 horse-power',
has been sent to the Mediterranean, surmises that it must have been sent there
'as a hostage' or as an emblem of peace, because it will not be able to sustain
an attack from ironclads.
Subtitled 'A Possible Result of the Efforts of the
Acclimatisation SocietyAcclimatisation Society, New South Wales CloseView the register entry >>', this menu
includes dishes prepared from animal species that will become acclimatised in
Britain in the future. For example, the fish dishes include 'Crimped Kraken',
while 'Pickled Scales of Sea-Serpent' and 'Gorilla's Ears in Sherbet' are
served at the end of the meal.
Religious Authority, Religion, Medical Treatment, Class
Begins by noting that the
North British Railway CompanyNorth British Railway Company
CloseView the register entry >>
supports the campaign of 'Scotch Sabbatarians' on the grounds that it maintains
Christian law. Draws their attention to an alarming letter in
The TimesThe Times
(1777–1900+)
Waterloo
Directory CloseView the register entry >> from
'A Medical Officer' who describes 'a most dreadful case of malignant fever'
which had not been treated (with a 'drop of wine') on a Sunday because the
'relieving officer' observed the sabbath. Ridicules those who believe it to be
'wicked to heal on the Sabbath Day' and hopes that the 'large London Union' to
which the relieving officer belongs never need a 'drop of wine' on a
Sunday.
Begins by contemplating the prospect of a multitude of sewers in London, and
proceeds to describe the political controversy over the state of the Thames,
one politician in Erith complaining that 'You have poisoned us all on the rive,
/ By the mess you have made with the drains'. Turns to a farmer who laments the
waste in sewage and how much money he could make from it, and then describes
how
Lord Robert
MontaguMontagu, Lord Robert
(1825–1902)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> held a meeting to discuss 'what's to be done with the
drains'. Notes the conflicting contributions to the meeting from 'mudlarking
contractors' and 'those who wanted the drains', the people of Edinburgh who
drew attention to the drainage system of their city, 'the contractors of Rugby'
who want to water their land with drains owing to poor rainfall,
Robert NapierNapier, Robert
(1791–1876)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> and
W HopeHope, W
(fl. 1864)
Palmer's CloseView the register entry >> who promise to make 'A
Paradise all from the drains', and 'the owners of lands and terrains' in
Highgate and Hampstead who want sewage irrespective of smell. Notes that these
different parties argue over 'their filthy old mains' in
The TimesThe Times
(1777–1900+)
Waterloo
Directory CloseView the register entry >>, and
looking forward to the end of the debate, promises to make he who 'Cleans the
Water from Sheerness to Stained', 'King of the Drains'.
Punch, 47 (1864), 235.
Ministers of the Interior—With a Seat in the Cabinet
The initial letter forms part of an illustration showing several animals
(including a frog, an owl, a snake, and a bird) discussing what appear to be
medicines being presented by the owl and bird. The text describes a meeting
'attended by all the advertising quacks in the kingdom', a meeting prompted by
the prosecution of
A F HeneryHenery, A F
(fl. 1864)
Palmer's CloseView the register entry >> and
Mr AndersonAnderson, Mr
(fl. 1864)
PU1/47/23/3 CloseView the register entry >>.
The participants have names that reflect their shady characters: for example,
Mr Stoat and Mr Larogue. Mr Stoat, the chairman, rallies support for Henery and
Anderson and uses 'strong language' against the court that convicted them. Mr
Foumart warns that the press now threaten to 'crush them' but points out that
some 'newspaper proprietors' will continue to print their advertisements for
financial reasons. Mr Larogue warns that 'the so-called respectable part of the
Press' will 'proceed from bad to worse' and notes that they, like the
LancetLancet
(1823–1900+)
Waterloo
Directory CloseView the register entry >>, will
'denounce the advertisers by name' and stigmatise the papers where such
advertisements appear. Dr De La Rue reminds the meeting of the uses of 'posters
and handbills', while Mr Skunk thanks
ParliamentHouses of Parliament
CloseView the register entry >> for the libel laws, which
allow him to take action against assailants. Concludes with the formation of a
'Mutual Protection Society' for quacks, and finally the entrance of an 'Officer
from the
Board of
HealthBoard of Health
CloseView the register entry >>' who sprinkles the place with chloride of lime.
Written from the perspective of a rustic who describes his visit to the
annual
Smithfield Club Cattle ShowSmithfield Club—Cattle Show
CloseView the register entry >>. He
notes that he and his 'guvnor' 'tested of the beasts with knowing pinches,
pokes, and nudges', draws attention to the obesity of the pigs and sheep on
display, and sympathises with the animals for being out of breath. Proceeds to
describe the mammoth-sized 'Prize Oxes', animals with 'Hend moddles all for
simmetry and eligance of Ed', and the cows, 'their coat without a seam'. The
illustration (on 237) shows three large pigs in a sty, one of which is reading
a work by
William
BantingBanting, William
(1796/7–1878)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>, the writer on corpulence.
Evolution, Human Development, Animal Behaviour, Religion,
Supernaturalism, Politics, Religious Authority, Controversy,
Universities
Begins with an extract from
Benjamin
Disraeli'sDisraeli, Benjamin, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield
(1804–81)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> recent speech at the
University of
OxfordUniversity of Oxford
CloseView the register entry >>, in which he claimed that in answer to the pressing question
of whether man is an 'ape or an angel', he was 'on the side of the angels'. The
poem opens by noting 'How happy the angels should be' that he has joined them,
and how busy their 'mission' will be now that they have recruited one with
'brain big with schemes' and 'tongue glib of phrase'. Thinks Disraeli will now
raise a 'dagger' at the 'Broad Church' and 'Reviewers and Essayists' (a
reference to
Temple 1860[Temple, Frederick
et al.] 1860. Essays and Reviews, London: J. W. Parker
CloseView the register entry >>) with 'Wit's edge
with Hate's poison annoiting'. Lists Disraeli's range of talents, but warns
that 'scarce the best mimes can from Nature escape' and that Disraeli might
therefore be 'most of the Ape, / When bent on enacting the Angel'.
Reports that in a recent book,
William H H
DavenportDavenport, William Henry Harrison
(1841–77)
WBI CloseView the register entry >> and
Ira E
DavenportDavenport, Ira Erastus
(1839–1911)
WBI CloseView the register entry >>, reveal that they were imprisoned by 'magistrates of
Oswego' as 'unlicensed jugglers'. Toasts the health of Oswego and then
describes how 'angels' helped the brothers escape from their cell. Since the
brothers presented this as a 'challenge to unbelievers' in their 'preternatural
powers', Punch suggests that a 'crucial test' of their powers would be
to 'commit them to prison' and see whether 'an angel delivers them five minutes
before the time that their sentence expires'.
Evolution, Human Development, Supernaturalism, Religion, Natural
Theology, Politics, Universities
Shows
Benjamin
DisraeliDisraeli, Benjamin, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield
(1804–81)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>, clad in large angel wings, a star-spangled robe, and
floral headdress, admiring himself in a full-length mirror. The caption quotes
from Disraeli's recent address to the
University of
OxfordUniversity of Oxford
CloseView the register entry >>: 'The question is, is man an ape or an angel? (A
Laugh) Now, I am on the side of the angels. (Cheers)'.
This article contains a long list of anxieties suffered by a railway
traveller, each of which begins with the word 'Wonder'. Divided into anxieties
about the 'Journey', the 'First Station', the 'Refreshment-Room', the
'Platform', and the 'Carriage', these include such worries as 'Wonder what
makes the carriage wiggle-waggle about so', 'Wonder if we're going off the
line', 'Wonder if any one understands what the guard says', 'Wonder if that is
our bell', 'Wonder which is my carriage', 'Wonder, being safely in my seat,
that there are no more accidents from people crossing the rails in a large
station', and 'Wonder if the engine has broken down'.
Addressed to 'Englishmen, and Englishwomen', the writer asks his audience to
recall how they have been cheated by tradesmen with a range of adulterated
goods, and then asks them to 'be unto gas as it was unto sugar and butter, and
again we shall triumph'. Calls on them to resort to such temporary alternatives
to gas lighting as 'the sanatory Photogenic Generator', in the attempt to
'defeat the extortionate vendors of bad gas', which causes such problems as
poisoning the air. Anticipates the use of 'Magnesium, the loveliest light in
the world', although 'as yet this is too dear'. Puffing himself as spearheading
the fight, he illustrates his earnestness by boasting that he recently 'blew
up a gas collector'.
Discusses two items in the
Morning
PostMorning Post and Daily Advertising Pamphlet
(1772–1900+)
Waterloo Directory
CloseView the register entry >>, the first being an advertisement for 'farewell
Séances' for
William H H
DavenportDavenport, William Henry Harrison
(1841–77)
WBI CloseView the register entry >> and
Ira E
DavenportDavenport, Ira Erastus
(1839–1911)
WBI CloseView the register entry >>, the second being a letter from
William HowittHowitt, William
(1792–1879)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>
castigating 'the Press' for its hostility and apparently blinkered attitude
towards the Davenport brothers, and observing the continuing spread of
spiritualism. Punch reminds Howitt that his friends, the Davenports,
'refuse to do what you say they should do' and give 'opponents of Spiritualism'
enough rope to bind them. Punch laments the fact that the Davenports'
'showman',
Mr PalmerPalmer, Mr
(fl. 1864)
PU1/47/24/12 CloseView the register entry >>,
abuses the 'man of science' who tries to make 'decisive tests', and ridicules
Howitt's comparison of the Davenports to ancient prophets. Proceeds to attack
Howitt, accusing him of having 'many bright faculties' but lacking that of 'the
discernment of quacks'. Presenting an additional extract from the advertisement
of the Davenports' séances, Punch explains that 'Public writers
are only vexed to see an eminent brother-chip [Howitt] incapable of seeing
through the transparent gammon of a regular and common puff'.
Quackery, Medical Treatment, Imposture, Crime,
Pharmaceuticals
Evidently inspired by the recent trial of the quacks
A F HeneryHenery, A F
(fl. 1864)
Palmer's CloseView the register entry >> and
Mr AndersonAnderson, Mr
(fl. 1864)
PU1/47/23/3 CloseView the register entry >>,
this article is written from the perspective of a quack doctor confined in a
pillory and being pelted with, amongst other things, his own medicine. He
begins by describing the pain caused by the pillory and the 'nasty things'
being thrown at him. He then wishes he had gained 'all the fees I could by
legal means', and agrees that he deserves to be punished for threatening
'violation of confidence [of his customer] in black and white' and thereby
furnishing 'evidence of extortion against myself'. However, he castigates the
'howling rabble' who throw his 'own filth' at him, and insists that
'Considering how many fools there are amongst you, I cannot help feeling that,
standing here all filth as I am, I constitute the very best advertisement of
myself that could possibly be exhibited'.
Reports that an 'Eminent Oculist' has revealed that 'an intimate friend'
'finds great relief' in 'allowing [his eyes] to rest' on a
'green covered sofa'.
Punch, 47 (1864), [249].
A Quack in the Right Place; or, What we Should Like to See
Quackery, Medical Treatment, Imposture, Pharmaceuticals
Following
Anon, 'Physical Phenomenon', Punch, 47 (1864), 248, shows a balding quack doctor
confined to a pillory on a stage, whilst being pelted with bottles of potion,
pills, and other examples of his own medicine.
Advertises 'Situations of Thrilling and Sensational Interest' to 'Dramatic
Authors' capable of writing 'Novelties, with as much Reality as possible'.
Provides a specimen scene set on the ocean floor and featuring numerous fish
and the submarine telegraph.
Quackery, Medical Practitioners, Medical Treatment, Crime, Commerce,
Periodicals
The author outlines three ways in which he thinks quack doctors can be
'crushed'. He suggests that the
General
Medical CouncilGeneral Medical Council
CloseView the register entry >> should 'proceed' against unqualified persons giving
'medical advice', that the 'Law Courts' be able to 'nonsuit' those
'unqualified' practitioners who demand a fee, and that the press should be
allowed to reject 'quack advertisements' and to expose quackery. Reveals that
he refuses to buy papers featuring 'vile quack advertisements' and castigates
those papers that do. Concludes by praising 'Dr Punch' for his 'philanthropic
efforts to annihilate these vermin' and in a postscript argues that quacks
should be removed in a police van.
Meteorology, Observation, Gas Chemistry, Physiology
Inspired by a report of the 'unusual absence of ozone', this poem begins by
pondering the location of 'our usual ozone' and the reasons for its departure.
Asking where 'our usual ozone' dwelt, answers ''Twas somewhere in the
atmosphere, but where I cannot tell / You must ask
PROFESSOR
AIREYAiry, Sir George Biddell
(1801–92)
DSB
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>, or some other learned swell'. Concludes by wondering
whether ozone is 'in the sky' and whether we can exist without it.
Quackery, Commerce, Medical Practitioners, Medical Treatment,
Pharmaceuticals, Crime
Begins by boasting of his position as a quack, an 'infamous trade' that
allows him and his fellow tradesmen to make a 'large income' by the 'vilest of
plunder' and extortion from dupes. The chorus toasts 'success to the trade, /
By which dirty hands are made' and identifies the singer as the chief of the
'filthy scoundrels'. The last verse describes quacks' dubious credentials,
including the 'sham' diploma and lack of 'medical skill' or knowledge of
'drugs', and notes that the author thrives by lying to his frightened patients
about their diseases, and by 'advertisements daily'.
This letter is apparently from the staunchly protestant statesman,
George H
WhalleyWhalley, George Hammond
(1813–78)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>, who warns readers of a new invention, a
'Rafrânchisseur'. Believes that this glass apparatus for allowing
a lady to 'blow perfume [...] over the face of any friend' is 'a Popish device,
intended to familiarise people with sprinkling'.
Noting how 'Titles and truth separated many years ago by mutual consent',
how 'Mottoes make no pretensions to veracity', and how 'many sciences [...]
have long enjoyed' the 'privilege' of 'concealing in curious phraseology their
cherished mysteries', the author presents extracts from 'two popular manuals'
which describe various aspects of financial and political life as if they were
medical symptoms. 'Rickets in Bankruptcy', for example, causes many
'stunted objects of legislative negligence' to crowd London's 'Superior
Courts', whose 'natural flaccidity' can be 'aggravated' by being 'injudiciously
puffed'. 'Cacoëthes loquendi—Maxillary Convulsions' refers to
the 'irrespressible desire' of 'the youngest members of the legislative family'
to 'get on his legs' and then to throw off a 'large amount of declamation'. The
account warns that if 'long confined to the
House of
CommonsHouse of Commons
CloseView the register entry >>' the patient may 'sink into a state of chronic boredom'.
'Tories' Nostalgia—Home-Office Sickness' refers to the Tory
opposition's 'long involuntary absence' from government, and includes the
tendency of 'The melancholy Member, separated from patronage and all he holds
most dear', to 'sit for hours on a bench, gazing at a vacancy'.
Punch, 47 (1864), 258.
The Aristocracy Manufacturing their Wares for an Industrial
Exhibition
This illustration shows several aristocrats constructing objects in a large
lounge on whose walls hang several large paintings. The captions explain who is
making which object: for example, 'The Duke is knitting a stocking' and The
Duke's sister-in-law has been building a model ironclad'.
Shows a man in a room, lit only by a large oil lamp on a shelf. The lamp
illuminates two hats hanging on an adjacent wall, making the combined image of
the lamp and hats resemble a face. The caption reveals that the man, Mr Skeary,
has just returned from a 'spiritual seance', and the latter image 'has such an
effect on his nerves that he could not go to business the next day'.
Observes that no-one 'ever supposed' that the 'Clerk of the Weather Office'
(i.e. the office of the imaginary functionary supposed to control the weather)
was a real government office, 'notwithstanding the existence of
ADMIRAL
FITZROY'SFitzroy, Robert
(1805–65)
DSB CloseView the register entry >> department' (i.e. the
Meteorological OfficeMeteorological Office
CloseView the register entry >>). Noting that
Fitzroy is 'not generally imagined to have any control over the weather',
observes from an announcement in the
Edinburgh
CourantEdinburgh Evening Courant
(1715–89)
Daily Courant
(1760–59)
Edinburgh Evening Courant
(1860–71)
Edinburgh Courant
(1871–86)
BUCOP CloseView the register entry >>, that the engineer of the 'Lighthouse Steamer'
PharosPharos, ship CloseView the register entry >>, has become
the 'Superintendent of Northern Lights' and wonders whether this refers to the
'Aurora Borealis'.
Anthropology, Human Development, Animal Behaviour, Race,
Proof
Discusses remarks made by 'a native of Caithness',
M ClayClay, M
(fl. 1864)
PU1/47/27/3 CloseView the register entry >>, at a meeting of the
Anthropological SocietyAnthropological Society of London
CloseView the register entry >>. Clay focused
on evidence of a child's jawbone among shells and bones, found in Scotland, but
denies that this constitutes proof that his ancestors were cannibals.
Punch agrees that 'An isolated fact is no proof', but suggests that if
it did 'prove cannibalism' then it 'would establish nothing more than the
existence of a pre-historic
Sawney
BeanBeane, Sawney
(fl. 15th–16th century )
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>'—a late thirteenth- and early fourteenth-century Scottish
cannibal.
Puffs
Punch's
AlmanackPunch's Almanack
(1842–1900+)
Waterloo
Directory CloseView the register entry >> as the cure of a range of medical complaints. The
almanac has displaced 'quack brain pills, or other useless medicines' and
'given relief to Thousands upon Thousands of poor sufferers'.
Puffs
Punch's
AlmanackPunch's Almanack
(1842–1900+)
Waterloo
Directory CloseView the register entry >> as the 'best Medium in the world for introducing
Spirits into stupid social séances', a publication that will put
everybody 'under the influence of good Spirits'.
Shows a young girl, Lucy, studying at a table and an older man (her father)
looking on. The man asks his daughter what 'Miss Trimmer has set you to do
to-morrow' and Lucy replies that 'It's on pneumatics in relation to—but
you really wouldn't understand it, if I told you'.
Shows Mr Punch using a giant volume of Punch, volume 47, to strike
the heads of several quack medicine vendors, whose pills, ointments and balms
are shown (272).