Cannon Street Road and nearby streets
CURTAINS AND
SHUTTERS.- The custom so prevalent of darkening a chamber by
shutters and of surrounding the beds with curtains,especially the
cradles of infants, is very injurious to health, not merely owing to
the causes, (arising from the impurity of air) last specified, but to
the eyesight. When the light is almost entirely excluded, and then the
shutters opened - nearly at once, the pain and violence suffered by,
the eyes would seem naturally to discourage the custom. The use of
curtains is less injurious: but the disuse of them, especially around
the bed or cradle, has often been recommended by physicians. One good
effect of the advice would be, that the eye would gradually become
stronger by being accustomed to the light shaded by the eyelid even
while closed in sleep; and above all other reasons, the increasing
light, especially in a spring or summer morning, would naturally awaken
him, and conduce to the habit of early activity, which is of
incalculable importance. |
Physical Deformities Sir,—The writer would crave the indulgence by your insertion of these few thoughts in your valuable journal, upon a subject which has been entirely overlooked both by the philanthropist and the benevolent portion of the public. I allude to those wretchedly-deformed objects that are allowed to prowl our streets, exhibiting their naked deformities for the purpose of enlisting our sympathies; and when I reflect that they are forced to adopt this expedient by their utter inability to secure a livelihood for themselves, and the fact that amid all the splendid institutions for the relief of suffering humanity, there are none found that would embrace the objects I have alluded to; and how many there are whose friends would shrink from adopting such degraded means and would rather yield to the biting pangs of poverty than submit to such exposures,—and I am an eye witness to many such cases, which have come under my notice in my daily walks among men, and suggested to me what an incalculable amount of misery and sorrow might be alleviated where an institution of the kind existed,—I feel confident that if the press and some influential nobleman and the wealthy of our land would take the subject in hand, they would secure the warmest support of the ladies, who, I am proud to say, are never behind in such laudable works of charity as these. With much respect, I remain your humble servant, W.B.B. Marman-street, Commercial-road East. |
An Acte for the Mayntenance of Artyllarie and debarringe of unlawful Games (33 Henry 8, C.9) was passed at the instigation of bowyers, fletchers,
stringers and arrowhead makers concerned about the decline of archery,
despite previous statutes aimed at its encouragement, because many
subtill and inventatyve and craftye persons ... have dayly found and
dayly finde many and sondrie new and craftye games and players ...
kepinge houses, playes and allyes for the maynenacne thereof. The first part required all men under 60, not being lame or decrepit (except 'spiritual persons', and judges and justices), to practise long-bow shooting and keep bows and arrows at home. Fathers were to teach their sons to shoot, keeping a bow and two shafts for every boy aged 7-17. This part of the Act was repealed in the 19th century. The next part dealt with unlawful games and their regulation. No-one was to keep for gain, hiring or a living any common house, alley or place of bowling, coyting [quoiting], colysh, cups, half bowl, tennis, dicing-table, or carding, or any other manner of game prohibited by any statute heretofore made, or any unlawful game hereafter to be invented. [C.T. Onions Shakespeare's England, vol II pages 459-68, describes these banned games in detail.] No artificer, husbandman, apprentice, journeyman, labourer, or serving-man was to play at tables, tennis, dice, cards, bowls, of any other unlawful game, out of Christmas, under pain of twenty shillings for every such offence. At Christmas they were only to play in the houses or in presence of their masters. There were two provisos, characteristic of the age: masters could license their servants to play at cards, dice, or tables, with them, or with any other gentleman in their master's house or presence; and noblemen, and those with an annual income of £100, could license their servants or family to play within the precinct of their houses, gardens, or orchards, at cards, dice, tables, bowls, or tennis. But sections 8 & 9, giving powers to raid and prescribing penalties, remained unrepealed. The penalty for keeping a house was 40s., and for 'using or haunting' such houses, and 'playing' in them, 6s.8d. Officials were authorised to raid suspect houses and make arrests, keeping them in prison until they gave sureties not to re-offend. Weekly, or at least monthly, re-searches were required, with a 40s. penalty for breach. |
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