5. Never, on any account, use the same word to express two different dates; as, its first two consonants for one date and its two middle, or its first and last consonants, to express another date.
6. Never fail to carefully analyse the relations between the fact or event and its date or number word.
Subject to the exceptions hereafter named, all dates and numbers should be exactly expressed in the date or number words.
Alexander the Great was born 356 B.C. and died in a drunken debauch 323 B.C. His birth: (3) Macedonia’s (5) Alexander a (6) Child. His death: A (3) Macedonian’s (2) Inebriation (3) Mortal. Several mnemonists of the old school have for the past forty years used the phrase “Rise, Sire,” to express the date of the creation of the world, which according to the accepted biblical chronology took place 4004 B.C. But that phrase, proper enough in the mouths of the sons of Noah, when they found their father lying on the ground in a fit of intoxication, could have no pertinence when applied to the Creator, to the creation in general, or to the creation of this world in particular. A self-connected phrase would, however, express this date as follows: “Creation of the World: (4) Earth (0) Started (0) Swiftly (4) Rotating.”
First Exception.—From A.D. 1000 to A.D. 1700 the last three figures of the date should be expressed in the date words. Mars expresses 340 and could be used to indicate the invention of cannon in (1) 340 by one who knew that Mars was the name of the god of war in classic mythology. The formula would be: “Invention of cannon: (1) 340 Mars.” But this term would have no mnemonic significance to one who knows the word Mars as meaning only one of the planets. Hence the danger—ever to be avoided—of using classical allusions in teaching the average student. A (3) martial (4) Organ (0) Sways, or murderous artillery started.
Second Exception.—From A.D. 1700 to the present moment, the last two figures must be expressed in the date words. Many examples will hereafter illustrate this exception. In very rare cases, the expression of the last figure in the date word will suffice. We know that Ralph Waldo Emerson and Oliver Wendell Holmes [author of the Autocrat of the Breakfast Table] were born towards the beginning of this century, the former in 1803 and the latter in 1809. The following formulas would give the date of their birth: Ralph Waldo (180)3 Emerson; Oliver Wendell Holmes (180)9 “Breakfast.”
Third Exception.—In cases where there is no practical utility in comparing one very large number with another, as in the case of the distances of the planets from the sun, mere round numbers may suffice, yet astronomers must know such numbers with exactness. But in regard to all mundane affairs, the pupil must throw off the character of scholar and assume the license of children, if he attempts to express large numbers, as of populations, &c., by “guessing,” or, what is the same thing, by only giving round numbers. The Brooklyn Suspension Bridge is 5989 feet long, and the Forth Bridge, which crosses the Firth of Forth in Scotland, is 8296 feet long. Now, instead of saying that the former is about 5000 feet long, why not say 5989 feet long? [(5) Long (9) Bridge (8) Of (9) Brooklyn.] And instead of saying that the latter is about or somewhere in the neighbourhood of 8000 feet long, why not be exact and say 8296 feet long? [(8) Forth’s (2) New (9) Bridge (6) Shown. It was completed in 1890.]
No one who has not had experience in dealing with thousands of poor memories, as I have had, can realise the fact that in most cases of poor memories the facts themselves are often possessed, but are mostly unrecallable when wanted. I have tried to teach pupils how to find analytic date or number words without any previous training in In., Ex., and Con., and 99 of all such attempts have always been failures. The 100th case, which succeeded, only confirmed the rule. On the other hand, I have always found that these failures become successes after a thorough practical training in In., Ex., and Con., such as I have already given. In fact, I never had a pupil who became proficient in the use of In., Ex., and Con., who did not arrive at the use of analytic number words without any specific directions from me. But I think, on the whole, that it is the better way to combine direct and specific training in analytic number words, with a previous exhaustive general drill in In., Ex., and Con.
The rules hereafter given must be carefully studied and every example painstakingly examined. After studying my formulas let the pupil endeavour in each case to find a better one himself. If the pupil acts on my advice, he will know how to be always sure to think of the needful related or including facts for finding analytic date words, phrases, or sentences.
The different processes for dealing with dates or numbers may be classified as follows:—