198
NOTES AND QUERIES. [12 a. n. SEPT. 2, m&.
which is overall His works, maketh herbes for the
use of man, and hath not only stamped upon them
a distinct forme, but also given them particular
Signatures, whereby a man may read eueri in legible
characters the use of them. Viper's Bugloss hath
its stalks all to be speckled like a snake or viper,
and is a most singular remedy against poyson and
the sting of scorpions. Heart Trefoyll is socalled
not onely because the leafe is triangular, lik the
heart of man, but also because each leafe contains
the perfection of the heart, and that in its proper
colour, viz., in flesh colour. It defendeth the
heart.
Another writer (T. Thompson, ' History of Chemistry,' 1830) says : .
" To discover the virtues of plants we must study their anatomy and cheiromancy : for the leaves are their hands, and the lines observable on them enable us to appreciate the virtues which they possess. Thus the anatomy of the chelidonium shows us that it is a remedy for jaundice. These are the celebrated signatures by means of which
we deduce the virtues of vegetables In the
corolla of the euphrasia there is a black dot ; from this we may conclude that it furnishes an excellent remedy against all diseases of the eye. The lizard has the colour of malignant ulcers and of car- buncle ; this points out the efficiency which that animal possesses as a remedy."
Dr. Allchin gives other instances, as hypericum or St. John's wort as an applica- tion for injuries, from the minute dots on the leaves and flowers giving it a wounded appearance ; the hepatica, for diseases of the liver, from its lobed leaves and fanciful resemblance to the liver; the lungwort (Pulmonaria officinalis), from its assumed likeness to a lung ; red flowers generally for disorders of the blood and vascular system ; yellow flowers for jaundice. All red substances were looked upon as heating, and white ones as refrigerating. It was the early form of treatment by likeness (similia similibus), and was called the doctrine of signatures. The use of each particular herb was based not on its actual properties, but on its real or supposed resemblance to the part affected, on which it was supposed to have a healing influence.
J. FOSTER PALMER.
8 Royal Avenue, S.W.
CROMWELL'S BARONETS AND KNIGHTS (12 S. ii. 129). Some particulars of these will be found in Noble's.' Memoirs of the House of Cromwell,' vol. ii. A more detailed account of the baronets is given in G. E. C.'s ' Com- plete Baronetage,' vol. iii. pp. 3-9. For a fuller list of the knights see Shaw's ' Knights of England,' i. 223-4 ; but some few correc- tions or additions maybe possible, as certain names among them are somewhat obscure.
W. D. PINK.
[F. DE H. L. thanked for reply.]
IBBETSON, IBBERSON, OR IBBESON (12 S.
ii. 110). In this part of the country " Ibbey "
and " Libbey " are pet names for Elizabeth.
Ibbeson would be understood to mean " son
of Elizabeth."
Bardsley, in his 'Dictionary of Surnames,' under the name Libbe, makes the statement that " Elizabeth and Isabel are the same name, and are interchangeable in mediaeval' records." Is this true ?
W. H. CHIPPINDALL, Col.
Kirkby Lonsdale.
' THE LONDON MAGAZINE ' (12 S. ii. 149). Is it quite accurate to speak of the " first " volume of The London Magazine as of date 1840 ? The natural tendency is to consider The London Magazine of the ' Essays of Elia ' as the magazine of that name. But there lies before me a volume of still another magazine with this title, its date being 1735. This periodical appeared monthly, and had a useful news supplement called The Gentle- man 7 s Monthly Intelligencer.
The magazine itself was of a pronounced literary character ; the volume referred to contains, with other noteworthy subject- matter, a poem and a letter of Pope, verses by Swift, and illustrative passages from ' The Chace ' by " William Somervile, Esq."
W. B.
POSTAL CHARGES IN 1847 (12 S. ii. 90). This may have been for delivery. Sir Rowland Hill, in his Life, under date of 1855-9, says :
" Free delivery was rapidly extending through- out the United Kingdom. At the present day (1868) the work is so far advanced that to many readers the very term ' free delivery ' must have lost its significance. Formerly, to every office there were limits, sometimes narrow ones, beyond which delivery was either not made at all, or made only at an additional charge, generally of one penny per letter, an arrangement nowise inter- fered with by the simple establishment of penny postage." A H w FYNMORE
Arundel.
ROME AND Moscow (12 S. ii. 149). A foot-note to chap. xvi. of Gibbon's ' Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire ' (in which allusion is made to the incredible stories circulated at the time, citing especially that relating to Nero playing his lyre while his capital was burning) is given as follows :
" We may observe that the rumour is mentioned by Tacitus with a very becoming distrust and hesitation, whilst it is greedily transcribed by Suetonius, and solemnly confirmed by Dion." It is tolerably clear from these remarks that Gibbon attached but little credence to the story 7 .
