;n()\vij.1)c. i: 



May. 1912. 



thf aiigli- at !•: = 104" 46' <)" and the aiij^lc at 

 S = J9" 41' if)", therefore D = 1 ■()')'){)7 in jwrts of 

 radius. 



Wliilo D' and D" may be found in liki- niaiimi. 

 takinj; care to add to the corrected R..\.. the \aiu(; 

 of tlie eartli's orbital motion in tlie interval, it is not 

 necessary to undertake this laliour, since we onl\' 

 require to know the change in the value of tlie angle 

 at E. Indeed, since D' is not involved in tlie 

 computation of tlic elements of tile orliit. it mav 

 be neglected. 



To find the angle at E at the second and third 

 observations, we have seen that the difference 

 between P and P' = r' 20' 2". Now the angular 

 motion of the earth in the ecliptic in the interval is 

 1° 58' 16": therefore, the difference between these two, 

 subtracted from E at the first observation, gives E' 



and we have E'=104" 7' 55" and thir angle at S' = 

 .59 .56' 0" and 0'= 1-0772. Similarly, the differ- 

 ence between Pand P" = 2 48' 29" and this subtracted 

 I mm .5 56' J2", the angular motion of the earth 

 during the interval between the first and last obser- 

 vations, gives a correction of 1 ' 8' .5" by which the 

 the angle E must be reduced to give E" ; we have 

 finally, therefore, E"=103-^ 38' 6", and the angle 

 S" = .59" 22' 15" the resulting value of D" being 

 1 ■()5.}.5. The distances of the comet from the earth 

 on the dates computed are, therefore : — 



1-0990 1-0772 1-0533 

 Professor Kobold gives... 1-099 1-0743 1-0532 



Such, in brief, is a description of a method of deal- 

 ing with this problem, which is concise, easily 

 followed in detail and is independent of any special 

 formulae. 



AN IRISH PHARMACOPOEIA. 



Hv .\1. I). HA\IL.\XD. 



In most places the time-honoured vocation of herbalist or 

 " wise woman " is extinct, but here and there in out of the 

 way corners of the "Emerald Isle" she still plies a flourishing 

 trade. 



Some of the rustic remedies have a certain foundation 

 of truth, but more often they are based upon pure super- 

 stition. For instance, in cases of jaundice the Dandelion 

 {Taraxacum officinale) is justly regarded as a valuable 

 liver tonic ; but on the principle that " like draws to like," 

 the virtue is supposr;d to reside in its yellow colour, and 

 the Yellow wort iBlackstoiiia) and Saffron are used for 

 the same complaint. In County Kilkenny, a horse with colic 

 is treated with soot, a remedy which might possibly give 

 relief in cases of indigestion and flatulence ; but what can 

 be said for " a shrew mouse boiled in milk," which I was 

 solemnly assured was a sure remedy for any weakness of the 

 kidneys ? 



The whooping or cliiii cough, as it is called in Ireland, 

 carries off a large number of peasant children everj' year, and 

 consequently many remedies are recommended. A favourite 

 medicine for this complaint is donkey's milk, which, no doubt, 

 does work wonders for ricketty children who have been reared 

 upon stewed tea and Indian meal ; but superstition has 

 stepped in and declared that the patient must be passed three 

 times over and under the animal, and then soatc^d upon her 

 back. In County Cork an infusion of the Thang-an-uann or 

 Stitchwort (Stellaria liolosteaj, sweetened with sugar candy. 

 is also considered eflicacious. Snails boiled in milk arc 

 thought excellent for consumptive patients ; and the Coltsfoot 

 and Marsh-Mallow are justly esteemed as remedies for 

 bronchial affections. In some places the leaves of the Colts- 

 foot {Tiissilago) are supposed to "draw" sickness to the 

 house, however. 



Along the west coast of Ireland there is a belief that the 

 Common Plantain iPlantaga major) is good for such ailments 

 as ringworm or parasites in the hair; while another plant of 

 the same family iLittorella juitcea) is reckoned a sure safe- 

 guard against hydrophobia. The properties of the Foxglove 

 (Digitalis) are fully recognised by the Celtic herbalists, but 

 Miss Sargent, to whom 1 am indebted for much interesting 

 information on this subject, tells me that cases of poisoning 

 are not uncommonly traced to its use. A decoction of the 



stem and leaves in water is a local specific for making the hair 

 grow, and is also rubbed on saddle-galled horses, and on dogs 

 and cats with mange; but if it be applied to any part which 

 the animal can lick, poisoning often results. 



In the curing of warts superstition has full play. If you 

 should meet a funeral while suffering from these growths, you 

 should turn and walk three steps with the procession and then 

 bid the warts go to the burial. This is a radical cure. 

 .Another plan consists in burying nine blades of Timothy grass ; 

 as these decay the warts will disappear. Yet a third remedy 

 practised in CountyCork is to anoint the growths with the acrid 

 juice of the Euphorbia hiberna. and this is probably the most 

 effectual of the three, as this plant has caustic properties. 



Many of these rustic cures owe their efficacy less to the virtues 

 of the " medicine " than to the method of their application. 

 For instance, a remedy for sprains is potato water, but as this 

 is applied as hot as it can be borne, probably the benefit is 

 derived from the hot fomentation ; and " crane-oil " — the 

 yellow fat of the heron — is considered good for rheumatism and 

 lumbago, but here again it is most likely the massage in applica- 

 tion which gives relief. Yarrow tea is another remedy for 

 rheumatism, and so is a potato carried about in the pocket, 

 but this last is most effectual if begged or stolen. The little 

 bones under the black markings of the haddock — supposed to 

 be the print of St. Peter's fingers — are also carried as charms 

 against toothache. Eel skin is supposed to protect swimmers 

 against cramp — perhaps some properties of the agile fish are 

 thought to linger in its dried epidermis. If anyone has a 

 festered wound caused by a piece of metal, the latter — a nail, a 

 bit of jagged iron, and so on — must be stuck into a raw potato 

 until the sore is healed, otherwise it will mortify, .\fter these, 

 and kindred superstitions, it is interesting to learn that these 

 \illage physicans are quite aware of the medicinal properties 

 of the Gentian tribe, and recommend the Common Centaury 

 as a tonic for young girls who lia\e outgrown their strength. 



No doubt the simple faith with which many of these old 

 cures are used does more to relieve sickness than the medicine 

 itself; but most of them are harmless, if not always very 

 appetizing. Now and then, indeed, one is surprised to find to 

 what extent modern pharmaceutists have been forestalled by 

 these old herbalists of southern Ireland. 



