KIDD'S LONDON JOURNAL. 



119 



would injure, rather than benefit, a good 

 cause; and it is because I know you to be a 

 Christian man, that I wish to see it well and 

 properly handled by you. The subject I 

 allude to is Phrenology — as beautiful a 

 science as it ever fell to the lot of man to 

 investigate, and a science to which mankind 

 generally are daily becoming necessary con- 

 verts. 



You no doubt are well acquainted with 

 the noble work of Gall, — which, being only 

 obtainable in this country in an unknown 

 tongue, sleeps heavily on the shelves of the 

 foreign publishers, unasked for, uncared for. 

 And yet — in that very casket, lie jewels of 

 immense, of incalculable value to the million! 

 Food for thought is hidden there, which be 

 it the happy lot of Kidd's Journal to bring 

 to light. 



In a pecuniary point of view, of course 

 you will be largely benefited ; for every- 

 body will read this book, if you translate 

 and re-print it ; but your reward will extend 

 far, very far, beyond this. As a public bene- 

 factor, you will receive the homage of the 

 whole civilised and enlightened world. 



I have, ere now, gathered from your writ- 

 ings, that both physiognomy and phrenology 

 are favorite studies of yours ; you have, 

 indeed, repeatedly said as much. Let me 

 suggest that, every week, you give us one 

 page from Gall's intellectual work, with 

 occasional notes and comments. I feel cer- 

 tain, it would add greatly to your already 

 well-earned fame as a naturalist and a lover of 

 nature ; whilst it would carry your Journal 

 into every corner of our " happy land." 

 Yours, with esteem, 



Amicus. 



[This Appeal to us, is deserving of at- 

 tention. We freely confess our great ad- 

 miration of the science of Phrenology; when 

 kept within due limits ; and we admit that 

 the principles of it ought to be widely dis- 

 seminated. " We will sleep on it " one 

 week; and if we "act," it shall be promptly 

 and energetically. The " masses " are alive 

 to the truth of the science, and they want to 

 know more of it. Will "Amicus" kindly 

 send us his name ? It shall be kept in the 

 most strict confidence. Or, will he kindly 

 grant us a personal interview ? We should 

 greatly prefer the latter.] 



KIDD'S < ; JOUENAL" AMD " THE TEADE." 



To the .Editor. 



Sir, — -Allow me, as one of very many, perhaps 

 hundreds, of your readers, to corroborate what 

 was said last week by A Lover of Natural 

 History touching your " title," and the diffi- 

 culty of obtaining your Paper. 



The former really is a " mistake" on your 

 part; for we invariably find the penny picture- 

 book substituted, when we ask for " Kidd's 



London - Journal." You are hardly incorrect 

 in saying, that " half the dealers in Periodicals 

 cannot read."' I believe it. At all events they 

 cannot be brought to comprehend, why a Paper, 

 issued at one penny, should not be infinitely pre- 

 ferable to one of a similar title at three half- 

 pence ! 



I have carefully perused what you have said 

 about these folk, in your opening article in 

 No. 5; and can more than understand the " dif- 

 ficulties" you had to encounter in getting your 

 " Journal" into the London shops at all. Why, 

 Sir, you may now wander daily, all over London, 

 and scarcely meet with a single copy for sale 

 after Wednesday (the day of publication !). This 

 is monstrously unjust to you, and foolish as re- 

 gards the vendor. His answer is, — " We do 

 not keep more than are previously ordered." 



Your friends, therefore, must besiege these 

 gentlemen dealers, and give them no rest, night 

 nor day. I could not have dreamt that so much 

 unfair difficulty could have beset a new peri- 

 odical, — especially one so universally called for 

 as yours is. The dealers admit this; but they 

 say in justification, that they have lost largely by 

 keeping new periodical works, Avhich have from 

 time to time been " dropped," and the stock on 

 hand rendered valueless. This is " a" reason, 

 certainly. 



Again I say, let all your friends, — I do it, 

 daily, — call on every Newsvendor and Bookseller 

 in their way, to and fro; and bother their 

 lives out eor " Kidd's Journal," — letting the 

 word " London" lapse for the nonce. A few 

 pence weekly, cannot ruin your friends ; but the 

 trifling outlay may materially facilitate the 

 success of your Paper, and give it all it wants — 

 notoriety. It is, as you have rightly christened 

 it (I see by the papers), " the ' Pet' of the 

 Periodicals," and shines brighter than any of its 

 Competitors in the literary firmament of " fixed 

 stars." Yours, &c. 



An Earnest Well- Wisher. 

 [This is one of many other kind Letters 

 we have received of a similar import. We 

 need add nothing to it. Its sincerity is ap- 

 parent ; its argument excellent ; its object, 

 undeniably good ; its desert, our best thanks 

 — -which are gratefully tendered. Others 

 can say more for us, or word their expres- 

 sions better, than we could for ourselves. 

 It is quite true that the " Trade," collec- 

 tively, are doing us a very serious injury, 

 notwithstanding our liberal overtures to 

 them.] 



The Crocus. — The crocus is interesting both 

 for its medical uses and historic associations. 

 Hippocrates, the father of physic, enumerates the 

 krokos (crocus sativus) or meadow saffron, in his 

 list of narcotic remedies, and highly praises it as 

 a medicine for complaints of the eye, prescribing 

 its use outwardly in different ointments. The 

 plant has lost none of its importance since the 

 time of Hippocrates. Bulbous roots of all kinds 

 were much esteemed by the epicures of ancient 

 Rome, and the vernal crocus was dished up in 

 various ways as a delicacy for the stomach of 

 antiquity. — " Familiar Things." 



