Domestic annals of Scotland : $b from the revolution to the rebellion of 1745Chambers, Robert
History
Domestic annals of Scotland : $b from the revolution to the rebellion of 1745
Chambers, Robert
Scotland -- History -- 1689-1745
‘Doctor Green, younger of Doncaster’—probably the second of the three
generations—had occasion, in December 1725, to advertise [Sidenote:
1702.] the Scottish community regarding his ‘menial servant and
tumbler,’ Henry Lewis, who, he said, had deserted his service with a
week’s prepaid wages in his pocket, and, as the doctor understood, ‘has
resorted to Fife, or some of the north-country burghs, with design to
get himself furnished with a play-fool, and to set himself up for a
doctor experienced in the practice of physic and chirurgery.’ Doctor
Green deemed himself obliged to warn Fife and the said burghs, whither
he himself designed to resort in spring, against ‘the said impostor, and
to dismiss him as such.’[316]
We have this personage brought before us in an amusing light, in May
1731, in connection with the King’s College, Aberdeen. He had applied to
this learned sodality for a diploma as doctor of medicine, ‘upon
assurances given under his hand, that he would practise medicine in a
regular way, and give over his stage.’ They had granted him the diploma
accordingly. Finding, afterwards, that he still continued to use his
stage, ‘the college, to vindicate their conduct in the affair, and at
the same time, in justice to the public, to expose Mr Green his
disingenuity, recorded in the Register of Probative Writs his letter
containing these assurances.’ They also certified ‘that, if Mr Green
give not over his stage, they will proceed to further resentment against
him.’[317]
Down to this time there was still an entire faith among the common sort
of people in the medical properties of natural crystals, perforated
stones, ancient jet ornaments, flint arrow-heads, glass beads, and other
articles. The custom was to dip the article into water, and administer
the water to the patient. The Stewarts of Ardvorlich still possess a
crystal which was once in great esteem throughout Lower Perthshire for
the virtues which it could impart to simple water. A flat piece of ivory
in the possession of Campbell of Barbreck—commonly called _Barbreck’s
Bone_—was sovereign for the cure of madness. This article is now
deposited in the Museum of the Scottish Antiquaries in Edinburgh. The
_Lee Penny_—a small precious stone, set in an old English coin, still
possessed by the Lockharts of Lee—is another and highly noted example of
such charms for healing.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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