120
NOTES AND QUERIES.
[9 th S. II. AUG. 6, '98.
occasionally referred to (pp. 22, 36), is, we presume,
that which, by a change of arrangement, stands as
frontispiece, it being the only one supplied.
The. Place -Names of the Liverpool District. By
Henry Harrison. (Stock.)
MR. HARRISON possesses one very essential qualifi- cation of an investigator of place-names in haying a personal acquaintance with the localities whichlie writes about. He has also taken pains to examine the ancient documents which would enable him to pursue his inquiries on an historical basis. And yet, with all these advantages, he is often only able to advance mere conjectures as to the origin of the names which he discusses in his little volume. He is quite at a loss, e.r/., as to whether the first element of Wargrave is E. Eng. werre, or A.-S. waer (sea), or war (seaweed), or waroth (shore), or warn (defence), or wyrt (wort), or wer (fishing station), or wer(man) ; and whether the last element is A.-S. araef, a ditch, or Fr. greve, strand ; and finally, discarding all these, he suggests wir-grdf, myrtle - grove, as a possible original which shows now little finality there is in this branch of etymology when ancient records are wanting. For, unfortunately, the Hundred Rolls, which often throw some light on these doubtful points, are not forthcoming for Lancashire and Cheshire. Again, Mr. Harrison's speculation that Mersey may somehow be a trans- formation of the Celtic Belisama seems to the last degree unlikely.
The most interesting name, and at the same time one of the most difficult, that Mr. Harrison has to deal with, is that of Liverpool itself. Though the oldest recorded spelling we have is Leverpol, he inclines to the conclusion that it represents the old Norse hlithar-pollr, the pool of the slope. Prof. Skeat thinks it may be the sluggish pool, O.Eng. lither. The mythological liver bird seems to have no champion. In the full and well-informed chapter devoted to this subject the author appears to advantage.
Masters of Medicine. Sir Benjamin Brodie. By
T. Holmes. (Fisher Unwin.)
MR. HOLMES must be warmly congratulated on this admirable biography of one who was a perfect representative of thorough and cultured surgeons. To Mr. Holmes a surgeon to St. George's Hospital it has been evidently a labour of love to bring out the sterling character, the saving common sense, which marked one of the greatest of the surgeons to St. George's Hospital, Sir Benjamin Brodie. Besides the mere record of his life there are many points touched upon in this bright little volume of much interest and importance to the general public at the present day ; the question of medical educa- tion, for instance, which, like the poor, is always with us, or that of quacks and quackery, to which the same remark applies with still more force. Mr. Holmes regards the argument that quacks should be prevented from practising by law, as is done in the legal profession, as an entirely fallacious ana- logy. No doubt, as he says, the object of prevent- ing sham lawyers from practising is to protect the public from fraud, not to protect the lawyers. At the same time we feel bound to observe that surely the life, health, and limbs of the public require protection from unqualified practice quite as much as their purses, wills, or estates.
This series of medical and surgical biographies supplies, we believe, a decided want in literature.
Eminent divines, soldiers, and lawyers have had
their lives written as a matter of course, but emi-
nent doctors hardly ever. And yet, one would
think, apart from the technicalities the "shop-
piriess" of his calling, there should be some record
of the qualities of head and heart and hand which
gave some one the standing above his fellows in the
merciful art and science of healing.
THE most noteworthy paper in the July number of the Antiquary is ' Church Notes,' by the late Sir Stephen Glynne, Bart. The author deals with the two churches at Barton-on-Humber, Lincoln- shire. There is no doubt that Sir Stephen was much interested in thesubjectof church architecture, an^. although he had no claim to take rank as an authority upon the subject, yet he understood what he saw, and was able to describe it. Still, there is a great gap between the year 1825, when these notes were made, and the present day. Our knowledge has increased upon most subjects ; and a note is added to say that some of the remarks are out of date. ' Notes of the Month ' are, as usual, very well done.
THE frontispiece to the Genealogical Magazine for July is the arms of Lane-Fox, the shield of which contains 135 quarterings. All of them have been officially proved, ana are to be found in the records of the College of Arms. They are borne at the present time by Lady Yarborough, who is Baroness Conyers in her own right, and oy her sister, the Countess of Powis. We hope this is but the first instalment, and that other arms will be given.
fjfoikes ixr Cxrrmjrcm&ettls.
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XOTICE.
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