66 The Irish Naturalist. April, 



USEFUL STUDIES FOR FIELD NATURALISTS. 



BY PROFESSOR GEO. H. CARPENTER, M.SC, M.R.I. A. 



(Presidential Address to the Dublin Naturalists' Field Club, 



December 14, 1916.) 



It happened lately that I looked into a book well known 

 to students of the history of Irish zoology — the Rev. John 

 Keogh's " Zoologia Medicinalis Hibernica," published in 

 1739. This curious work illustrates well the connection, 

 in pre-Linnean days, between systematic natural history 

 and medical practice, so that botanical and zoological 

 classifications arose largely as a necessary aid to the 

 phj^sician. A sentence from Keogh's preface should find 

 an echo in the minds of members of this Club : — 



" I think, there ought to be encouragement given, in order to improve 

 and cultivate the three Branches of the Matey ia Medica, which are 

 Botanologia , Zoologia, and Minevalogia, tJiey being so very useful for the 

 Preservation of Health, I could heartily wish our Doctors took more 

 notice of them in their Practice, then so many Patients would not expire 

 under their hands." 



Perhaps, however, we may be thankful that the medical 

 m^en of the present century- do not habitually follow Keogh's 

 zoological prescriptions. It is interesting to an entomo- 

 logist to learn that " the spirit extracted from Ants causes 

 Magnanimity or Greatness of Mind," that " Butterflies 

 reduced into Powder, and mixt with Honey cure Baldness, 

 being externally applied," and that Caterpillars '' being 

 burnt and put into the Nostrils stop bleeding." The Crane 

 is now unfortunately unknown in Ireland except in our 

 Zoological Gardens, but in Keogh's da3^s the bird would 

 have been appropriate to an occasion like the present when 

 members of a club are assembled to hear an address. The 

 speaker might have been helped, because " a Broth made of 

 the Flesh clears the Voice " ; he would not share his broth 

 with the audience, but would let them know that the Gall 

 " dropt into the Ears with oil of Amber, cures Deafness." 



