132
NOTES AND QUERIES. [9* s. x. A. IB, 1902.
THACKERAY A BELIEVER IN HOMEOPATHY
(9 th S. x. 63). DR. SYKES says, " I believe
from internal evidence that Thackeray was a
convinced homoeopathist, and that Dr. John
Elliotson. ...was a homoeopathic practitioner."
Will DR. SYKES give his authority for stating
that Dr. Elliotson was a "disciple of the
homoeopathic heresy'"? The biography of
Dr. Elliotson in the ' Dictionary of National
Biography,' by Robert Hunt, F.R.S., who
personally knew the doctor, and also the
biography in the ' Encyclopaedia Britannica'
do not state that Dr. Elliotson was a homoeo-
pathist, and from my personal knowledge of
him for some years I am satisfied that he
was not. DR. SYKES appears to have little
knowledge of Dr. Elliotson, and seems not to
know that he was one of the most eminent
physicians of his day, and that he had a large
number of friends and patients distinguished
in literature, science, and art. When Thacke-
ray was so seriously ill in 1849, I think it
was owing to Dr. Elliotson's fame as a phy-
sician that he was called in. DR. SYKES
implies that he was not " a regular prac-
titioner." It is true that he was a believer
in mesmerism, but Mr. Hunt in the 'D.N.B.'
says that, although he " continued to practise
mesmerism upon his patients, he refrained
from introducing the subject to any of those
by whom he was largely consulted."
DR. SYKES has quoted the well - known dedication of ' Pendennis ' to Dr. Elliotson, and I should like, if you will permit me, to refer to another dedication, not so well known. There was a small book written by a poor carpenter, dying of consumption, to which Dickens, with his usual kind ness, wrote a pre- face, with a view to help the sale of the book. Mr. Forster, in his ' Life of Charles Dickens,' says, "The book was dedicated to the kind physician Dr. Elliotson, whose name was for nearly thirty years a synonym with us all for unwearied, self-sacrificing, beneficent ser- vices to every one in need " (vol. ii. p. 86). The name of the poor carpenter was Overs, and Dickens, in a letter to his friend Mac- ready, says, " What a good fellow Elliotson is. He kept him [Overs] in his room a whole hour, and has gone into his case as if he were Prince Albert" (Dickens's 'Letters,' vol. ii. p. 49). When Dr. Elliotson was obliged to tell this man that he must not work at his trade, besides his care of him as a physician he helped him liberally out of his own purse. Beyond being an eminent physician, Dr Elliotson was a most generous, kind, anc warm - hearted man, as I personally wel' know. HARRY B. POLAND.
Inner Temple.
KING'S-TAPER (9 th S. x. 68). If H. K. means
- hat this name is omitted from the 'New
English Dictionary,' he or she is mistaken. [t is not only there, but is accompanied by a quotation from Mrs. Lankester's ' Wild Flowers,' published in 1861, in which she
- ives as "the common name" of the great
r nullein " Torch- blade, or King's taper." Prior, aowever, knows it not in 1870, the date of the second edition of his ' Popular Names of British Plants.' except in Latin, Candela
egia, and old German, Konig-kerz (1531), modern Konigskerze (art. ' Hig-taper '). Scan- dinavian terms are kongelys (Dan.), kongsljus (Swed.), kongstaka (Norw.). See Grimm's
Deutsches Worterbuch.' F. ADAMS.
HERALDIC (9 th S. ix. 487). The different species of the Corvidse, or crow family, are very common bearings in heraldry, and are borne by persons with such names as Corbett, Raven, Croker, Beekly, &c., and names begin- ning with Tre. J. HOLDEN MACMICHAEL.
DANES IN PEMBROKE (9 th S. x. 89). Judg- ing from the many place-names found in Pembroke of Scandinavian origin, both in- land and along the south and west coast to St. David's Head, there seems every likeli- hood that a flourishing Danish or Norwegian colony existed here in the tenth century. Names like Colby, Ramsey, Gateholm Island, Caldy Island, Tenby, Sageston (Sagatun ?), Jordestun, Hasguard (Asgard, Aysgarth ?), Reynalton, Upton, Freytrop (Frey thorp ?), Hubberston, Herbrandston, and Haraldston all give proof of a settlement. In the ' Saga of the Jomsvikingar ' is mentioned a certain Beorn or Bjorn the Briton, who may have had his stronghold in Pembroke or Glamor- gan, which also abounds in Danish names on the coast, as well as the two leading Welsh ports, while Carmarthen has no coast towns to speak of and hardly any Northern names.
W. R. P.
The Norse (not Danes) settled in this county, as witness the many Norse place- names of the islands and along the sea coast and the fiords of Milford Haven. There were Norse settlements at Lower Fishguard (in Kernes), Langum, and Angle, which survive in part to this day. H. V.
DUKE OF BRABANT (9 th S. x. 68). God- frey I., surnamed Barbatus, Duke of Brabant, was descended from Charlemagne through Gerberga,his great-grandmother, and through his great-grandfather from the Counts of Hainault. He was father of Adeliza, the second wife of King Henry I., and of Josce- line, who married Agnes de Percy, from whom
