Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 10, 1899.djvu/518

 476 Reviews.

for plague, and for bites of a mad dog), cauls, and marriage of a woman in her shift. He records a catastrophe at the French Ambassador's Chapel, Blackfriars, similar to that which gave rise to a famous legend in the life of St. Dunstan. He suggests that the legend of the Black Dog of Bungay originated from a thunder- storm, causing the death of two men in the belfry, as chronicled in the register under August, 1577.

Whatever value scientific antiquaries may place upon the book, it is one that cannot fail to afford entertainment to *' the general reader."

E. Sidney Hartland.

Deutsches Krankheitsnamen-Buch, von Dr. M. Hofler. Miinchen : Piloty and Loehle. 1899.

This big book is a dictionary not merely of the names of diseases, but also of parts of the body and other medical matters current in the common speech of German lands. Terms relating to those of the lower animals most frequently in contact with mankind are also included. The author has drawn from many sources which must be reckoned folklore; and to students of folklore among others he desires to render his dictionary useful. He has traced and endeavoured to date the earliest appearance of words in written works, and gives the older forms in the approved style of modern dictionaries.

Students of folk-medicine, and indeed of other branches of folk- lore incidentally touching on the subjects above mentioned, will be grateful to the author, whose work will often give them words and uses of words not found in ordinary German dictionaries. But they would be much more grateful if the author had insisted on his publishers having the sheets stitched, for at present the book cannot be consulted save at the imminent risk of its dropping to pieces. When will German publishers abandon the uncivilised habit of issuing books in this negligent fashion ?

E. Sidney Hartland.