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460 METALS—THE NOBLER.
British
Pewter has always been considered superior to that of other countries.
The " Pewterers' Company,"—incorporated 1452,—would not allow foreign
apprentices, or members from abroad, among its body, lest they should
learn the English composition, and manufacture of this metal. Their
crest was two arms holding a pewter dish, proper ; the supporters—two
seahorses per fess,—or, and argent ; the motto being— " In God is all my trust."
Plate
Pewter is a harder variety, composed of tin one hundred parts, with
antimony eight parts, bismuth two parts, and copper two parts. Pewter
plates and dishes are made by hammering preferably to moulding. The
records of best known old English pewter marks were accidentally burnt,
and are lost.
One of our native herbal " Horse-tails " (Equiselum hyemale), is
known as Pewterwort, from its former use by milkmaids in scouring their
cans; likewise for polishing various pewter utensils. Gerarde tells
that they scour their pewter, and wooden things of the kitchen
therewith, and thence call it " Pewterwort; " and that the rletchers
and comb-makers rubbed, and polished their work with it. Professor Davy
has detected a large proportion of flinty earth in the cuticle of the
plant, to which its hardness, and asperity are owing. Linnaeus says it
is good for horses, but that cows lose their teeth by feeding on it.
Old writers called it " Shave-grass," also " Dutch Rushes."
If
antimonial wine (a recognised medicinal formula made of Metallic
Antimony in conjunction with white Lisbon wine) is mixed with milk, its
emetic and depressing qualities are neutralised, and it becomes
narcotic.
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