The morning call., 1890-08-10
THE Drank.
An Instrument Used in the 0Iden
Times to Punish Sc0lds.

In the Historical Description of the
Tower of London, 1774," is the following:
Among the curiosities OF the tower is a
collar Of torment which, say your eonduc-
tors, used formerly to be put about the
women's necks that scolded their husbands
when they came home late. But that Gus
tom is LETT off nowadays to prevent quar-
reling for collars. there not being smiths
enough to make them, as most married men
are sure to want them at one time or
other"
But our ancestors, writes a contributor to
an English magazine, were beginning TO
find out that
A smoking house and scoIding wife
Are Are two OF the greatest plaques IN ltte;
For It's past the power Of mortal man.
And yet they did not despair. Mems
wits were set TO work, and triumph Of in
genuity was produced-the Drank, the
scold's or gossip's bride, which had the
immense advantage over the dueking-
stools of compelling the victim to be silent
punishment almost fendish in its cOnceD-
ton. Its inventor is unknown, but he
probably hailed from The ''Noreh Coun-
tree" as "branks" is a northern name for
kind of bride. 1t never seems to have been
legal punishment, as the ducking-Stool
was; but, nevertheless, it obtained, and
there are many examples in existence.
1t was. IN the simplest form, described by
Waldron in his " Description of the Isle of
Man :" IS know nothing in the many
statutes or punishments in particular but
this, which Is, that if any person be con-
victed of utteringa scandalous report. and
cannot make good the assertion, instead of
being fined or imprisoned, they are SEN
fenced to stand in the market place on
sort of scatfOld erected for that purpose
with their tongues in moose of leather,
and having been exposed to the view
of the people for some time, on the taking
off of this machine they are obliged to say
three times: Tongue thou hast led" 1t
was commonly made as sort Of cage hoop
iron, going over and fitting fairly to the
head, with fiat piece projecting inward,
which was put in the mouth, thus prevent
ing the tongue from moving. 1t was then
padlocked, and the scold was either chained
up or led through the town.
The earliest dated Drank is preserved at
Walton-On-Thames, and bears the date $685.
with the Inscription:
Chester presents Walton with bride
To curb women's tongues that talk too Idle
There is very grotesque one at Dodding-
ton Park, in Lincolnshire, which is mask
having eye-holes and long, fnnneLshaped
peak projecting from the mouth; and there
were some terribly cruel ones, with fearful
gags; but these can scarcely come under
scoldS or gossips' brides. There was one
at Forfar with spiked gag which pierced
the tongue, and an even more severe one is
at the Stockport; while those at Lud-
low and Worcester are also Instruments of
torture.
We have seen men strive and fail 10 cure
scolcs, and we know the race is not ex-
tinct. Might not the old style of punish
ment be revived with a beneficial effect?
No one can tell the amount of domestic I'M
happiness that might be avoided by gentle
pointing to the Drank, kept hanging in a
convenient place; or if the dueking-stool
were again introduced. by quiet remark
as to the probable temperature OF the water
and the Inconvenience Of getting wet.