250 Facts towards a History of 



This fascinating liquor got the name of punch, from its being 

 composed o^ five articles — that word, in the Hindostanee lan- 

 guage, signifying five. The legitimate punch-makers, how- 

 ever, consider it a compound of four articles only ; and some 

 learned physicians have, therefore, named it Diapente (from 

 Diatesseron), and have given it according to the following 

 prescription — 



Rum, miscetur aqua — dulci miscetur acetum, iiet et ex tali foedere — 

 nobile Punch. 



and our worthy grand-fathers used to take a dose of it every 

 night in their lives, before going to bed, till Doctor Cheyne 

 alarmed them by the information, that they were pouring liquid 

 fire down their throats. *' Punch," said he, " is like opium, 

 both in its nature and manner of operation, and nearest arsenic 

 in its deleterious and poisonous qualities ; and, so," added he, 

 "I leave it to them, who, knowing this, will yet drink on and die." 

 Now, we cannot but think this philippic rather strong, and 

 applicable only to strong punch, such, perhaps, as made such 

 terrible depredations on the noble faculties of Sophia Wes- 

 tern's waiting woman, Mrs. Honour. Fielding, Tfho under- 

 stood the effects of this liquor exceedingly well, evidently 

 hints, that the punch, in this case, must have been made of 

 bad rum, from its making'" such terrible depredations on her 

 noble faculties f for he says, ^* as soon as the smoke began to 

 ascend to her pericranium, she lost her reason, while the fire 

 in the stomach easily reached the heart, and inflamed the 

 noble passion of pride !" p. 68. All this only proves that the 

 mixture was not secundum artem, nor the dose properly pro- 

 portioned. 



We argue thus also, from our own personal experience. 

 Who, that has drunk this agreeable accompaniment to cala- 

 pash, at the City of London Tavern, ever found themselves the 

 worse for it ? They may have felt their genius inspired, or 

 their nobler passions animated — but fire and inflammation 

 there was none. The old song says — 



It is the very best of physic, 

 and there have been very excellent physicians, who have con- 

 firmed the opinion by their practice. What did the learned 

 Dr. Sherard, the grave Mr. Petiver, and the apothecary Mr. 



