M6 



POST-HORN 



POST-OFFICE 



migrated into northern oca*, some of which have 

 nine? died out. or still survive in diminished num- 

 bers and dwarfed in sue. To this genial stage 

 belong the great oaks anil other leafy trees in the 

 lower buried forest* of the Itogs. Eventually the 

 climate changed and became wet and cold. The 

 British area, formerly rontinental, was insulated 

 and of less extent than now the sea overflowing 

 tin- low ground of Scotland up to a height of 45 to 

 50 feet above its present level. Local glaciers then 

 made their ap|>earance in ninny mountain-glens, 

 and even descended in some placet) to the sea. The 

 'carse-clavs ' (45-50 feet terrace) belong to this 

 stage. The climate was not so favourable for the 

 growth of great tree*, which were now more re- 

 stricted in their vertical and horizontal range. Over 

 wiile areas the forests decayed and liecame buried 

 by mosses and their allies. The general occurrence 

 throughout north -western Europe of a second well- 

 marked ' buried forest ' seems to indicate a return 

 to more genial climatic conditions, giving rise to a 

 second period of great forests, \vhirh gradually over- 

 spread much of the nioory and waste lands. Coin- 

 culent with this second forest epoch there appears 

 to have been a gain of land, at least in Scotland, 

 but there is no evidence to show that Britain again 

 became continental. The second forest-epoch was 

 succeeded as the first had been In- somewhat cold 

 and wet conditions, under the intluencc of which 

 the forests decayed, while swamps and morasses 

 increased. At the same time the Scottish area 

 became depressed for some 25 feet or ,thereal>oiit 

 below its present level. The last physical change 

 of which there is clear evidence is the final retreat 

 of the sea, while the general aspect of the bogs (in 

 which the rate of decay exceeds that of growth) 

 would seem to indicate that we are living under 

 drier conditions than obtained when the second 

 forest-epoch came to a close. See EUROPE, STONE 

 A'. I.. 



Post-horn. See HORN. 



Posting, the forwarding of passengers from 

 place to place by means of relays of horses. Post- 

 ing was long in Britain, as it is yet in some parts 

 of the Continent, a government monopoly. Sea 

 POST-OFFICE. 



I'li-l-iinirii-in Examination. Examination 

 of the body alter death is a duty which has fre- 

 quently to In- discharged by medical men in 

 various circumstances, of which the most import 

 ant are ( 1 ) cases of sudden or accidental death ; 

 (2) canes of lingering illness, in which the nature 

 of the disease had not been determined during life ; 

 and (3) canes of suspected suicide or homicide. 

 Such examinations cannot legally lie undertaken 

 until twenty-four hours have elapsed after death, 

 and |..-iiui--ioii or warrant must be obtained fur 

 the |>criorninnce of tin- examination. In ordinary 

 cases where the examination is necessary or ndvis 

 able for the purpose of throwing light upon th<> 

 nature of the fatal illness, and where no judicial 

 question is involved, the eon-em of the parent-. 

 relatives, or guardians must be procured. In 

 medico legal cases the order of the coroner (ill 

 England) or of the procurator-fiscal (in Scotland) 

 is essential. In such cases the examination should 

 always } |>erfornied by two medical men, one of 

 whom, it is desirable, should be an expert. In all 

 cases the position of the IMM!\- and of tlie surround 

 ing object* should be carefully noted, as they often 

 throw light upon the cause of death. The external 

 up) wa ranee* of the body, such as the presence of 

 iiL-idity and of putrefactive changes, should le 

 observed, as affording a certain clue to the period 

 at which death occurred. In medico-legal autop- 

 every organ in the liody should be carefully 

 examined, and it* condition briefly but accurately 



noted. A careful microscopic examination should 

 follow if there l>e the least doubt a- to the nature 

 of the diseased condition present. Kinally, in cases 

 of suspected poisoning portions of the organs must 

 be subjected to chemical analysis. The study of 

 the changes wrought in the various organ- by 

 disease has been one of the most potent factors in 

 advancing scientific medicine. 



Post-nuptial Contract. See HUSBAND AND 



\VIKK, SKTTI.KMKM. 



Post-obit (Lat. pott obit urn, 'after death') 

 is a IMIIII! or security given by heirs and others 

 entitled to reversionary interests, whereby, in con- 

 sideration of a sum of money presently advanced, 

 the debtor hinds himself to pay a much larger 

 sum after the death of some person, or of him 

 self. Whenever, as is not unusual, the payment 

 is uncertain, and depends on the obli^er outlying 

 somebody else, very high interest is raqniiM, 

 or rather a very much larger sum is agreed to lie 

 repaid than what is advanced. These are generally 

 usurious bargains ; hut the obligee or creditor can 

 enforce payment of the full amount ; though, if there 

 is a gross case of inadequacy in the proportions 

 amounting to fraud, a court of equity will interfere. 



Post-office, ( 1 ) a government department 

 whose chief business it is to convey letters from 

 place to place; and (2) any otlice or agency ap- 

 jHiinted by that department for the reception, 

 despatch, or delivery of letters. Although letter 

 conveyance is the primary work of the post -otlice. 

 many other branches of business have been assumed 

 by it. The word post is derived from the Latin 

 positns, meaning ' placed,' ' fixed,' and comes to 

 nave its particular application from the posts, or 

 stages, at which on the roads of the Honian empire 

 couriers were maintained for the purpose of convey 

 ing news and despatches. Herodotus mentions 

 that a system of couriers existed in the Persian 

 empire; and Xenophon states that post stations or 

 houses were established by King Cyrus. Marco 

 Polo describes a similar system existing in China 

 in the 13th century, the stations being only 

 three miles apart, thus securing great rapidity of 

 communication. Among the ancient A/tecs in 

 Mexico a complete system of couriers was likewise 

 maintained, the stations living about two leagues 



apart, and providing a rapid means of c niuniea 



tion by foot messengers. In all these cases the 

 post- seem to have been set up for government 

 service only. 



The first letter-post in the modern acceptation of 

 the word seems to have been established in the 

 Ilanse towns in the early part of the 13th centurv. 

 A line of letter- posta followed, connecting Austria 

 and Lombard)', in the reign of the Kmpcror Maxi- 

 milian, which are said to have been organised by 

 the princes of Thurn and Taxis; ami the repre- 

 sentatives of the same house established another 

 line of (Mists from Vienna to I'.iuss.-]-. connecting 

 the most distant parts of the dominions of Charles 

 V. The family of Thurn and Taxis continued to 

 enjoy certain privileges in connection with thc-c 

 posts down to IsiiT, when they were ceiled by treaty 

 to the Prussian stale, and have since been assumed 

 by the (ieriuan empire. 



In England in early times both public and 

 private letters were sent by special messengers 

 only ; later on they were frequently conveyed by 

 common carriers plying with their pack-horses. 

 In the reign of Edward I. 'posts' were established 

 where horses could be had for hire by messengers 

 wearing the royal livery; ami in tin- reign of 

 Edward IL horses were kept by private persons for 

 hire, so that private messengers might trim-] 

 'post.' In 1481, when Edward IV. was at war 

 with Scotland, a system of relays of horses \\.-is 



