198 WILD-FOWL AND SEA-FOWL OF GREAT BRITAIN 



represented, chests of tea did. They had three 

 remedies in that damp land for all diseases, 

 broken bones excepted — these last cases were 

 very rare. If people fell at times, the ground 

 was soft and they did not come to harm. There 

 was " ager-mixter," in plain words hollands gin, 

 or brandy ; " how-do-we " {eau de vie) — this was 

 to keep the damp out when they had night work 

 on hand. Hollands ? well, when it was thought 

 necessary, and that was pretty frequent. Spirits 

 and water, hot water, not cold — some of our water 

 needed boiling, and at times straining a bit. But 

 the laudanum bottle, and it was not a small one, 

 was the sheet-anchor for them. Twenty to almost 

 any amount of drops on a piece of loaf sugar, this 

 being kept for that special purpose, was good in 

 their opinion for all inward pain. After a time this 

 would create in some a vicious craving, and they 

 would take it in the same way that people take any 

 ordinary dram, and then it did not make them 

 sleepy. 



For rheumatism they used goose - grease and 

 hartshorn, well rubbed in with plenty of elbow- 

 grease. They were a hardy lot, and it was needful 

 that they should have been, some of their so-called 

 remedies would kill ordinary people. I have had 

 them applied to myself once or twice, but never 

 again shall I share in the fearful joy of marsh-land 

 specifics. 



The coymen, both fen-men and marsh-men, were 

 contented and happy in their own grave fashion. 



