THE COLOR YELLOW.—It is a well-known fact that yellow is a characteristically medical color. A flag of this color is in use at lazarettos, and it is often placed at plague-stricken spots, as a warning to the observer to keep away. How is the medical import of the color to be accounted for? In Christian symbolism it signifies faith, but one must turn, I believe, to astrology to learn the reason of its medical significance. To the astrologer, yellow was the color of the sun; and it was to this planet, anciently so regarded, that the possession of greatest influence over disease was accorded. THE PHYSICIAN’S CONVEYANCE.—It is said that Asclepiades, the ancient quack, perambulated the world on a cow’s back, living on her milk as he went along. We have no reason to believe that such a mode of moving from point to point ever became a professional custom; but physicians in recent times have always had, in most places, characteristic methods of travel, in their rounds among their patients. It appears that, previous to the reign of Charles II, it was customary for the English doctors to visit on horseback, “sitting,” as Jeaffreson says, “sideways on foot-cloths, like women.”[518] At any rate, Aubrey says that Harvey “rode on horseback with a foot-cloth, his men following on foot, as the fashion then was, which was very decent, now quite discontinued.”[519] Later, carriages of various kinds, some very showy, came into vogue. For many years the physicians of Philadelphia, as of other prominent American cities, have been known, as they have gone about their duties, by their use of a special form of phaeton. It is a four-wheeled conveyance, with a fixed top, and is drawn by one horse. Riding in it is pleasant, and its generous top protects well in bad weather. Several years ago a two-wheeled modification of it was introduced, but it did not become popular, and of late has been disappearing. By a few of the more well-to-do in the profession, two-horse carriages of various styles are used; but there is nothing characteristic about them.