Law and Medicine in the Sixteenth Century.

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good." In consideration of this sad state of and Thirteene Diseases of the Eye (Guillemeau, the real author), 1622, p. 135 : Of the naile of the things, it was enacted that any subject hav ing knowledge and experience of the nature eye, commonly called "the webbe," in Greeke of herbs, roots, and waters, and of the opera pterugion, in Latine ungula or angulus. See, also, tion of the same by speculation or practice, Shakspeare, Winter's Tale, i. 2. King Lear, iii. 4. might apply to outward sores and wounds, Cabell in a note says that " pin " is pterygium, and " web " is pannus. There are a great many "herbs, ointments, baths, pults, or emplasallusions to it in the older writers, of which I will ters," or might give drinks for stone, only inflict two upon you. strangury, or the ague, without penalty, not withstanding anything in the former Act " His eyes, good queene, be great, so are they cleare and graye; contained. He never yet had pinne or webbe, his sight for to The law, thus modified, satisfied alike the decay." 1 profession and the public; at least it has re The second quotation illustrates the personal mained unaltered more than three centuries, hygiene of the day. for these Statutes have never been repealed "For a pin or web in the eye. Take two or and seem at the present moment to be the three lice out of one's head, and put them alive law of England and the latest legislative into the eye that is grieved, and so close it up, expression of opinion on the merits both of and most assuredly the lice will suck out the web in the eye, and will cure it, and come forth licensed and unlicensed practitioners. Any law-abiding subject of her Majesty, without any hurt." Countess of Kent's Choice however, who is minded to obey the will of Manual. Ed. 1676. There is no doubt in my mind that the proper Parliament, as expressed in the latest of modern term for pin and web is pterygium. these Acts, is likely to have trouble in 2. Uncoomes of hands. The term "oncome" or identifying by modern names, or descrip "uncome " is still used in the north of England and tions, the diseases mentioned in it. Some of in Scotland. It means any swelling that comes them, not denned in any medical or other on somewhat suddenly, ending in ulceration. " A dictionary of recent date, are explained in an sair oncome in the breast," is a mammary abscess. interesting letter from Dr. Robert Fletcher, It has nearly the same meaning as the English word U. S. A., of the Surgeon-General's Office, "gathering," and I should think that "uncoomes an extract from which, communicated by the of hand " meant chilblains. In Baret's Alvearie, kindness of Dr. R. M. Hodges, of Boston, 1586, uncome is defined as "an ulcerous may fitly conclude this chapter of medico swelling." 3. Saucelin. I am sorry to .say, I can throw no legal history. light on. It may be a corruption of the Anglo1. A " pyn " and the " web in the eye." Both Saxon Sarcrcn, pronounced " sarseren," soreness, expressions are used separately but much oftener which is to be found in Cockoyne's Anglo-Saxon together, as, "a pin and web" or "a web and pin." Leechdoms. Sometimes it is " a nail and web." You will find 1 George Gascoyne, " Princely Pleasures of Kenelin Richard Banister's Treatise of One Hundred worth," 1587.

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