"Friday hair, Sunday horn, You'll go the devil afore Monday morn,"
shewing that these days were unlucky for clipping hair and cutting nails. The _York Fabric Rolls_[9] tell us that Maundy Thursday, the day before Good Friday, was termed Shere Thursday, because "in olde faders dayes the people wold that day _sheer_ theyr heddes and clype theyr berdes and poll theyr heedes and so make them honest ayenst Easter Day." The same interesting volume[10] gives the following account of charming away fevers:--
"1528. Bishopwilton. Isabel Mure presented. She took fier, and ij yong women w{ t} hirr, and went to a rynnyng water, and light a wypse of straw and sett it on the water, and said thus, 'Benedicite, se ye what I see. I se the fier burne, and water rynne and the gryse grew, and see flew and nyght fevers and all unkowth evils flee, and all other, God will,' and after theis wordes said xv Pater Noster, xv Ave Maria and thre credes."
The following is a reproduction of a receipt for Yellow Jonus (Jaundice) copied from an old book in my possession. "A quart of whine (wine), a penoth of Barbary barck, a penoth of Tormorch (Turmerich), a haporth of flour of Brimstone for Jonous."
In the whole range of professional life, or in any section of the community, there is no set of men so self-denying, sympathetic, philanthropic, liable to be called at any hour, day or night, and so hard-worked, as medical practitioners. To begin with, there is first, a long and expensive course of study, and, often, several years pass, before a practice becomes even self-sustaining. Those at the head of the profession attain to large incomes, and make their £20,000 a year. Noted specialists, in particular, such as the late Dr. Mackenzie, get large fees; but the majority of the profession conscientiously perform their laborious and kindly ministrations ungrudgingly and with moderate remuneration, which, in most cases, is certainly far short of their deserts.
This state of matters has prevailed for many centuries, and, taking the different value of money into account, notwithstanding the advance of medical science, there is but little change in the scale of remuneration, whether as to large fees paid by Royal or titled personages, fees by the middle classes, or by the rural or working population.