Shows a man turning a large crank which adjusts the height of a 'New Patent
Traction Crane', on the end of which swings a large weight shaped like a
fishing bob. The caption reveals that the figure believes he is fishing for a
'Silurus Glanis'.
Zoology, Animal Development, Animal Behaviour, Futurism, Climatology,
Environmentalism, Transport
This anticipates the results of acclimatising exotic species of animals to
the British climate. It shows a busy street in London on which crowd numerous
exotic species being used as forms of transport. For example, in the foreground
a zebra pulls a cart and a man is walking a kangaroo as if it were a dog; in
the background two giraffes pull a coach and several people sit on the back of
a giant elephant (whose posterior is marked 'Bank 3d') as if it were an
omnibus.
Similar to
George L P B Du Maurier, 'Probable Results of the
Acclimatisation Society—The
Streets', Punch, 48 (1865), [vi], this shows the results of
acclimatising exotic species to the British climate. It shows a crowded scene
near the
SerpentineSerpentine, lake, Hyde Park CloseView the register entry >> and
several family groups relaxing with animals that appear to have been released
from the
Zoological Society
GardensZoological Society of London —Gardens
CloseView the register entry >>. For example, in the foreground young children sit on top
of and near such fierce creatures as a tiger, lion, and a crocodile, while in a
tree above a family group sits a large snake and a toucan.
Punch, 48 (1865), [viii].
How to Calculate the Variations in the Barrow-Meter
Burton 1621[Burton,
Robert] 1621. The Anatomy of Melancholy: What it is. With all the
Kindes, Causes, Symptomes, Prognostickes, and Severall Cures of it. In Three
Maine Partitions with their Severall Sections, Members, and Subsections.
Philosophically, Medicinally, Historically, Opened and Cut up. By Democritus
Junior. With a Satyricall Preface, Conducing to the Following Discourse,
Oxford: H. Cripps
CloseView the register entry >>
Subtitled 'Being a respectful Comment on the POPE'S
Encyclical and its Appendix', this poem criticises the religious
dogmatism displayed by the latest edict of
Pope Pius IXPius IX, Pope
(1792–1878)
CBD CloseView the register entry >>. In
answer to such demands as renouncing 'the faiths we've learnt to view / As
keystones of our freedom' and deeming '[the Pope's] dogmas above reason [...]
His lore than science wiser', Punch turns the Pope's style of answer
back on him with: 'Non possumus'. (6)
Following
Anon, 'Mr Punch's Non Possumus', Punch, 48 (1865), 6, 9, this responds to
Pope Pius IX'sPius IX, Pope
(1792–1878)
CBD CloseView the register entry >>
latest 'Encyclical' and 'Appendix', which subordinated science and common sense
to papal authority. Shows a large bull (being also a papal edict) with its head
on the ground near a brick wall and its legs dangling in the air. The bull has
crashed against the wall containing bricks marked 'Science', 'Common Sense',
'Toleration', and 'Progress'—aspects of culture which Pius IX
opposes.
Calls on writers and statesmen to stop using, for 'public edification,
enlightenment, amusement, or instruction [...] several persons, creatures, and
things' which are judged to be 'exhausted, threadbare, stale, and hackneyed',
and which are specified in an annexed list. This includes 'The British Lion',
which it is claimed will be gratefully accepted by the
Zoological Society
GardensZoological Society of London —Gardens
CloseView the register entry >>, and the 'Couleur de Rose', which is 'Very much faded' and
is being replaced by an alternative to be identified by the
Royal Society of ChemistryRoyal Society of Chemistry
CloseView the register entry >> and
others. The phrase of
Francis Bacon (1st Viscount
St Alban)Bacon, Francis, 1st Viscount St Alban
(1561–1626)
DSB
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>, 'Knowledge is Power', is judged to be 'quite reasty,
having been served up to every Mechanics' Institute in the three Kingdoms'.
Noting the large weight of mistletoe sold in Britain over the Christmas
period, the author ponders the question 'how many young ladies on the average
are caught beneath a ton of mistletoe'? and the proportion of kisses to
weight of mistletoe. Urges
Charles
BabbageBabbage, Charles
(1792–1871)
DSB CloseView the register entry >> 'or some other great calculator' 'to solve this
interesting problem'. The writer points out that while she does not
'know what experiments I may make', she thinks 'some of your young lady
readers' could collect 'statistics on the subject'.
Discusses an extract from an article in
The TimesThe Times
(1777–1900+)
Waterloo
Directory CloseView the register entry >>
reporting that anglers in Stockbridge destroyed several kingfishers, an act
that Punch thinks should be punished by hanging.
Disease, Medical Practitioners, Medical Treatment, Nutrition,
Class
The author describes his attendance on a wealthy patient, whose symptoms are
given in elaborate detail, but which turn out to be a simple case of festive
gorging. Concludes by suggesting that 'those of us whose circumstances preclude
over-indulgence in eating and drinking [... should] go forth among the mansions
of the luxurious classes' and teach the virtues of moderation.
Gives advice on how to perform as a 'light comedian', advice which explains
that slapping friends on the shoulder and poking elderly persons in their ribs
are 'valuable relics of a former state of manners, which have been happily
preserved for us in the matrix of stage-tradition, as the icthyosauri
and pterodactyls in the lias and oolite of the geologist'. Suggests that
comedians deal with these 'fossilised manners' 'as reverently as
PROFESSOR
OWENOwen, Richard
(1804–92)
DSB CloseView the register entry >> would handle a fossil of the Stonesfield slate, or an
Elephant's tusk from the Norwich mud'.
Quackery, Medical Treatment, Commerce, Environmentalism
Discussing a report of the defacement, by advertisements, of 'spots visited
for their natural beauty' in Canada, claims that the 'names of pill-mongers are
painted on the Pyramids', and anticipates that the dome of
St
Peter'sSt Peter's, Rome CloseView the register entry >> will be 'placarded by quacks'.
Discusses a report in
The TimesThe Times
(1777–1900+)
Waterloo
Directory CloseView the register entry >> of a
'Buonaparte' gull that has been shot at Falmouth. Delighted that the bird is so
rare in the British Isles, and believes the 'two Irish specimens' are 'no
doubt, Fenian or Ultra-montane' and that their rarity is 'more remarkable'
given the vast number of 'Buonaparte's gulls', who have 'occassionally been
shot, particularly on the 2nd December, 1851'—a reference to the bloody
quashing of a popular rebellion by
Emperor
Napoleon IIINapoleon III, Emperor of France (originally
Louis Napoléon (Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte))
(1808–73)
CBD CloseView the register entry >> of France.
Reports that Mr Punch informed 'a charming young lady philosopher' that
aniline was 'derived from anile', the meaning being 'that when people grow
anile, they ought to dye'.
Pass 1846Pass, Horatio
1846. A Treatise on Artificial Teeth and Palates: With Advice to Parents;
And Observations on the Effects of a Residence in Tropical Climates on the
Teeth of Europeans, London: John Churchill
CloseView the register entry >>
Amusement, Human Development, Animal Behaviour, Cruelty
Responds to a letter in
The TimesThe Times
(1777–1900+)
Waterloo
Directory CloseView the register entry >>
condemning the unhealthy 'practice of exhibiting infants on the stage in
pantomimes and burlesques'. Argues that monkeys could be substituted for
infants, suggesting that 'an arrangement be made with the
Zoological
SocietyZoological Society of London
CloseView the register entry >> on the one hand, and the Italians who educate
PROFESSOR
HUXLEY'sHuxley, Thomas Henry
(1825–95)
DSB CloseView the register entry >> distant relatives, on the other'. Noting that this
might not be thwarted by the 'Act for the Prevention of Cruelty of Animals',
suggests that with 'cosmetic stucco', an ape could be converted into 'a
full-grown angel'. Concludes by insisting that 'whatever you may think of
"Man's place in Nature" [a reference to
Huxley 1863Huxley, Thomas
Henry 1863. Evidence as to Man's Place in Nature, London:
Williams and Norgate
CloseView the register entry >>], you will no
doubt allow that the place of a child in a pantomime had much better be filled
by one of the Simiae'.
Suggests that
Robert FitzroyFitzroy, Robert
(1805–65)
DSB CloseView the register entry >>
is 'like a careful riddle-maker' because he devotes much of his time to 'a
cone-and-drum'—references to the cone-shaped storm warning signal, and
the drum used to record meteorological phenomena.
Industry, Medical Practitioners, Medical Treatment, Crime,
Patronage
Condemns the guardians of poor law unions for failing to provide adequate
resources for medical men attending workhouses. Notes the 'homeopathic' (i.e.
miniscule) pay given to a
Holborn
Poor Law UnionHolborn Poor Law Union
CloseView the register entry >> medical man and the 'homeopathic' (i.e. miniscule)
amounts of medicine with which he is supposed to treat paupers. Expressing no
surprise that deaths occur through inadequate treatment, insists that the poor
law guardians rather than the doctors should be charged with 'manslaughter',
and defends the doctors' ability to discern genuine cases of illness among
paupers. Concludes by arguing that 'humanity demands that good treatment be
procured' and that this requires 'good pay'.
Noting the 'great deal' of recent discussion about man's longevity, the
writer offers himself as somebody who should be used for testing the claims,
and describes his constitution, diet, and lifestyle, stressing that he subsists
'by the exercise of my intellectual faculties in a way calculated to please
others rather than myself', and believes from 'statistics' that 'matrimony
would prolong my existence'. Suggests that with a 'public subscription' he
could gain 'an income sufficient for the purposes of physiological science and
my own' and see whether longevity can be secured by 'living [...] in strict
obedience to the natural laws of health'.
Puffs the 'FRANCHISE PILL' of 'DR. JOHN BRIGHT', 'Fellow of
Birmingham University'. Notes that this 'inestimable medicament' is the product
of 'twenty years of researches in America' and offers a 'Certain cure for
all Disorders, physical, mental, moral, social, and political'. The
advertisement includes a long list of such disorders, including 'Taxes',
'Corns', 'Tooth-ache', 'Smoky Chimneys', 'Circumlocution', 'PuseyismPusey, Edward Bouverie
(1800–82)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>', 'Davenport
Brothers' (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 >>), 'Sensation Novels', 'Earthquakes', 'Mumps', and
'Black-balling'.
Politics, Medical Practitioners, Medical Treatment
Shows John Bright (the 'Doctor') as a somewhat pompous looking doctor
standing near, and in conversation with, a rough-looking carpenter (the
'Patient') carrying the tools of his trade. The doctor quizzes the patient
about his livelihood and on hearing that he earns enough money and food, and is
not 'hurt' by the taxes, replies that 'we must change all that. We must go in
for reform'. This latter refers to Bright's zealous campaign for
parliamentary reform.
Perplexed by the decision of Dorchester magistrates 'that apples are no
agricultural produce' or 'produced from trees that grow in cultured ground'.
Following a claim by 'An American philosopher' that 'madness was a mineral',
the author suggests that the apple might be an animal and thinks that
Dorchester magistrates remind her of 'the 5th Proposition of
EuclidEuclid
(fl. 295 BC)
DSB CloseView the register entry >>'—the 'Pons
Asinorum' or 'Asses' Bridge'.
Gas Chemistry, Technology, Commerce, Comparative Philology, Cultural
Geography, Progress
Comprises correspondence between 'His Celestial and Imperial Highness,
Brother to the Sun and Moon Twin to the Twinkling Stars, Cousin of the Comet',
and 'T. Jones, Secretary of the Hi Ski Hi Gas Company of Pekin'. The former is
told that the reason why his gas supply has been 'discontinued' is because he
has failed to pay 'certain moneys', and he subsequently threatens to behead
Jones. Although Jones asked the gas company to continue the gas supply, the
'Highness' demands the heads of all connected with it, threats which prompt the
'escape' of the company.
Mathematics, Universities, Education, Human Development
Subtitled 'At the service of any Mamma, whose Son is returning from
CambridgeUniversity of Cambridge
CloseView the register entry >>high in the
Mathematical Tripos' this states: 'The Mother eyes the "Wrangler" with a
smile'.
Medical Practitioners, Disease, Narcotics, Patronage
Shows an elderly 'Family Doctor' sitting near his patient, a 'Country
Gentleman', in a large study. After declining a glass of port on the grounds
that it causes gout, the doctor is invited by the gentleman to 'stay and dine'
with a glass of 'Thirty-Four', a move prompted by the gentleman's imminent jury
service.
Includes an 'Idyll of the
QueenVictoria, Queen of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, and Empress of India
(1819–1901)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>', which
represents and discusses the Queen's speech at the start of the new session of
ParliamentHouses of Parliament
CloseView the register entry >>. Asks for the Queen's help in
'useful legislation', including the need to 'mend' the situation regarding 'The
patient, thoughtful sage, whose painful toil / Strikes out some grand
invention' and 'is left / At the no-mercy of a Patent law / By which the
shallow greedy quack's enriched'. (63) Later Punch reverts to its usual
interpretation of parliamentary proceedings, which includes a report of the
government's decision not to 'legislate about Railway accidents',
Thomas
Milner-GibsonMilner-Gibson, Thomas
(1806–84)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> making the apparently contradictory remarks that there
were 'few railway accidents' in 1864, but £174,000 was paid in damages
for injury arising from accidents (64).
Pollution, Engineering, Public Health, Medical Practitioners,
Physiology, Heat, Railways, Politics, Government
Praises
John ThwaitesThwaites, Sir John
(1815–1870)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> for
his imminent completion of 'the Drains', a feat that will turn the 'breezes of
London' into 'balmy breezes'. Notes that the 'Doctor in
Roderick RandomSmollett, Tobias
George 1748. The Adventures of Roderick Random, London: J.
Osborn
CloseView the register entry >>,
who resolved to distil a certain liquid from tinder, by means of animal heat,
was a practical philosopher compared to Mr. Punch', were the latter to
'seek to obtain any Essence out of such tinder-like Parliament as that of the
past week'. (73) Reports on a new government inquiry 'into the costs of Railway
Conveyance' and the reading of bills about new railways. (74)
Describes an expedition 'in the Northern Sea [...] to catch a Whale', a task
which the explorers seek to accomplish with a variety of weapons including
'cutlasses, pikes, marlin-spikes [...] hammers, knives, and brads'. They crept
up on the 'brute' which 'Asleep on the deep lay', and shouted for joy when the
whale quivered after being harpooned 'by the score'. Despite the crew's bravado
about catching the whale, it escaped from the rope tethering it to the boat.
The illustrations show scenes from the voyage, including a rowing boat
progressing through icy wastes inhabited by polar bears and the boat crew
attempting to harpoon the whale.
Discusses a report describing the number of 'geese' (people) who have fallen
into various lakes while attempting to traverse their frozen surfaces. Thinks
those 'geese' who bathed in the freezing cold water were not as 'silly' as the
'geese' who fell through the ice and unintentionally bathed in the water.
After predicting the 'customary Solar and Lunar disturbances', this report
lists the expected 'eclipses' in society, including the eclipse of the 'Present
Parliament' by another one.
Describes the death of the porpoise exhibited at the
Zoological Society
GardensZoological Society of London —Gardens
CloseView the register entry >>, a death caused by freezing and the fact that 'They didn't
enclose him / A deep enough place in'.
Written from the perspective of the recently deceased porpoise at the
Zoological Society
GardensZoological Society of London —Gardens
CloseView the register entry >>, who asks a number of questions concerning the person
responsible for its fate since it left the 'briny wave'. Asks, for example,
'Who dug me a freshwater grave, / And popped me into it' and 'Who cut me open'.
The concluding words, 'F—k B—d', reveal that the accused is
Francis T
BucklandBuckland, Francis Trevelyan
(1826–80)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>.
Shows several giraffes crossing a snow-covered courtyard at a zoological
gardens. Two of the giraffes have curled their necks into scarves thus, as the
caption explains, escaping from 'diphtheria during the winter'. On the right, a
photographer is seen attempting to capture this phenomenon.
Shows a woman in a photographer's studio, waiting to have her photograph
taken. She argues that the position she has adopted will suffice because 'it's
natural and easy', but the photographer retorts that while such a position 'may
do in ordinary life [...] in photography it's out of the question
entirely'.
Discusses news that
Dr BrownBrown, Dr
(fl. 1865)
PU1/48/9/7 CloseView the register entry >>, the
principal of the
Bloomingdale Lunatic Asylum, New
YorkBloomingdale Lunatic Asylum, New York CloseView the register entry >>, stated that a number of 'College text-books' including
Alder's German and English Dictionary were written by people of 'insane
mind'. Punch adds that while Mr Punch 'did not know that any of the New
York editors were under restraint as lunatics, he has long thought that more
than one of them ought to be'.
Begins by describing a midnight scene on 'West Hill, Wandsworth', where the
only sound to be heard is the 'yell and scream of the whistling steam, / As the
darkling trains roared by', but also, ''Twixt whistle's yell [...] a voice of
woe' that turns out to be the 'Spirit of Wandsworth Common' calling 'The Spirit
of
WimbledonWimbledon Common
CloseView the register entry >>'. In reply, the latter complains
that he has not been able to sleep owing to 'Bold invaders, plotters sly',
while the Spirit of Wandsworth grumbles that having fallen asleep he allowed
himself to be 'scarred and bared to shame' by 'foemen' 'In the shade of
SPENCER'sSpencer, John Poyntz, 5th Earl Spencer
(1835–1910)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> name'. The Spirit of
Wandsworth proceeds to describe how he used to be 'Robed in green' and that
once there was no 'Freer, fairer' common than he. However, he laments the fact
that his vegetation is now in shreds and that instead of being the site on
which children can play, he is due to be ruined with a 'Hideous Cockney-villa'
and a prison. (92) Concludes with the Spirit of Wandsworth Common warning his
fellow spirit that, while Spencer's aims are noble, 'Better than e'en Spencer's
guard, / Is his guard that guards himself' (i.e. that Wimbledon Common should
protect itself). (93)
Astronomy, Periodicals, Hospitals, Medical Treatment
Taken from a periodical whose title evokes
Hanwell
Lunatic AsylumCounty Lunatic Asylum, Hanwell CloseView the register entry >>, these extracts are appropriately bizarre, including
news that 'The planet Venus, now so conspicuous an object in the heavens, has
put forth a tail' which 'may account for the fact that the Moon has been making
faces'.
Cultural Geography, Industry, Light, Exploration, Astronomy,
Metrology, Pollution, Agriculture, Museums, Religious Authority, Steamships,
Military Technology, Politics, Government
Reporting on the 'debate on the condition of Ireland', Punch notes
that Ireland's 'climate made her properly a pasture country', which suggests
that 'until we can make her a manufacturing nation—the priests will
hinder this—if they can, the Irish must emigrate'. It warns that Mr Punch
can see 'all the little games' played by 'Parliament men' in this debate and
'In proof that he does, he hereby lights up this business with his Magnesium
Wire, even as
PIAZZI
SMYTHSmyth, Charles Piazzi
(1819–1900)
DSB CloseView the register entry >> has just done unto the interior of the Pyramid'.
Proceeds to note the debate on sewage and the recent discovery of its great
value as fertiliser, although this conversion process remains a mystery. Later
describes the 'grand
MuseumBritish Museum
CloseView the register entry >>
debate', and notes that it fully 'expects to see a general onslaught upon the
stuffed collection', expressing dislike of stuffed giraffes, especially when
live ones can be seen. Also discusses the 'Gun debate' in which
Henry J
BaillieBaillie, Henry James
(1804–85)
WBI CloseView the register entry >> called unsuccessfully for an inquiry into the armaments on
Royal NavyRoyal Navy
CloseView the register entry >> ships. The
debate also touched on the means of rifling guns and the 'awful expense of
repairing ships'. (96)
Notes
Charles P
Smyth'sSmyth, Charles Piazzi
(1819–1900)
DSB CloseView the register entry >> recent illumination of the
Great Pyramid
of GizaGreat Pyramid of Giza, Egypt CloseView the register entry >> 'with the Magnesium flame', but considers that magnesium
lighting poses a threat to those despotic gas company directors and
shareholders responsible for 'bad gas', 'dear gas', and 'dribbled gas'. Warns
that 'before long, your meter will not be the common meter it is now; your
piping times are coming to a close', and so advises gas companies to 'Be
abundant, be brilliant, be cheap' and to 'satisfy our Equitable demands, and
make our houses light-houses'. Concludes by warning them of a 'great Magnesium
ribbon conspiracy' which will make gas 'an exploded antiquity'.
Hospitals, Railways, Steamships, Military Technology, Engineering,
War, Pollution, Environmentalism, Manufactories, Politics, Government
Notes the debate in the
House of LordsHouse of Lords
CloseView the register entry >>
on the 'new military hospitals, said to be constructed on the "glass and glare"
principle', and later discusses a debate on 'Railway Mismanagement', a problem
that Punch thinks should be put before a 'British Jury'. Proceeds to an
extended discussion of 'NavyRoyal Navy
CloseView the register entry >> Estimates' in which
Clarence E
PagetPaget, Lord Clarence Edward
(1811–95)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> revealed the number of Britain's ironclads and 'iron-plated
Line-of-Battle Ships' and promised that the nation will have 'Four Ships of
tremendous speed', 'a "really" sea-going vessel [...] on
CAPTAIN COWPER
COLES'SColes, Cowper Phipps
(1819–70)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> principle', and 'new Docks for the new set of large
armour-clad ships'. Later reports arguments, criticism, and praise for the
government's ship designer,
Edward J ReedReed, Sir Edward James
(1830–1906)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>, and
support for the
Royal
SovereignRoyal Sovereign, ship CloseView the register entry >>, 'which is adapted to COWPER-COLES'S
plan, and is stated to be the best ship in the navy'. (105) Also
reports on
Robert
Montagu'sMontagu, Lord Robert
(1825–1902)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> attempt to 'carry a measure for protecting all the Rivers
of England' from pollution, an attempt thwarted by
John BrightBright, John
(1811–89)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> who
insisted that 'better the fish die than the manufacturers' (106).
Begins by lamenting the fact that 'we now can taste no more' the fishes that
swam in rivers owing to 'the foul pollution / Of our cities'. Comparing the
benefits of 'Rus in urbe' to 'Urbs in rure', condemns the factory
'poison' that mixes with 'the turbid streamlet' and sends fish and birds
fleeing from the foul rivers. Ponders the form in which Plutus will turn 'poor
old England' and believes that 'River-gods' should now be 'represented / Not as
bearing urns, but pails'. Develops the classical metaphors by describing how
the nymphs of the lake, the Naiads, 'and their mistress,
CLOACINA, / Holds with you divided reign / O'er what something
is between a / River and an open drain'. Concludes by wondering whether 'our
money-makers' consider the 'fever, / Sweeping Britain's crowded soil' and
lamenting the fact that such people always win the battle for the land.
Discusses an extract from a report in the
Morning
PostMorning Post and Daily Advertising Pamphlet
(1772–1900+)
Waterloo Directory
CloseView the register entry >> describing
John Bright'sBright, John
(1811–89)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>
criticism of
Robert
Montagu'sMontagu, Lord Robert
(1825–1902)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> 'motion for a Bill to prevent the rivers of England from
continuing to be poisoned and polluted with the sewage of towns and the
washings of mines and chemical works'. Criticises Bright for believing Montagu
to be acting on 'sentimental feeling', pointing out that such 'gentlemen' as
Bright 'are trying to make us all ashamed of sentiment' because it 'does not
tend to the creation of material wealth'. Adds that Bright would probably
believe that Thames water is fit for drinking and that 'If the Thames ran drab
as a member of the
Society of
FriendsSociety of Friends
CloseView the register entry >> he would say 'What matter?'. Insisting that all members of
ParliamentHouses of Parliament
CloseView the register entry >> agree that the Thames reeks,
suggests that Bright is claiming that 'if the Thames is offensive to
sentimental people, it is good enough for the beverage of people who are not
more nice than they need to be'.
Begins with an extract from one of the 'London Papers' announcing the
completion of a telegraph from Karachi, via Constantinople, to London. Proceeds
to a drama in which
Charles WoodWood, Charles, 1st Viscount Halifax
(1800–85)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>, the
Secretary of State for India, grows so irritated by the incessant telegrams
sent to his office, most of which concern exceedingly trivial matters, that he
wishes that the 'infernal telegraph [...] would snap', that 'somebody would cut
it' or the 'Turks would steal it'. (108)
The initial letter of the song forms part of a picture showing several
individuals being buffeted by a strong wind emerging from giant bellows worked
by
Robert FitzroyFitzroy, Robert
(1805–65)
DSB CloseView the register entry >>,
here portrayed as a sailor, around whom fly various meteorological instruments
(a thermometer and a self-registering drum). The song describes some of the
disagreeable aspects of walking in the streets during winter, including 'the
foul museums of the quacks'.
Religious Authority, Reason, Progress, Astronomy, Chemistry, Geology,
Superstition
Discusses some of the latest actions of
Pope Pius IXPius IX, Pope
(1792–1878)
CBD CloseView the register entry >>,
including his reaffirmation of 'the comic decrees of his Encyclical condemning
civil and religious liberty' and his usual technique of confronting 'the
inexorable logic of facts' with the 'inexorable logic of Popery'. Anticipates
the 'fun' caused by the pope shrinking 'from no consequences of his theology',
by publishing 'another Bull, condemning all the physical sciences, especially
astronomy, chemistry, and geology, as diabolical illusions, corresponding to
the Witchcraft of the Ages of Faith'.
Punch, 48 (1865), 118.
The Telegraphic Clerks. A Masque, Dedicated to Sir C. Wood
Similar to
Anon, 'The Torture of the Telegraph', Punch, 48 (1865), 108, 111, this pokes fun at
Charles Wood'sWood, Charles, 1st Viscount Halifax
(1800–85)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>
irritation at the number of telegrams he receives via the newly completed
Karachi-London telegraph. It begins with a song, sung by the 'HEAD CLERK' to
the tune of 'In my Cottage', which describes the incessant flow of telegrams
'both bad and good' that he will send to Wood, each of which has taken 'eight
hours' and 'five pounds ten' to send. The 'Chorus of Telegraph Clerks' chants
out 'Needles and pins! Needles and pins! / When a man telegraphs, trouble
begins'.
Shows a densely crowded room used for 'Old Bunger's scientific
conversazione'. The lecturer's attempt to demonstrate the 'power of a large
magnet' is ruined by the attractive force between the magnet and the iron
frames of the crinoline dresses worn by several ladies. Accordingly, the women
are dragged to the lecture bench and fall over each other.
Military Technology, Chemistry, Invention, Progress
Begins with an extract from the
StandardStandard
(1827–60)
Evening Standard
(1860–1900+)
Waterloo
Directory CloseView the register entry >>
announcing the invention of 'A substitute for gunpowder' by
L H G EhrhardtEhrhardt, L H G
(fl. 1865)
PU1/48/12/2 CloseView the register entry >>.
Written from the perspective of an Enfield rifle, the poem laments the fact
that this news spells doom for him. It opens by comparing a rifle to a dog,
both of which 'has his day', and then describes the various rifles used by the
ArmyArmy
CloseView the register entry >>, beginning with the 'Brown
Bess', whose bullet 'won't keep the axis / And terribly wobbles about', the
Minnie, which 'made a tremendous ado' with its spiral grooving and long range,
and himself—the Enfield—who engaged attention, became 'The rage',
and 'just suited the age'. Goes on to note recent changes—'WHITWORTH'SWhitworth, Sir Joseph, 1st Baronet
(1803–87)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> grooving' and
William W
Richards'sRichards, William Westley
(1790–1865)
WBI CloseView the register entry >> 'improving' breach—and awaits the moment when he
will be replaced by Ehrhardt's 'potash and resin' gunpowder and 'a change in
the lead'.
Written from the perspective of Father Thames, who begins by pondering the
benefits of clearing his 'tide' of 'feculence' or conveying his 'outfall [...]
to the disinfecting main'. Ridicules such towns as Barnes and Mortlake, whose
'fertilising filth' he has to carry, and Windsor, whose 'sordes' has
made him 'Infectious'. Goes on to ponder his future, including his 'current'
that will become 'heavy, thick, and slab' and be diverted 'to agricultural
affairs'. Concludes by asking that he be no longer corrupted with 'base alloy',
which he hopes will be spread 'o'er the field'.
Religious Authority, Railways, Government, Politics
Discusses the attempt by
Colman M
O'LoghlenO'Loghlen, Sir Colman Michael
(1819–77)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> to pass a bill to 'compel Irish Railway Companies to run
trains on Sundays', and ponders the implication that such companies are being
'reduced to pray' that they might 'not be forced to run trains by which nobody
travelled'.
Quackery, Pharmaceuticals, Human Development, Narcotics, Crime,
Mining, Disease, Health, Politics, Government
Reports on the fate of two 'Anti-Quack' bills proposed by
Fitzroy KellyKelly, Sir Fitzroy
(1796–1880)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> and
John ShelleyShelley, Sir John, 9th Baronet
(1848–1931)
WBI CloseView the register entry >>, both
of whom sought to punish 'the low class of Chemists and Druggists' for
'poisoning children'. In a short poem, the writer explains Kelly's insistence
on making chemists 'aware of what kills', and
George Grey'sGrey, Sir George
(1799–1882)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>
argument for having both Kelly's and Shelley's bills considered by a committee.
Later notes the introduction by
George W F
Kinnaird (9th Baron Kinnaird)Kinnaird, George William Fox, 9th Baron
Kinnaird
(1807–78)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> of a bill 'for placing Metalliferous
Mines under inspection, for the benefit of the health of the miners'. (138)
Discusses a report in the
East Sussex
GazetteEast Sussex Gazette
(cited 1865)
PU1/48/13/3 CloseView the register entry >> illustrating 'The ignorance of natural history
disgracing the rustics who till the soil of certain parts of England',
including their apparent belief that 'the cuckoo changes into a sparrow hawk'.
The report reveals that despite Punch's campaign, members of the
Shipley
Sparrow ClubShipley Sparrow Club, West Sussex CloseView the register entry >> persist in exhibiting thousands of heads of sparrows
and believe that their actions have not caused a 'scarcity of birds'. Calls on
the 'local gentry' to impart the 'requisite instruction' to 'such louts'
concerning the increase in agricultural pests caused by their murderous
actions. Suggests establishing a 'Clodhopper's Institution' were such rustics
could receive lectures on ornithology, although believes a 'Caterpillar Club',
in opposition to the Sparrow Club, would be more effective, for preserving
sparrows and destroying pests.
Discusses the conviction and punishment (in a house of correction) of
John BirleyBirley, John
(fl. 1865)
PU1/48/13/5 CloseView the register entry >>, a farmer
charged by the
Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to AnimalsSociety for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
CloseView the register entry >> with having 'tortured four cows
and a calf'. Reveals that the farmer had deprived the cattle of food and
criticises the fact that had he allowed them to die he would have 'received the
fullest allowance of correction' that could have been 'legally awarded him'.
Ridicules 'British benevolence' for merely subjecting the farmer to the
punishment of a thief and accordingly wonders what would have happened had
Birley been a poor law guardian who allowed paupers to die from starvation.
Points out that 'There is no County crop or treadmill, or oakum-picking, or
crank for "Cruelty to Paupers"'.
Charlatanry, Evolution, Human Development, Animal Development,
Comparative Anatomy, Controversy
Opens by describing the search through 'Church and State' for 'April-fools /
Of all professions, crafts and schools' (144). One of Punch's candidates
for the position is 'Science' because it 'wrangles' over 'brain-folds and
jawbone-angles / About man's kin to monkey' and 'so tangles' 'man with monkey'
that 'We scarce care which may win it' (145).
Discusses an advertisement for a female teacher at an 'Old-Established
Ladies' School', who must be 'a thorough arithmetician' and 'well versed' in
other subjects. Suggests that
Charles
BabbageBabbage, Charles
(1792–1871)
DSB CloseView the register entry >> could fill this position, 'were he a lady'.
Begins by toasting the possibility of bigger trout and salmon in the Thames
'next grass' and the need for clean water to keep them 'spawning'. The song
then toasts the 'ladders by which the fish scale' and stresses that 'it costs
but clean water to feed them'. Concludes by urging the exclusion of poachers
and 'poisonous matter' from the river, for the purpose of producing 'finer or
fatter' fish.
Punch, 48 (1865), 149.
'Auricomus Fluid, for Producing that Rich Golden Colour so Much Admired
in Ladies and Children!—Vide Advertisement
Shows a bearded 'Father Thames' dressed as a 'Waterman' on the river
embankment, saluting
Prince EdwardEdward VII, King of Great Britain and Ireland and
of the British Dominions Beyond the Seas, Emperor of India
(1841–1910)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>.
The number of swans and fish seen in the river testifies to its cleanliness,
while the caption has Father Thames boasting that he has not been the same
river 'since I gave up scavenging and turned waterman'. This illustration
refers to news of the prince's official opening of London's main drainage works
at Crossness.
Begins by urging readers to read
Courtenay 1865Courtenay, Francis
Burdett 1865. Revelations of Quacks and Quackery: A Series of
Letters, by "Detector" reprinted from "The Medical Circular", London:
Bailliere, Tindall and Cox
CloseView the register entry >>, which
is the republication of several articles originally appearing in the
Medical
CircularMedical Circular
(1852–65)
Waterloo Directory
CloseView the register entry >>. The author attacks those quacks who advertise in
'low newspapers' and praises the fact that the pamphlet meets his demand for 'a
nominal list of these miscreants'. Notes that the foul deeds of quacks are
'fully set forth' in the pamphlet and goes on to explain that the Medical
Circular 'has a great advantage over a non-medical journal' because it can
expose quacks 'without incurring the danger of an action for libel'. Criticizes
the British legal system for making it so easy for quacks to 'plead their
cause' and receive damages, but points out that no such outcome can be expected
by attacking 'a periodical almost restricted to the medical profession'.
Concludes by suggesting that readers should not read the pamphlet as a warning
to themselves so much as a means of warning the 'simpletons' with whom they are
acquainted.
Gas Chemistry, Aeronautics, Meteorology, Astronomy, Light, Health,
Death
The poet ponders the identity of ozone, which he has been reading about in
'the Press'. Explains that he has read that
Henry T
CoxwellCoxwell, Henry (Tracey)
(1819–1900)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> and
James GlaisherGlaisher, James
(1809–1903)
DSB CloseView the register entry >>
have 'seen / A quantity of Ozone' during their ascent to the cold heights, but
observes that neither of them explained the nature and etymology of ozone. Goes
on complain that while
John R HindHind, John Russell
(1823–95)
DSB CloseView the register entry >> has
explained the diminution in the brightness of 'some Heavenly body' by 'The
quantities of Ozone', he too has failed to reveal its nature. Throughout the
poem, the author suggests that it might be 'something to eat' or drink, or a
bird, and in conclusion he points out that 'modern doctors' have argued for the
dependence of life on ozone but complains of still not knowing what it is.
Vaccination, Disease, Homeopathy, Cultural Geography
Notes
John Gamgee'sGamgee, John
(1831–94)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> warning
that the 'vagrant cur nuisance' is causing an increase in hydrophobia in
Ireland. Thinks that if the 'canine virus and the vaccine may be
somewhat analogous', then 'a happy cure may be effected by a mad dog biting a
rabid Irishman'.
The letter writer seeks Mr Punch's assistance in interpreting an
advertisement for 'Coils of Sunshine'. Proceeds to offer his own reflections
and explanations. For example, he suggests that whilst 'Photographers have done
their best to stare the daily luminary out of countenance', 'some audacious
speculator is going to take the shine out of him, and drop it in our
letter-boxes', and wonders how 'such an inflammable enclosure be secured'. Begs
for Mr Punch's help on the grounds that he has read a 'shocking report that the
speculators' will next 'supply us with rolls of earthquake by book-post' and
stars from the Milky Way.
Punch, 48 (1865), 160.
The Negro's Place in Nature (To the Ethnological Society)
Ethnology, Race, Evolution, Human Development, Animal Behaviour,
Politics, Supernaturalism
Begins by explaining that the 'Sages' at the
Ethnological
SocietyEthnological Society of London
CloseView the register entry >> have lately had a 'grand debate / About the Negro's place /
In Nature, if he is indeed, / A man and brother, or of breed / Below our nobler
race'. Notes that certain physical features of the 'Negro', notably his 'wool',
'skin', 'facial angle', and 'odours', do not resolve the question. Goes on to
note
Benjamin
Disraeli'sDisraeli, Benjamin, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield
(1804–81)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> 'widely known' choice between 'Ape or Angel', but asks
'Philosophers' to choose between 'cherubs or the chimpanzees' as ancestors.
Comparing 'The Negro's and the Gorilla's shape', wonders what 'kin' this
'anthropoid ape' is to 'that pithecoid man'. Observes that any degree of
kinship between them would make the gorilla 'Our cousin some degrees removed',
but that, if there is no kinship between them, then the 'Negro' would take 'his
stand' with 'fellow men / And angels'.
Religious Authority, Religion, Railways, Amusement, Class,
Commerce
Discusses the presentation of an address by Anglican clergymen to the
directors of the
South Eastern Railway CompanySouth Eastern Railway Company
CloseView the register entry >>
and the
London, Chatham, and Dover
Railway CompanyLondon, Chatham, and Dover Railway Company
CloseView the register entry >> to stop excursion trains on Good Fridays. Points
out that these directors are mainly dissenters who do not share the
'superstitious observance' of Good Friday. Explains that the directors would
say, if they replied to the clergymen, that 'people are not driven into Church,
by being shut out of the
Crystal
PalaceCrystal Palace
CloseView the register entry >>, or debarred of Excursion Trains', and might end up in
public houses. Asks for these clergymen to confine their religious bans to
Canterbury.
Begins with an extract from the
Gateshead
ObserverGateshead Observer
(1837–86)
Waterloo
Directory CloseView the register entry >> which reports that the president of the
Tyneside Naturalists' Field
ClubTyneside Naturalists' Field Club
CloseView the register entry >>,
Rev. G C AbbsAbbs, Rev G C (President of the Tyneside Naturalists' Field Club)
(fl. 1865)
PU1/48/15/5 CloseView the register entry >>,
calculated that 6,307,000,000 caterpillars would have been eaten by the 6,000
sparrows killed by members of the '"Sparrow-Club" in Essex'. Believes this
supports the pejorative description of Essex inhabitants as 'calves'. Condemns
the Essex bird murders as 'swinish' and points out that this abuse of 'the
teaching of naturalists' is injurious to their own interests.
Religion, Race, Zoology, Cultural Geography, Commerce, Exploration,
Steam-power
Recounts the proceedings of a 'Meeting of Capitalists' and others interested
in launching a company for developing 'the traffic in objects of worship with
the various tribes of savages who practised the religion called fetichism'. The
chairman notes that 'A splendid prospect for the idol-trade was opened up by
the late discoveries of
DR.
LIVINGSTONELivingstone, David
(1813–73)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> and
CAPTAIN
BURTONBurton, Sir Richard Francis
(1821–90)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> in the interior of Africa', and upholds the
commercial gain from selling 'figures' of animals. He challenges Mr Dibbins's
suggestion that they should sell steam-powered fetiches on the grounds that
such idols would be 'expensive and too good for barbarians'.
Machinery, Invention, Domestic Economy, Human Development,
Mathematics, Industry, Spiritualism, Futurism
The initial letter forms part of an illustration which, like the article
itself, concerns the mechanisation of domestic chores. It shows a man enjoying
the benefits of elaborate machines that perform various tasks including
brushing hair, polishing shoes, and cutting food and passing it into the mouth.
The author begins by praising the 'Gigantic [...] Strides of the Genius of
Modern Mechanism' and then explains that after many 'experiments', he can
inform the public that the trouble of its 'domestic affairs' can be reduced by
mechanism. Proceeds to explain how this unspecified machine can temporarily
remove 'a Mother-in-law' by putting her in a 'small room' that keeps on
'ascending and descending' for three hours. After a short poem detailing the
tasks that can be performed by machinery, explains how it will perform the work
of 'Those necessary nuisances, known as servants', without the danger of
'impudence' or 'broken glass'. Proceeds to explain how the daily routine can be
improved by the machine, which has no 'Davenport humbug' (a reference to 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 >>). Puffs the 'Hydraulic Teapot' and, in a short poem,
explains the workings of the 'Egg-eating' machine. Concludes by boasting that
Charles
Babbage'sBabbage, Charles
(1792–1871)
DSB CloseView the register entry >> 'Calculator is a mere mechanical infant to our gradually
matured inventions' and anticipates that after 'thinking of machinery we shall
at last arrive at thinking by machinery, and Man himself shall be, as presented
in this initial etching, a mere machine'.
Begins by pondering the commotion amongst 'good people', in particular the
'M.D.'s in hot haste note-taking', and 'Local Government and Nuisance' who are
so 'eager to brush clean' statutes. The author reveals that he is the reason
for this activity, and identifies himself as 'your old friend, Typhus', who has
had a 'poor' harvest in Russia but expects a much better one in England.
Explains that he is 'Yearly, 'mongst your homes I'm rife as / In St.
Petersburg's black ciphers', and that he is carrying through 'God's work',
'smiting selfishness with scourges, / Wherewith from Plagues wasting surges /
Retribution's hand emerges, / And CHRIST'S lasting lesson
urges, / 'Do as you'd be doe unto'.
Notes the government's introduction of a bill to reform
Greenwich HospitalRoyal Naval Hospital, Greenwich CloseView the register entry >>, and
explains that 'sailors are to have out-pensions' and that the hospital is to be
'kept for the infirm' (179).
Zoological Gardens, Human Development, Animal Development
Shows a man staring at a penguin who stands behind a railing on which the
man is leaning. The man and penguin share several physical features, including
a beaked nose, a black back, and a white front. In a rare Punch use of
speech balloons, the man is seen making the ironic remark: 'Dear Me!'.
Shows the studio of a 'Country Photographer' in which the photographer is
removing the cap from the lens of his camera while his subject contends with a
'lively wasp' hovering near his nose.
Discusses extracts from an article in the
Morning
PostMorning Post and Daily Advertising Pamphlet
(1772–1900+)
Waterloo Directory
CloseView the register entry >> which praises the healthy condition of English livestock,
but criticises the ways in which cattle are carried to market by railway.
Explains that a
Mr ReidReid, Mr
(fl. 1865)
PU1/48/17/6 CloseView the register entry >> has solved
this problem with an invention, a model of which was exhibited at the
West Lothian Agricultural
AssociationWest Lothian Agricultural Association
CloseView the register entry >>. Notes Reid's concerns for the exhausted and thirsty
state of cattle after crowded railway journeys and his argument that such
suffering causes a reduction in the quality of meat and thus in the value of
the cattle. Goes on to note that Reid's invention, in which water is channelled
into troughs in each cattle truck, will largely prevent 'scab on sheep' and
raise the quality of meat.
Written from the perspective of the eighteenth-century seer
Hannah MoreMore, Hannah
(1745–1833)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>, the
letter writer begins by giving reasons why talk of the 'enlightened Eighteenth
Century' and the shattering of superstition by reason is in vain: for example,
she points out that 'at this very time
MESMERMesmer, Franz Anton
(1734–1815)
DSB CloseView the register entry >> has got £100,000
by animal magnetism', that 'LAVATER'SLavater, Johann Kaspar
(1741–1801)
CBD CloseView the register entry >> physiognomy books
sell at fifteen guineas a set', and that 'the divining-rod is still considered
oracular in many places'. She explains that she addressed these remarks to
Horace
WalpoleWalpole, Horatio (Horace), 4th Earl of Orford
(1717–97)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> in 1788 and asks Mr Punch how much she should alter them if
she were to address Walpole's descendant,
Spencer H
WalpoleWalpole, Spencer Horatio
(1806–98)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>, noting that she has heard of 'Spirit-Rapping, Mesmerism,
Homeopathy, Puseyism, Phrenology, Fortune-Telling' and 'other characteristics
of the enlightened Nineteenth Century'.
Punch, 48 (1865), 195.
Interesting Police Proceedings Against Frequenters of the Westminster
Cock-pit
Describes a trial at a police court in which several statesmen were charged
with 'Cock-fighting' by the
Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to AnimalsSociety for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
CloseView the register entry >>: the aggressive debates in the
Houses of
ParliamentHouses of Parliament
CloseView the register entry >> are likened to blood sports. Inspector Punch, who
'appeared in support of the prosecution', testified to the 'rat-matches,
dog-fighting and badgering', while the prisoners protested their innocence.
Grumbling about the difficulty of writing criticisms on works of art, the
author wishes that Mr Punch, who had given him his card for a 'Private View at
the Royal Academy', would have given him 'only such subjects as Logarithms, or
the Conservation of Forces, or the Differential Calculus' even though some
people are 'so awfully sharp-sighted that they would discern allusions even in
a treatise on these'.
Universities, Religion, Religious Authority, Unbelief
Discusses the competition between 'nine holy men' in the Senate House of the
University of CambridgeUniversity of Cambridge
CloseView the register entry >> for the
'Rectory of Ovington', a position with an annual income of £436 and 400
souls to cure. Considering the possibility that such souls do not need curing,
suggests that the rector might devote his leisure time to such activities as
confuting 'Popery and Dissent, the dissipation of doubt, and the reconcilement
of theology with the natural sciences'.
Reports on
William
Payne-Gallwey'sPayne-Gallwey, Sir William, 2nd
Baronet
(1807–81)
WBI CloseView the register entry >> attempt to 'force the railway people to give a means
of communications between passengers and guards'. Notes that '196 inventions'
have been discussed by the companies and suggests that Punch will
attempt to shoot the first 'Signal-man we pass after we are alarmed'. (200)
Introduced as a 'Libretto of the grand new Old Opera' (a reference to
Giacomo
Meyerbeer'sMeyerbeer, Giacomo
(1791–1864)
CBD CloseView the register entry >> opera L'Africaine), which opens in the
'Council Chamber of some King of Portugal', where 'MEMBERS OF
THE ROYAL LISBON GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY' and others lament the possible
death of
Vasco da GamaGama, Vasco da
(c. 1469–1525)
CBD CloseView the register entry >>, the
'great discoverer'. Vasco, however, makes a surprise entrance but is then
imprisoned by 'Bishops and Grand Inquisitors' for claiming that there
are 'other countries than those mentioned in the Scriptures'. Later, in his
dungeon, furnished with books, maps, and several measuring instruments, he is
seen rotating a globe in his hand, uttering 'But it still moves. Stop, I ought
not to say that. I am not
GALILEOGalilei, Galileo
(1564–1642)
DSB CloseView the register entry >>'. His beloved Selica,
an African queen whom he has brought to Portugal, explains how she was sold to
Roderick I
MurchisonMurchison, Sir Roderick Impey, 1st Baronet
(1792–1871)
DSBODNB CloseView the register entry >> and escaped from him 'by submarine telegraph'. (206)
Later, Vasco and his cellmates escape to Madagascar, where Selica is queen, and
where such spectacles as 'caves of Elephanta [and] Giants' Causeways'
are seen. The opera also features a scene around an upas tree which is 'very
splendid, with red leaves, but surrounded with dead elephants, giraffes, and
others who have ventured within reach of its poison'. It concludes with
Selica learning of Vasco's fate from Nelusko's reading of
Charles
Knight'sKnight, Charles
(1791–1873)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>Cyclopaedia of Geography (published in
Knight
1854–70Knight,
Charles, ed. 1854–73. The English Cyclopaedia: A New
Dictionary of Universal Knowledge, 26 vols (including supplements), London:
Bradbury & Evans
CloseView the register entry >>). The illustration shows the gory scene around the upas
tree. (207)
Discusses an item in
The TimesThe Times
(1777–1900+)
Waterloo
Directory CloseView the register entry >>
reporting the decision of the board of visitors of the
Royal Greenwich ObservatoryRoyal Observatory, Greenwich CloseView the register entry >> to
entreat the
AdmiraltyAdmiralty
CloseView the register entry >> to ban
railways from Greenwich Park. Notes that this 'deplorable decision' was based
on 'ascertained facts' that trains 'would disturb the scientific instruments'
at the observatory. Regrets that there is not an observatory in every park
because this would satisfy those who think that the 'Iron Horse' has 'kicked
down too many lovely scenes' and is becoming an 'insufferable nuisance'.
Notes the introduction by
Henry T Liddell (1st Earl
Ravensworth)Liddell, Henry Thomas, 1st Earl Ravensworth
(1797–1878)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> of 'A Bill for preventing Local Authorities to dispose
of Sewage, instead of sending it into our rivers'. Punch believes this
is 'too mild' and urges towns around London to 'do what is proper without
waiting to be made to do it'. Later notes a debate on the
British
MuseumBritish Museum
CloseView the register entry >>. (210)
Shows a town boy and a country boy outside a barber's shop. The town boy
explains that the busts in the shop window belong to the customers who had
'their 'eads brushed off by machinery'.
Health, Environmentalism, Railways, Engineering, Government
The writer argues for the introduction of an 'Air and Exercise Bill' because
his 'medical adviser' has urged him to take 'air and exercise', notably by
horse-riding. Goes on to explain the difficulties of 'procuring an animal
exactly suited to a gentleman of far from strong nerves', and in conclusion
advises bills for suppressing such nuisances as 'All bridges across the
Thames', and 'All railway bridges in the outskirts of the Metropolis'.
Insists that the 'Teetotaller who is also a vegetarian may be accused of
cannibalism' because a 'plant drinks nothing but water' and the
teetotaller/vegetarian thus 'devours his own species' when he eats
vegetables.
Sanitation, Health, Gender, Human Development, Class, Patronage,
Medical Practitioners, Education
Presents Mr Punch's response to a visit to a meeting of the
Ladies'
Association for the Diffusion of Sanitary KnowledgeLadies' National Association for the Diffusion of Sanitary Knowledge
CloseView the register entry >>, an association
which aims to 'promote the health and comfort and well-being of the poor, by
making them acquainted with the common laws of health'. Notes that the
association's other goals include 'collecting money for Sanitary improvements',
requesting medical officers of health to 'deliver popular free lectures',
holding mothers' meetings where 'Sanitary and domestic instruction' is
imparted, and 'establishing Nurseries for motherless babies'. Believes these
are 'Plain, practical and sensible' and draws attention to the short pamphlets
published by the association, including The Worth of Fresh Air (probably
a reference to
Anon 1858Anon. [1858]. Health for the Household (The Worth of
Fresh Air. The Use of Pure Water. The Value of Good Food. The Influence of
Wholesome Drink. The Advantage of Warm Clothing. The Gain of a Well-Trained
Mind), London and Norwich: [Jarrold and Sons?]
CloseView the register entry >>), The Power of Soap
and Water (probably a reference to
Anon 1869Anon. 1869. 'On the Cruise of the Lords of the Admiralty',
The Times, 28 September 1869, p. 6
CloseView the register entry >>), and The Health of Mothers
and How to Manage a Baby—versions of the last two works may have
been published as
Powers 1866Powers, Susan
Rugeley [1866]. The Mother's Book of Health, and How to Manage a
Baby, London:
Ladies' Sanitary
Association CloseView the register entry >>. Proceeds to
praise the association for caring for impoverished children by taking them to
parks, and urges that such benefits are made possible by donating money to the
association. Concludes by noting Mr Punch's admiration for 'Lovely Woman',
especially when she is 'employed in doing good work', such as helping the 'poor
to health and happiness'.
Begins by describing a 'pow'r whose sway is famed', a 'metal more
attractive' than love, and which 'draws the clown or high-born dame'—the
'Derby Horseshoe Magnet'. Notes that this power draws 'all sorts of chaps' to
'Will horses, ass, or mules 'ack', 'All kinds of food in hampers', and all
people 'to be jolly'. Concludes by asking for soldiers to have a 'leave of
absence' and be summoned by the power of the 'Derby Horseshoe Magnet'.
Follows on from
Charles H Bennett, 'The Derby Horseshoe Magnet', Punch, 48 (1865), [224]. Using the magnet to symbolise the
attractive power of the Epsom Derby, this illustration shows two horse-racing
'magnates' sitting astride a giant upturned horseshoe magnet, itself pivoting
on an enormous horsewhip. The magnetic poles are seen drawing large groups of
horse-racing punters, and bags of money. The rest of the picture includes
illustrations of the jockeys and their horses, and the food and drink
associated with the horse-race.
Ornithology, Cruelty, Breeding, Animal Behaviour, Hunting, Crime,
Agriculture, Class
Written from the perspective of a rustic, this poem begins by describing the
mating, breeding and nurturing activities of 'little birds paired on St.
Valentine's Day'. Calls on 'farmers, to sparrer clubs all who belong' to
slaughter the newly bred birds and to sew 'pison'd grain' on the fields to
'silence the zingungbirds' strain'. Argues that 'Aitch pair as you kills you
kills many moor by' and urges them to seek out the birds and 'try if you can't
put your salt on their tails'. Explains that 'little birds' feed their young on
such pests as caterpillars and that by killing the birds 'thousands o' palmers
and weevles you spare'. Ironically asks farmers to kill birds to 'encourage'
the breeding of pests who have done them no harm. Concludes by urging farmers
to count the number of birds that they have killed, and the vermin that they
have saved.
The initial letter forms part of an illustration showing an old sailor with
a wooden leg walking on crutches and reading a broadsheet announcing the sale
of
Greenwich HospitalRoyal Naval Hospital, Greenwich CloseView the register entry >>. Reports on
the second reading of the 'Greenwich Hospital Reform Bill', and criticizes the
fact that 'the poor Merchant Seamen [...] have been for years made to
contribute their sixpence towards the Hospital, but are excluded from any
benefit thereof'. Later notes that
Prince EdwardEdward VII, King of Great Britain and Ireland and
of the British Dominions Beyond the Seas, Emperor of India
(1841–1910)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>
voted for the 'Third Reading of the Bill for the Utilisation of Sewage', a move
which Punch suggests was prompted by his opening of the 'great drainage
works' at Crossness. Notes a debate on 'Civil Service Estimates', which sparked
discussion of the
South
Kensington MuseumSouth Kensington Museum
CloseView the register entry >>.
Following news that the horse Archimedes failed to win the Epsom Derby,
suggests that some people should remember that 'the Screw named after
ArchimedesArchimedes
(c. 287–212 BC)
DSB CloseView the register entry >> is not a
horse'.
Medical Practitioners, Medical Treatment, Health, Physiology,
Politics
Written from the perspective of
Charles LocockLocock, Sir Charles
(1799–1875)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>,
who begins by asking for the 'honour of being your political attendant'.
Explains that, since the Isle of Wight 'contains the maritime residence of our
dear Sovereign, whose first physician-accoucheur I became in 1840', his
claims will be clear. Offers his solutions to political problems that are
described as though they are diseases. For example, he advocates an
'antiphlogistic policy, for avoidance of stimulants', although he regards the
nation to be 'as well as could be expected'. Upholds Britain's repression of
revolution and encouragement of progress as a 'prescription' that saved Europe,
but explains that while he is 'in favour of emulcents' he does not rule out use
of 'steel and
BACON'SBacon, Roger
(c. 1219–c. 1292)
DSB CloseView the register entry >> powder'. Declares his
support for
Edward G G S
Stanley (14th Earl of Derby)Stanley, Edward George Geoffrey Smith, 14th
Earl of Derby
(1799–1869)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>, whom he considers a better
'practitioner' than
Henry J Temple (3rd
Viscount Palmerston)Temple, Henry John, 3rd Viscount Palmerston
(1784–1865)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>. Turning to the question of reform, he insists
that 'there is so depressed an action of the national pulse, that I feel bound
to wait for further symptoms' and opposes the infusion of 'fresh blood' because
it 'savours too strongly of empiricism for toleration'. Concludes by offering
to attend 'any consultations' at any time. This letter refers to Locock's
unsuccessful attempt to contest the constituency of the Isle of Wight in the
Conservative interest.
Responds to an advertisement for a 'quack nostrum' which allegedly gives the
hair a 'fashionable golden hue'. Believes this will actually give the hair a
red colour.
Assesses the environmental cost of implementing a number of progressive
measures in society. For example, 'There are railways, increasing old towns, /
Forming new ones round every station; / But they've cut up the fields and the
downs, / And disfigured the face of the nation', while 'Manufactures and arts,
bearing fruit, / Have extended, but refuse deliver, / With the sewage of towns,
to pollute / Every once crystal streamlet and river', and not only 'Black the
herbage and blacken the air' with 'foul acrid smoke' but poison the fish in the
rivers.
Punch, 48 (1865), 248.
Fashionable Movements (From the Zoological Gazette)
Complains to the 'Editor of Punch' about the use of kilometres in a
report of the speed of a train. Criticises the fact that it is impossible to
know the length of a metre without tables comparing French and English
measures. Urges Punch to ask
Christopher
D GriffithGriffith, Christopher Darby
(fl. 1864)
PU1/47/5/7
Stenton 1976 CloseView the register entry >> to introduce a bill to compel newspapers to supplement
French terms for weights and measures with those 'of our own standard,
according to
WALKINGHAMEWalkingame, Francis
(bap. 1723–83)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> or
COCKERCocker, Edward
(1631/2–76)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>'.
Written from the perspective of a stomach dreading the punishment it will
receive in digesting a whitebait dinner. Begins by threatening to punish men
for giving it more work than it can do, action which will take the form of
spoiling the figure and, if its powers are still overstrained, 'uneasiness and
pain'. Proceeds to some of the other ghastly side effects of over-indulging on
whitebait. These include inflaming the eyes, oppressing the heart and lungs,
indigestion, bile, 'Headache, vertigo, noises in the ears', 'palpitations,
qualms, and spasms, fears', and 'the stomach's great revenge, the gout'.
Concludes by threatening the worst of all side-effects—'dropsy or
paralysis'.
Military Technology, Steamships, Internationalism,
Government
Notes that in a recent debate in the French 'Corps Legislatif',
Marie A P A, vicomte de
KervéguenKervéguen, Marie Aimé
Phillipe Auguste, vicomte de Kervéguen
(1811–68)
WBI CloseView the register entry >> alluded to the recent invention of an 'infernal
machine' which 'opened the prospect of perpetual and universal peace', an
accomplishment that Punch considers to be a 'devilish good thing'.
This threnody on the recent death of
Joseph PaxtonPaxton, Sir Joseph
(1803–65)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>
observes that his monument is 'in those
ChatsworthChatsworth House, Derbyshire CloseView the register entry >> gardens stately, / In the far-off
Crystal
PalaceCrystal Palace
CloseView the register entry >>, where the world looked on him last'. It also emphasises
that he began life as a 'yeoman's son, the gardener's boy', and later made
'grand designs'. Asks that he sleep 'almost in hearing of the
many-voicèd fountains / He loved to turn and tame, and make his fancy's
bidding do: / Now dancing crowned with rainbow, now adown the mimic
mountains'.
Discusses the inquest into the recent railway accident on a line of the
Great Western Railway CompanyGreat Western Railway Company
CloseView the register entry >>.
Notes that the coroner reported the jury's verdict that a defective locomotive
engine and lines, and negligence were to blame. A representative of the company
insisted that the line was 'as perfect as any in the kingdom', words of
reassurance that Punch notes are inconsistent with the jury's verdict
and suggest that all the lines in the country are defective.
Steamships, Accidents, Railways, Politics, Government
Responding to the recent horrific railway accident, the writer argues that
just as captains of steamships are 'invariably suspended' for running their
vessels aground, so railway companies should be similarly punished when trains
go 'off the rails, or a collision occurs', irrespective of the number of
casualties. Points out that owing to the number of 'Railway Members' in the
House of
CommonsHouse of Commons
CloseView the register entry >> this is unlikely to happen, but suggests that 'electors
take care that the Railway interest shall not be too strong for them in the
next [general election]'. Proceeds to criticise other evils of the railways,
including the imminent construction of
Great Western RailwayGreat Western Railway Company
CloseView the register entry >> factory
in Oxford, but expects that the general election will 'set all these things to
rights', not least by protests of 'No Railway Collisions'.
Responds to two items of news: the winning of the Epsom Derby by
Frédéric, comte de
Lagrange'sLagrange, Frédéric, comte
de
(1816–83)
WBI CloseView the register entry >> horse, Gladiateur, and the victory of
Joseph E
Schneider'sSchneider, Joseph Eugène
(1805–75)
WBI CloseView the register entry >> firm over 'seven English' engineers in the competition
for 'Steam Locomotives from the
Great Eastern RailwayGreat Eastern Railway Company
CloseView the register entry >>'.
Believes that the first item will 'raise the British sportsman's moan':
'Gladiators [...] Will make inferior prowess yield, / Alike in man and horse',
and 'Britannia still would hold her own'. However, the second news item
suggests that when the 'British iron-horse / before the French turns tail, /
When England yields to France, perforce, / The Empire of the rail [...] Then
may Britannia doff the crown [...] and sit a slave / Imprisoned in French
irons'.
Reports on
Edward J Stanley (2nd
Baron Stanley)Stanley, Edward John, 2nd Baron Stanley of
Alderley and 1st Baron Eddisbury
(1802–69)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>, the 'Chairman of the
Patent Law
CommissionRoyal Commission to Inquire into the Working of Law Relating to Letters Patent for Inventions
CloseView the register entry >>', who doubts the viability of the patent system. Notes
Mr Punch's view that 'The word Patent means Open. The system of Patents is to
shut up inventions and inventors. Ergo, the system is a
self-contradictory absurdity'. Later notes the 'Forest debate' and adds that
'it is quite clear that the Crown neglects its forestal rights, and that lords
of manors and others encroach in all directions'. Urges that 'a man of sense'
take up the matter in the next parliamentary session and show that forests have
been stolen by 'SIR TUNBELLY CLUMSY, country gentleman, by
MR. SMIRKER STEELYARD, manufacturer, and by JAMES
POACHER, squatter'.
Notes from the 'Official Report of the Government Inspector of Railways'
that 'gentlemen passengers, as well as railway officers of all classes
constantly refuse to travel singly with a stranger of the weaker sex' in case
they are accused of 'insult or assault'. Concludes that the 'chances of broken
bones and blasted character' during railway travel are equal.
Praises
John J MechiMechi, John Joseph
(1802–80)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> for
showing 'how to manure the land with brains' and thus 'made two ears of corn
grow where one never before sprouted'. Explains that after 'numberless
experiments', industry, and patience he has shown how the 'worst land may
produce the best of crops'. Proceeds to explain that 'In recognition of his
services, a movement is on foot to buy his farm of Tiptree, and present him
with its freehold', and expects patrons of this cause to include farmers.
Supports Mechi's cause and wishes him prosperity.