Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 9.djvu/121

 us. ix. FEB. 7, 1914] NOTES AND QUERIES.

115

" THE HONOURS THREE " (11 S. viii. 467 ; ix. 34). It may be useful to supplement what has been said on this subject by quoting from A. H. Clough's hexameter poem ' The Bothie of Tober-na-Vuolich.' Although in the Highlands only with a reading party, Clough strove to understand his neighbours as far as in him lay, and he was thus able to give fairly trustworthy illustrations of character and manners. Describing a clans- man's dinner in the opening section of his poem, he writes thus :

Spare me, O mistress of Song ! nor bid me remember

minutely All that was said and done o'er the well-mixed

tempting toddy ; How were healths proposed and drunk " with all

the honours," Classes and bonnets waving, and three-times-three

thrice over, <^ueen, and Prince, and Army, and Landlords all,

and Keepers.

Here again, as in Scott Riddell's song, it is the drinking that is done ' : with all the honours," nothing in the description sug- gesting the individual distinctions associated with the Queen, the Prince, and the rest. THOMAS BAYNE.

HUMAN FAT AS A MEDICINE (11 S. ix. 70). The quotation given by MR. WILLIAMS has " Fat or other parts of the Corps." The use of human flesh as a medicine was apparently prescribed by the Spagyrists. See

" Traicte" Familier de 1'Exacte Preparation Spagy- rique des Medicamens, pris d'entre les Mineraux,

Animaux & vegetaux Par Joseph du Ohesne,

Sieur de la Violette, Conseiller & Medecin du Roy." Paris, 1624.

This book is the second part of ' La Pharmacopee des Dogmatiques Reformee, <et Enrichie de plusieurs remedes excellens, choisis & tirez de Fart Spagyrique,' by the above du Chesne, 1624.

Following chapters on ' The True Pre- parations of precious Stones,' how to make ' Tincture of Coral ' and * Essence of Pearls,' -&c., are six chapters, pp. 39-54 (of the second part), of which the heading is " Maniere de preparer les remedes prins des Animaux, Des trois sortes de Mumie." This last part refers to chap. i.

After remarking on the superiority of remedies got from animals to those got from vegetables, and saying that the former reach the second degree of perfection, the first degree being apparently assigned to remedies got from minerals and precious stones, the author says that among the animals man deservedly holds the first place, of which (i.e. of man) are made three

sorts of " mumie." The word " mumie " means not what we now call a mummy, but medicine, made from human bodies. The three sorts are "liquid," "fresh (recente)," and " dry or Transmarine." Apparently " Transmarine " is not meant to be a synonym for " dry." I gather that the " dry " is an imitation of the " Trans- marine." This last (i.e. Transmarine), " called by the Greeks Pissaphaltes," was only known to the most ancient physicians, being made from Syrian, Egyptian, &c., embalmed bodies.

This preparation was for internal and external use, for stopping bleeding, for strengthening the heart and stomach, &c.

"But we are now deprived of this true and natural Mummy of the Ancients, in place of which Physicians and Apothecaries use dried flesh (chair deseiche"e). "

Then follow the receipts for " Preparation de Mumie seiche," " Preparation de Mumie liquide," " Preparation de Mumie recente," and " Teinture de Mumie."

It need not be said that among them they are reputed to be most efficacious against an "infinite number of diseases."

Chap. ii. is headed ' Du Crane Humain,' and begins :

"Many among the Learned have written that from a certain natural virtue (par certaine pro- priete) the Brain which has been entombed, that is to say not interred, was of benefit to epileptics." Du Chesne confirms this, and gives the method of making " Essence de Crane humain."

I do not give any of these receipts, partly because it would be tiresome to do so, and partly because the details would probably be considered too unpleasant.

The next two chapters are " Dela vipere " and "Maniere de preparer les cornes & os cordiaux, le muse, la civette et le castoreon ou bievre." In the latter the best of all the horns is said to be that of the unicorn (licorne), presumably the narwhal.

ROBERT PIERPOINT.

Human fat had formerly a great reputation as a medicine, and was retained in our London pharmacopoeia until 1746. Culpeper says : " The fat of a man is exceeding good to anoint such limbs as fall away in the flesh." It was also used for rheumatism, but for this purpose it was preferred mixed with aro- matic herbs. A good business was done in this substance by the public executioners, and Pomet, writing in 1694, complains of their competition with apothecaries in its supply. Of course he declares that the latter turn out a better article, which is