Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 7.djvu/360

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NOTES AND QUERIES. p* s. vu. MAY 4, 1901.

crystals of lime from new or damp walls," added to the other statement that it was at the beginning an American miners' phrase, gives a clue to its origin. We Germans also use the verb aussalpetern in speaking of damp walls, of old dung, &c. The presence of salt- petre indicates decay. Perhaps some reader of * N. & Q.' versed in chemistry will be kind enough to expound this connexion more scientifically. It cannot have anything to do with a Latin petrus, which does not exist. Besides, American miners are not in the habit of speaking Latin ; and the relation it bears to petra, supposing the above is right, would be only indirect. It is not at all unlikely that the verb has originated with German miners, who abound in America.

DE. G. KRUEGER. Berlin.

JOURNALISTIC ERRORS (9 th S. vii. 128, 230). -That mistakes are to be met with in our public journals no one will for a moment dispute, but such need not afford matter for surprise when the high-pressure conditions under which much of the press work of the present day is performed are taken into account. The marvel rather is that the errors are so few and, with rare exceptions, so trivial. The blunders perpetrated by public speakers, who have ample time before- hand to prepare what they intend saying, are infinitely more serious. For correcting many of these they are indebted to the news- paper reporters, but these are not omniscient, and cannot verify every inaccurate state- ment, and if they could it is no part of their duty to do so. When a speaker is taken to task for an erroneous statement on the occa- sion of some public appearance, he generally throws the blame upon the reporter, whereas in nine cases out of ten he has himself alone been at fault. Extempore preachers are the greatest sinners here. In many cases their Scripture quotations are not correctly ren- dered, and no reporter who has been com- missioned to produce a verbatim report of a sermon should sit down to his task without a Bible and a concordance by his side. Very few speakers who trust to their memories alone fail to garble quotations from other speakers or writers.

ALEXANDER PATERSON. Barnsley.

INSTALLATION OF A MIDWIFE (9 th S v 475 vi. 9, 177, 274, 336, 438 ; vii. 197). - The United Company of Barbers and Surgeons appears to have borne, for some years after its incorporation in 1540, the arms ^ranted to the old Barbers' Guild in 1452, viz Sa a

chevron between three fleams arg. But in L561 an augmentation was made to these by Harvey, Clarenceux, by which the United Company was granted, inter alia, a crest, viz., an opinicus gold standing upon a wreath arg. and sa. This grant was amended in 1562, and again in 1569, when Dethick, Garter, stated in his letters patent that there were sundry bhings in Harvey's grant which were contrary to arid not agreeing with the ancient laws and rules of arms ; and he confirmed, gave, and granted to the United Company certain arms, crest, and supporters to be borne in the manner and form hereafter specified, viz., Quarterly, 1 and 4, Sa., a chevron between three fleams arg. ; 2 and 3, Per pale arg. and vert, on a spatula of the first a double rose gu. and arg., crowned gold : over all, on a cross gu., a lion passant gardant gold, mantled gu., doubled arg., supported by two lynxes ppr., about their necks a crown with a chain arg. pendent thereat, "as more plainly appeareth in the margin," with the motto " De prsescientia Dei." These are still borne by the Barbers' Company. In the amended grant of 1562 theopinicus isdescribed as holding in his mouth a flower, but this is omitted by Dethick. To Mr. Horace Noble appears to be due the suggestion that the composition of the opinicus, nicknamed " the Barbers' flying jackass," is in allusion to the qualities required of a good surgeon, i.e., the boldness of a lion, the keen vision of an eagle, the swiftness of a griffin, the patience of a camel. So far as I am aware, the Barbers have never borne another crest.

GEORGE C. PEACHEY.

If MR. HEMMING will refer to Mr. Sidney Young's 'Annals of the Barber-Surgeons,' published (in large 4to, 623 pages) in 1890, he will find pp. 431-42 devoted to the heraldry of the company, of which some illustrations are given. R. B.

Upton.

I have a licence from Henry Squire, Com- missary of the Dean and Chapter of York, to Jane Palmer, of Pidsey, for practising the office of midwife, dated 1716, signed and sealed. ROBERT WHITE.

Worksop.

PALL-MALL AND GOLF (9 th S. vi. 444 : vii. 52, 235). Is it possible that both French and English writers should be unaware that "pall-mall," otherwise "le jeu de mail," was a living game within the last thirty years, and presumably still is so ? I reached Mont- pellier 22 November, 1871, and remained till about 22 May, 1872. Between those dates I saw players at this game pass out of the