326 Verier Wells. By James Wood. 



Bangalore, under Lord Oornwallis in 1791, he was commonly 

 known in the district by the name of "Bangalore" or 



About a mile to the south of the " Whitecleuch Well" 

 was another " Verter Well," situated on what is now tlie 

 farm of Whitefield. The water of this well, which came 

 bubbling up in the heathery moor, was strongly impregnated 

 with sulphur, and the late James Weatherstone, farmer of 

 Shielfield, always attributed his cure of a serious internal 

 complaint to his drinking, copiously every morning, of the 

 water which he said "just tasted like gunpowder." About 

 fifty years ago, however, this moor was "taken in," and 

 the medicinal spring fell a victim to the drainer. 



Another Yerter Well called the "Shillwell" — possibly from 

 the coldness of the water, the Chill Well — was on the farm 

 of Brotherstone, not far from the "Cadger's Gait" and the 

 "Randy Road." The water of this well was prized as a 

 cure for gout, and was therefore chiefly patronised by the 

 county gentry, some of those in the near neighbourhood 

 being in the habit of frequenting it daily to drink of its water. 



A fourth Verter Well, situated on Bemersyde Hill, was 

 much sought after for the cure of ailments peculiar to cattle 

 and horses, and it is said that a horse having the "Bats," 

 after a gallop to the well and a hearty drink — so efficacious 

 was the water — was cured at once. 



These four "Verter Wells," which, at one time, occupied 

 an important place in the relief and cure of the diseases of 

 men and animals, have become among the things that were, 

 and it is in order that the knowledge of them may not be 

 lost that I have written this short account for the Club's 

 Proceedings. 



A Lunar Phenomenon. By the Same. 



Every one, I daresay, has seen a brugh or hazy circle 

 round the moon, understood by everybody to be a presage of 

 " bruckle weather." 



On the evening of the 19th December last (1893) at 6 

 o'clock, the moon being in her third quarter, this halo or 



