Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 1.djvu/85

 s/i. JAN. 23, 1904.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

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is curious. Originally a corruption of th Spanish mujer (woman), adopted by th Cushnas and other Californian Indians, i was taken back by the whites, and is now universal along the Pacific coast. "Buck and "mahala" are the technical terms fo the Indian man and woman, while in th< canning trade " mahala " denotes the femal< salmon. JAMES PLATT, Jun.

WEATHER ON 25 JANUARY. I have taken the following bit of weather - lore front "Natures Secrets. Or, The Admirable anc wonderfull History Of the generation o; Meteors, &c. By the industry and observa- tions of Thomas Willsford, Gent. London Printed for Nath. Brook at the Angel in Cornhill. 1658." It may interest some curious in such matters (p. 145) :

" Some again observe the 25 : day of January, celebrated for the conversion of St. Paul; if fair and clear, plenty ; if cloudy or misty, niuch cattle will die ; if rain or snow fall that day, it presages a dearth ; and if windy, wars, as old Wives Ho dream; and since I can find no better authority for these, nor any days presages, as a thing indifferent, I will leave them, and persist here no longer, but sub- scribe the Verses upon the same account. If Saint Paul's day be fair and clear, It does betide a happy year : But if it chance to snow or rain Then will be dear all kind of grain : If clouds or mists do dark the Skie, Great store of birds and beasts shall die : And if the winds do fly aloft, Then wars shall vex that Kingdome oft."

A. S.

SMOTHERING HYDROPHOBIC PATIENTS. (See 5 th S.jv. 167, 358, 491; v. 237, 298.) The following paragraph appeared in the Globe of 10 February, 1807 :

" There is a vulgar prejudice that a person bitten by a mad dog, and pronounced irrecoverable, may, according to the laws of the land, be bled to death, or smothered. To correct this prejudice, we quote the opinion of Sir Vicary Gibbs, on this point.

any means, wilfully to put to death a person who has been bitten by a mad dog ; and those who wilfully commit such an act are guilty of murder, and liable to be tried and convicted accordingly.
 * " I am clearly of opinion, that it is not lawful, by

' ' It probably will be found, upon inquiry, that the bleeding was applied as a remedy to the dis- order, and not for the purpose of putting an end to the patient's life. V. GIBBS.'"

As a matter of fact all early authorities do recommend copious bleeding for this disorder. Dr. E. Janes in his 'Medicinal Dictionary, 3 1745, narrates at some length the case of a farmer of Monchenstein, in the canton of Basle, who was suffocated on 16 March, 1687, all known remedies having been tried in vain. The same doctor also quotes Boerhaave (1668 to 1738) as asserting that in Holland it

was customary for a magistrate to issue an order authorizing the suffocation of a hydro- phobic patient considered incurable.

JOHN B. WAINEWRIGHT.

[It is not unknown in these days, even, to speak of the expediency of smothering between two mattresses one suffering from disease apparently incurable.]

CHARLES I. : INTERESTING HISTORICAL LETTER. In my possession is (or was) the original autograph letter of Sir James Hay to Alexander Hay, dated 21 Feb., 1641/2, and 13 May, 1642, of which the following is a copy :

21"' Feb [1641/2].

Allex' I haue resaued your last and yo r warrant but whidder I shall get it done or not It is dout- full I haue writtan to him [Mr. Haylle?] by m v murray [Factor at Paris] desyreing him to speik the king at his returne to get it done I pray send me answeir of my last and it thair be any hoipis to et mony payd upon his maiesties letter to the lorde commssioners it was sent to duncane keith to delyuer by him I wrot to you remember my weusthe [? Worcester] bissines I haue sent a peti- tionn I haue writtin to thomas burrad a servant of ni p newgate to solicit the bissines I shal intreit you x> repair to this man and Inquyre how the bissines gois m r doctor masson m r of requoistis hath my setition I haue writtin to this man what is to be done to whom I refer you thair is lytel hoipis of agrement with the parlament his maiestie is taken up a garde for his owen persone I rest

Your affectionet freiid

JAMES HAY.

Commend me to m r moysey and proq r [^procure] me word how our bissines gois I haue send a letter x> m r Clayton ffriuehouud I? from home].

[Postscript.]

send this letter to m r murray factor at paris. Let m r haylle kno frome me that your hand for he resait of my monye out of the exchequer shall >e a sufficient dischairge be digilant [=diligeut] in he persuite of it for delay ar dangerous bysydes ou kno of my grit nessesties.

Your affectionet

JAMES HAY. York this 13 may [1642]. [Indorsed] for Alex r Hay. [Indorsement (subsequently made) :] S r James Hayes ass* [=assignment] 1642.

The original, being wholly on one sheet of iaper, appears to have been written on the ormer, but not forwarded until the latter, ate, when the addition was made. As re- srring to Charles I. and the state of things xisting at the commencement of the great 'ivil War, it is worthy of publication. Eng- sh historians inform us that the king, who vas then at York acting in defiance of the arliament, thought fit, 12 May, 1642, to raise

guard for the defence of his person, con- isting of a troop of horse under the Prince f Wales and one regiment of the Trained Sands. W. 1. B. V.