"Now, though the names, natures, symptoms, and several cures of these diseases, are altogether unknown to our greatest physicians, and the particular knowledge of them would (if concealed) be a vast advantage to the aforesaid person; yet, he well knowing that his country's good is to be preferred to his private interest, doth hereby promise all sorts of people, a faithful cure of all or any of the diseases aforesaid, at as reasonable rates as our modern doctors have for that of any common distemper.
"He is spoken with at the ordinary hours of business, at the Three Compasses, in Maiden-lane."
MODERN EGYPTIAN FEMALE ORNAMENTS.
Among the many ornaments which the women of Egypt in modern times are so fond of wearing, none is more curious or more generally worn than the Ckoo'r. It is a round convex ornament, commonly about five inches in diameter, of which there are two kinds. The first that we shall describe, and which is the only kind worn by ladies, or by the wives of tradesmen of moderate property, is the ckoor's alma's, or diamond ckoor's. This is composed of diamonds set generally in gold; and is open work, representing roses, leaves, &c. The diamonds are commonly of a very poor and shallow kind; and the gold of this and all other diamond ornaments worn in Egypt is much alloyed with copper. The value of a moderately handsome diamond ckoor's is about a hundred and twenty-five, or a hundred and fifty pounds sterling. It is very seldom made of silver; and I think that those of gold, when attached to the deep red turboo'sh, have a richer effect, though not in accordance with our general taste. The wives even of petty tradesmen sometimes wear the diamond ckoor's: they are extremely fond of diamonds, and generally endeavour to get some, however bad. The ckoor's, being of considerable weight, is at first painful to wear; and women who are in the habit of wearing it complain of headache when they take it off: hence they retain it day and night; but some have an inferior one for the bed. Some ladies have one for ordinary wearing, another for particular occasions, a little larger and handsomer; and a third merely to wear in bed. The other kind of ckoor's, ckoor's dah'ab (or, of gold), is a convex plate of very thin embossed gold, and almost always a false emerald (a piece of green glass), not cut with facets, set in the centre. Neither the emerald nor the ruby are here cut with facets: if so cut, they would generally be considered false. The simple gold ckoor's is lined with a thick coat of wax, which is covered with a piece of paper. It is worn by many women who cannot afford to purchase diamonds; and even by some servants.
ANTIQUE ROMAN MEDICINE STAMP.
By far the most remarkable of the recently discovered remains of the Roman occupants of Scotland is a medicine stamp, acquired by the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, along with a very valuable collection of antiquities, bequeathed to them by E. W. A. Drummond Hay, Esq., formerly one of the secretaries of the society. From his notes it appears that it was found in the immediate vicinity of Trenent Church, East Lothian, in a quantity of débris, broken tiles, and brick-dust, which may not improbably have once formed the residence and laboratory of Lucius Vallatinus, the Roman oculist, whose name this curious relic supplies. It consists of a small cube of pale green stone, two and three-fifth inches in length, and engraved on two sides as in the annexed woodcut; the letters being reversed for the purpose of stamping the unguents or other medicaments retailed by its original possessor. The inscriptions admit of being extended thus on the one side: L. VALLATINI EVODES AD CICATRICES ET ASPRITUDINES, which may be rendered—The evodes of Lucius Vallatinus for cicatrices and granulations. The reverse, though in part somewhat more obscure, reads: L. VALLATINI A PALo CRoCODES AD DIATHESES—The crocodes, or preparation of saffron, of L. Vallatinus, of the Palatine School, (?) for affections of the eyes. Both the Euodes and the Crocodes are prescriptions given by Galen, and occur on other medicine stamps. Several examples have been found in England, and many in France and Germany, supplying the names of their owners and the terms of their preparations. Many of the latter indicate their chief use for diseases of the eye, and hence they have most commonly received the name of Roman oculists' stamps. No example, however, except the one figured here, has ever occurred in Scotland; and amid legionary inscriptions, military votive altars, and sepulchral tablets, it is peculiarly interesting to stumble on this intelligent memento, restoring to us the name of the old Roman physician who ministered to the colonists of the Lothians the skill, and perchance also the charlatanry, of the healing art.