Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-04-08
OUR LETTER-BoX.
The Record Unions" answers to Curious
Questions by CORES pondents.


NoTE-This department is in receipt
constantly of numerous letters by writers
who PROFOUND questions that are, In the
main, of a character requiring answers that
are next to impossible to be givenln anything
short of a treatise, or Of such an unim.
portant and unusual character that replies
can only be given after very extended and
proftless search. Correspondents must
bear in mind that the purpose CT this de-
partment is to convey to sincere inquirers
useful information on topics that the usual
rural library will not afford reply to.
Also, to answers concerning matters, not
of mere curiosity or to satisfy the desire of
some one to PROFOUND puzzles. but that will
be OF practical value to readers, and that
will convey useful information on histori
cal, scientific, literary, agricultural and
statistical subjects, and to direct the read
ers' attention toward the best sources of
information, that he or she may make
further inquiry. Hereafter mere puzzles,
the answers to which do not appear to be
of any practical value, will receive the
very least, ii any, attention IN this depart
ment.
Memo, Sacramento - Concerning the
sign OF the cross we may say that the
Greek priest fifst crosses his thumb on the
fourth finger, anu bends his little finger,
SO that it resembles the curve of crescent;
the index finger stands erect, and having
bent the middle one in the same way as
the little, lifts his hand and traces the
| sign OF tue cross. The meaning is as fol-
| lows: The outstretched finger stands for
! the letter /, the bending of the middle
| finger for the letter Can old way of writ
| ,al, ba Lot
| | and C. or S, thus standing for Jesus. The
thumb crossed upon the fourth finger is
| the Greek equivalent to CHI, K, and this,
with the little finger representing S or c,
stands for Christ; so that the interpreta-
ton is ''Jesus Christ" The Roman Ca
| tholic sign OF the cross is made by touch
ing the forehead, breast, right and left
shoulder, the priest saying, I'm nomine
PATHS, ct Fill, ct Spiritus Sancte. Amen"
Meaning In the name of the Father,
and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.
Amen" The last invocation is to be ut
tered as the hand passes from the left to
the right shoulder.
L. B. s., Susanville-The saying is not
original with your local orator but it does
not follow that he pilfered it. To say that
one has no equal but himself, is but to re.
peat in different form what Seneca put
In this "Qo@ris Acida parem? Memo
est nisi ipse." ''Do you seek Alcides'
equal? There is none but himself"
Student, Sumner-It was the motto of
the Viscount Sidney. "Droit ct ayant"-
Right and forward.
| Phylactery, Elk Grove-A common
biblical dictionary should give you the
definition you seek. Phylactery refers to
Tho ff porcbroopb on xpbinb xvara
Transcribed the various passages from the
Pentateuch. They were inclosed in
small box and worn on the forehead be-
tween the eyes, or on the arm near the
heart. See Exodus xiii, l6.
William F., Visalia-The word gonfalon,
that you are unable to find in the books at
your command, is from the Italian gonfa.
lone, and it was the banner of the Church
| was termed the gonfalonier.
Gordon, Woodland-Pepsin or pepsine
is the active principle of the gastric juice,
! of an acid it converts almost every de-
scription of albuminous and fbrinous mat
ter into soluble form of albumen, which
is capable of very easy absorption. This
makes it a very useful aid to digestion, and
The latest and most popular form for it is
as lactopeptine in which it comes as
syrup, an elixir, etc. We do not assume
medical knowledge equal to that of the
graduated practitioner, but let us warn
you that the human stomach is exactly like
any other part OF the human organism, in
this, to wiz if its work is done for it it
will soon cease to do any work for itself.
| We happen to know Of more than one case
where the steady use of artificial digestive
agents has caused the stomach to sink into
q torpidity from which it was never
aroused. Better take it under medical ad-
vice, and even then as little of it as you
can well get along with.
5. D. R, Sacramento county - The
maxim 10 which You refer may be fouzd in
almost any law dictionary. Its true read
ing is E: CujHs est Soiem, ejus est atsqae ad
cotHm-he who owns the coil owns up to
the sky. 1t is not literally true when the
| right of another is infringed by the exer.
else OF such ownership to degree that will
warrant the interposition of the law and
there are instances where the right of
ownership that is set out by the maxim
has been abridged, g. the exercise of the
proprietor's right on the ground where it
became dangerous to adjacent owners.
And there are instances where the right of
the proprietor is limited, though based on
the principle expressed in the maxim as,
for example, though one may own to the
sky, ne may not build to the sky, and by
too lofty ediice endanger adjacent
owners
Anna, Chico-The lines to which you
refer are to be found in the Anacreontics,
by Abraham Cowley. an English writer
who was born in 1918 and died in 1867.
The lines read:
Gold bsgets in brethren hate;
Gold in families debate;
Got does friendship s-parate;
Gold does civil lrs create