THE UNIVERSITY 
 
 OF ILLINOIS 
 
 LIBRARY 
 
 From the collection of 
 Julius Doerner, Chicago 
 Purchased 
 
 1918 
 

 The person charging this material is re- 
 sponsible for its return to the library from 
 which it was withdrawn on or before the 
 Latest Date stamped below. 
 
 
 
 Theft, mutilation, and underlining of books are reasons 
 for disciplinary action and may result in dismissal from 
 the University. 
 
 To renew call Telephone Center, 333-8400 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS LIBRARY AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN 
 
 
i . 
 0 ' 
 
 
 1 . 
 
Mental Gymnastics, 
 
 LESSONS ON pWlORY, 
 
 J^lDJiL.1^ li-dIZIjXjIBR., Zdl. ID. 
 
 AUTHOR OF 
 
 Life {ft Other Worlds; Plain Talk to the Sick; Mistakes of 
 Doctors; Laconography^ etc. 
 
 FIFTH EDITIOlSr. 
 
 CHICAGO: 
 
 1887. 
 
INSTRUCTIONS. - 
 
 After reading the first chapter, commence the 
 study of the system on p. 21, and make yourself es- 
 pecially familiar with the letters representing num- 
 bers. Your memory will be strengthened with the 
 first effort to recollect the relation between letters 
 and figures. The 22d and 23d pages will explain the 
 phonetic sounds that correspond with the letters that 
 stand for numbers. 
 
 When familiar with the second chapter commence 
 the study of the 100 words on pp. 24 and 25, and, 
 with a little practice, you will soon be able to tell the 
 numbers on hearing the words. Then go through 
 Vllth and Vlllth chapters in the same way; keep a 
 pencil and paper at hand, write the numbers from 
 the words, and this will soon make you familiar 
 with the letters and their homo-phonetic sounds, 
 which will invariably give you the correct 
 numbers. As your memory gains strength in this 
 direction it will become stronger in every respect, 
 especially for retaining names and committing to 
 memory anything you may wish to keep in your 
 memory’s storehouse. The improvement may be 
 slow at first, but by persevering effort you will most 
 assuredly reap the reward of your labor by obtain- 
 ing a renewed vigor of body and mind. 
 
 THE AUTHOR. 
 
 £ntered according’ to Act of Con'^ress. Copyright secured in the year 
 18S5, by Adam Millkk. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 The author of this work does not claim to have 
 originated an entirely new system for the cultivation 
 of the memory. But he does claim to have simpli- 
 fied some of the old and complex systems contained 
 in books now out of print; or in large and expensive 
 volumes, not in the reach of those most interested in 
 this subject. 
 
 Several small works have been published, based 
 on the writings of Prof. Francis Fauvel-Gourand, and 
 almost literally copied from his work without giving 
 him credit for his arduous labors in this department 
 of literature. Writers on this subject have left it in 
 such obscurity, that persons, after purchasing the 
 books, have laid them away as useless; because they 
 could not understand the few brief and indefinite 
 sketches called memory lessons. 
 
 The following pages have been arranged with 
 new and original formulas by the author, more with 
 a view to instruct the student in the noble faculty of 
 memory, than to embellish the pages with fine lan- 
 guage and obscure expressions. 
 
 We aim to make the subject as plain as possible^ 
 and to bring it within the comprehension of ordinary 
 minds, so as to lead the student from the first simple 
 lessons to the more complex without mental strain or 
 effort, and by these mental gymnastics gradually to 
 increase the strength of the memory. Instead of a 
 
 ( 3 ) 
 
 680040 
 
iv 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 severe strain it will be a mental recreation and amuse- 
 ment, and will prepare the mind for more arduous 
 labors in other departments of study. 
 
 The object is to bring the subject within the reach 
 of all classes, and to make the study interesting and 
 profitable to all. There is no business in life, and no 
 department in literature, where a well cultivated 
 memory may not be turned to a good account. 
 
 Our capacity for any kind of business is increased 
 in proportion as our memory is able to retain the 
 details of our business. 
 
 These lessons are valuable to those who are study- 
 ing any system of short-hand writing, and especially 
 to the system called Laconography. 
 
 The author, now advanced beyond the ordinary 
 years allotted to men in this life, has so cultivated his 
 memory, that it is much stronger and more reliable 
 than it was in the earlier years of his life, and all as 
 the result of the training recommended in these pages. 
 A well employed and active mind and a good 
 memory well stored with useful knowledge are very 
 important factors in human happiness. 
 
 While it does not bring back the years that have 
 passed into the future, it lifts the mind above the 
 wasting influences of time to a great extent, and often 
 ' turns the gloomy winter of old age into the warmth 
 and brightness of a summer’s morning. It will help 
 to smooth the wrinkles of a furrowed brow, and give 
 intelligent expression to the eye that is growing dim 
 with age. Try the process we recommend, and you 
 will be satisfied. A. M. 
 
CHAPTER L 
 
 GENERAL REMARKS ON MEMORY. 
 
 Without memory our lives w'ould be a dreary 
 waste. The past would be a blank. The present a 
 fretful and perplexing hour. Without a recollection 
 of the past we would find very little encouragement 
 in looking into the future. With the storehouse of our 
 memories well filled with past events, many pleasant 
 scenes of our past lives are brought in review before us. 
 Even our sufferings and disappointments, when rec- 
 ollected in connection with the relief that may have 
 come to us, and our deliverance from the apparent 
 accidents and dangers to which we found ourselves 
 exposed, all have a tendency to encourage us for the 
 future. A recollection that the same or similar help 
 may come to us in the future that sustained us in the 
 past, will enable us to move forward in the struggles 
 of life and trust in the same powers and forces for : 
 protection that sustained us in the past. All persons 
 are endowed with this faculty, but some in a much 
 higher degree than otliers. While there are natural 
 endowments, and some have much better memories 
 than others, it is undeniably true that by neglecting to 
 exercise and cultivate this faculty it becomes enfeebled, 
 while, on the other hand, by a proper course of train- 
 ( 5 ) 
 
6 
 
 LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 ing and a systematic exercise, the memory may be 
 strengthened beyond the highest conceptions of those 
 who have not made suitable and systematic efforts in 
 this direction. The reason why many persons in ad- 
 vanced years complain of a feeble memory is an in- 
 attention to the common concerns of life, and a want 
 oi* effort to treasure up the ordinary occurrences. The 
 idea of many that because they have lived a certain 
 number of years and arrived at an age where the 
 mental faculties generally become enfeebled, has 
 caused many to feel prematurely old, and a general 
 loss of bodily and mental vigor follows a determina- 
 tion that it must be so, because it is the natural order 
 of things. Many live and finally go down to their 
 graves without being aware of the wonderful unde- 
 veloped powers they possessed, which, if they had 
 been properly cultivated, would have contributed 
 much to the support of the physical organism. There 
 is such an intimate connection between the body and 
 the mind that the lack of a proper treatment of the 
 one will unfavorably affect the other. 
 
 We have gymnastics for physical culture and find, 
 from experience and observation, that much is gained 
 by a proper exercise in muscular development. 
 
 The memory is more susceptible to improvement 
 by proper exercise and training, than the body. It is 
 that which possesses the body, and is destined to sur- 
 vive its final dissolution and decay. The dweller in 
 the house is of more importance than the house, so 
 the mind of man, of which memory is a part, is of 
 more importance than the body in which it dwells. 
 
LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 7 
 
 We talk of a mind well stored with knowledge, 
 but we must not forget that memory is the store- 
 keeper, and not only holds the key to the storehouse 
 but arranges all the shelves and drawers and the dif- 
 ferent compartments for storing away the treasure 
 accumulated by mental efforts. The mind selects and 
 brings in the treasures, sometimes secures them by 
 hardest toil and perilous efforts. The memory takes 
 the treasures and stores them away on different and 
 appropriate shelves, or in different drawers, and so 
 marks them and the place where they are deposited, 
 that they can be looked at any time when they are 
 wanted. 
 
 What advantage would we have in the accumu- 
 lation of wealth in silver and gold and diamonds and 
 other precious things that make men rich, if we 
 brought them home and handed them over to our 
 steward or servant for safe keeping, and he put them 
 where they never could be found? Suppose a man 
 had millions on millions of treasures hidden in this 
 way that he nor no one else could ever find; what 
 advantage would they be to him ? None. He might 
 say I have lost them because I have not provided a 
 proper place to store them away. I had no system- 
 atic arrangement in my treasure house, and now they 
 are forever beyond my reach. In this way, from a 
 want of a properly arranged house to store away the 
 treasures of the mind, thousands of precious gems 
 have been lost. We may deeply regret the loss, but 
 this will not return to us the lost treasures. The 
 only safe and proper way is to guard against these 
 
8 
 
 LESSONS ON MEMORY, 
 
 losses in the future. Why have safes with various 
 compartments been invented, with bars and bolts and 
 locks, but to protect our goods from the hands of the 
 thief and the robber, and also with a view to have 
 them at our command at a moment’s notice for our use ? 
 
 The thief of time is watching us every hour to 
 snatch away the accumulations of our mental toil. 
 Much has been taken from us and laid in the grave 
 of oblivion, but there are still vast outlying fields 
 where we can gather more, and there are means pro- 
 vided to keep our gathered treasures securely. 
 
 But some one advanced in years may say, “ I am 
 too old to commence building a storehouse to treasure 
 up my mental wares.” Y ou need not build a new house. 
 The old one is good enough if you will only go to 
 work and make some repairs; and when you begin 
 this repairing process you will be surprised to find 
 how easy the task will be. The sweeping out of a 
 few dark corners of the old building will soon throw 
 light over other parts. 
 
 The opening of a few windows will let in the light 
 and make everything cheerful about the old home- 
 stead where the higher nature has long dwelt in 
 gloom and sadness because the house was so much 
 out of repair. 
 
 How sad it is to think that thousands of persons, 
 when they arrive at the age of forty-five or fifty 
 years, think that their time of improvement is past, 
 and under this impression they neglect mental culture, 
 and with this neglect the body soon becomes like a 
 house uncared for. 
 
LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 9 
 
 We build the house we live in, that is, our inner 
 and higher nature to such an extent controls organic 
 matter so as to build up and nourish those parts most 
 suited for mental activity, where no other abnormal 
 or disturbing agencies interfere. This is especially, 
 true in reference to the growth and development of 
 the brain, which is the seat of mental power. Proper 
 training not only improves the mind but enlarges the 
 dwelling place where the mind resides, acts, and 
 operates. 
 
 The bright, expressive and speaking eye; the ele- 
 vated forehead; the intelligent features; all indicate 
 an intelligent working power or force superintending 
 the material organization. This working force in 
 the intellectual realm is under the control of the 
 human will. If we determine that the mind shall lie 
 dormant and the memory shall become feeble and 
 inactive from a want of proper exercise, the inevitable 
 results will follow. On the other hand, if we 
 determine that the memory shall be retentive, and 
 that the shelves in our^ memory’s storehouse shall 
 keep our deposited treasures, we have only to 
 keep these shelves and drawers in good order, and 
 have our deposits so marked and labeled as to find 
 them at any time we may wish to use them. If we can 
 not immediately find the key to unlock our repository 
 and find the gems of thought, and all the beautiful 
 and useful things of the past, we must tie a string to 
 the treasure and keep the string in view, and when 
 we get bewildered and confused we can follow up the 
 string or wind it up into a ball, till it leads up to our 
 
lO 
 
 LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 repository, and to the very drawer or shelf where our 
 treasures may be found. If we have many shelves 
 in memory’s storehouse, and a great variety of different 
 things stowed away, and these of different qualities, 
 and require many strings by which to trace our way 
 to our hidden treasures, we can very easily attach a 
 mark or place a label on the end of each string, each 
 separate mark directing up to the object we wish to 
 find. 
 
 There are many plain and simple things that the 
 mind may be placed on, and that the memory can 
 retain, that may be well compared to a single thread, 
 and by association of one thing with another, either 
 from a striking similarity or dissimilarity, the thread 
 may be followed by winding it into a ball or unwind- 
 ing it from a ball. 
 
 As an illustration of following up the thread, we 
 will commence with a white woolen thread: The 
 wool leads us to the sheep. The sheep is an em- 
 blem of innocence; here we come into a large field, 
 innocence, playfulness, pastures, flocks, woolen gar- 
 ments, cold weather, blankets, carpets and ornamented 
 parlors. Or, if we wish to run in another direction, 
 the thread will lead us to mutton, to a good dinner; 
 to the dinner party; to the names of those present; to 
 their conversation; and many other things we may 
 wish to bring in review before us. 
 
 A silk thread will lead us to the silkworm, the 
 mulberry tree, the manufacturing establishment, the 
 silk dress, the beautiful lady that we saw wearing it, 
 her sparkling eye, her wit, her diamonds, her language. 
 
LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 II 
 
 home, fortunes or misfortunes, all from the end of a 
 small silk thread. 
 
 A cotton thread will lead us to the cotton fields, the 
 ^spinning and weaving, the factory girls employed in 
 the mills, the great variety of cotton goods, the sails 
 of ships, a trip across the ocean, the commerce of dif- 
 ferent and distant countries, the ties that bind nations 
 in one common brotherhood. 
 
 A linen thread will conduct us back to the field 
 where flax grows, to the spinning and weaving of 
 linen, to Irish linen, to the thousands of toilers who 
 produce the beautiful fabric, to the weaver of the 
 linen, to the rags of worn out garments, to the paper 
 mill that manufactures the rags to paper, to the beau- 
 tiful white letter paper on which our correspondence 
 to loved ones may be written. 
 
 A hemp string leads to the fields, the rope- walks 
 where it is manufactured into cords and ropes, to the 
 rigging of a ship, hauling and directing the sails, 
 carrying the commerce of the world to their destined 
 ports. 
 
 A red, or scarlet thread, will lead us to something 
 fiery or intense, ardent, high tempered, wars and 
 bloodshed, or such things as will incite or inflame 
 the passions. 
 
 A blue thread will lead one’s mind up to the pale 
 blue sky, in which the clouds are floating and behind 
 which the stars and planets appear to us to be pursu- 
 ing their nightly march; we think of distance and mag- 
 nitude, of time measured off by their revolutions, and 
 in bewildering amazement we are led to the infinite 
 
12 
 
 LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 Power that controls and directs all things from an in- 
 finite purpose. 
 
 A white thread is the emblem of innocence and 
 purity; it leads us to the lily of the valley, flourishing 
 near by the Rose of Sharon. This will bring to the 
 mind a train of beautiful and lovely things. How de- 
 lightful in the stillness of the night to take hold of the 
 beautiful white thread and begin to wind it up into a 
 ball or follow it back along the path we have traveled 
 until we get back to the .days of youth and childhood, 
 and have the innocent amusements of our younger 
 years pass in review before us. 
 
 The tear of sorrow may start from the eye at the 
 recollection of friends long since gone from us; but 
 even this opening of the fountains of aflfection may 
 bring relief in the hour of affliction. 
 
 A black thread may lead us into the dark, but dark- 
 ness is not always dismal. It is necessary for us as 
 well as light. Long winter evenings bring us many 
 comforts that we could not have under the rays of 
 the burning sun. It is true we might travel along the 
 line of a dark thread into dismal and gloomy regions, 
 but we should always prefer to go along the line of 
 the pleasant and the beautiful to feed the memory on 
 ^hat which will give us higher views of our lives and 
 destinies. 
 
 The questions may arise in the minds of some, 
 ‘‘ What will be the advantage of all this?” ‘‘What 
 can I do without an active memory to follow up these 
 different threads?” We can easily see where the ad- 
 vantage of such a mental exercise is found. It is an 
 
LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 13 
 
 effort to build up and strengthen the memory, or pre- 
 pare the different shelves in this storehouse for reposi- 
 tories of our mental wares. Instead of leaving the 
 mind a vacant blank and tossing restless upon our 
 beds in the stillness of the night, we may start the 
 wheels of memory running backward over the past, 
 and stop at the different way stations with such 
 delight and pleasure that we will soon be lulled to 
 sleep, perchance to dream some pleasant dreams, and 
 awake with better opinions of life than when our 
 minds were blank and the shelves of our memories’ 
 storehouses in a dilapidated condition. 
 
 Now we would advise any one in lonely hours to 
 take hold of the end of a string, one of those we have 
 referred to; the white for instance, and start back in 
 a contemplative mood and stop to linger awhile, 
 around every point of innocence, beauty and purity. 
 Then let it stretch out into the future. Follow it up 
 and on until it reaches within the very gates of the 
 celestial city, or, if you do not wish to go quite so far 
 just now, then take another thread and follow it along 
 the line of which it is emblematical. Do not hasten 
 too fast from one point to another. When you find 
 some event in your past life linger around it as long as [ 
 pleasant memories continue to come up, in group or^ 
 single, and then pass on to other points; and in this! 
 way the scenes of the past will come up in succession 
 as old associates that had appeared lost to you, and 
 entirely faded from your memory. To those who 
 have never made an effort to recollect the scenes of 
 the past by such associations it will be surprising to 
 
14 LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 find the mind pictures like beautiful panoramas pass 
 in review before them. 
 
 The memory is like the blacksmith’s arm, which 
 has grown strong from using it. There is no faculty 
 of the human mind so susceptible of improvement as 
 the memory, and none so much neglected. 
 
 Some persons are naturally endowed with good 
 memories, while others are deficient, and must depend 
 on culture for improvement. 
 
 Before letters were invented for the purpose of re- 
 cording the events of life and our historic narratives, 
 the memory must have been much stronger than it is 
 now. The transactions and constantly recurring 
 events of life had to be carried in the memory instead 
 of recorded in books. 
 
 Many of the historical narratives now found in 
 books of history, both sacred and profane, must have 
 been preserved in the storehouse of memory for ages 
 before they were permanently recorded in books now 
 found in our libraries. 
 
 There are many marvelous instances on record of 
 extraordinary memories among the ancients. It would 
 be out of place here to enter into a detailed account 
 of the different prodigies of memory. Speeches 
 were committed from once having been heard, 
 lectures, poems, and the most difficult problems the 
 human mind can grapple with, have been retained in 
 the memory from having only once heard them re- 
 peated. But these are rare instances, and not a com- 
 mon inheritance of mankind. The amount of mem- 
 ory we have is a natural endowment, or a working 
 
LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 15 
 
 capital on which we can improve to a marvelous ex- 
 tent. With every advancement we make we increase 
 our stock in trade, and add to our wealth which no 
 thief can steal, and no wreck of earthly fortune can 
 destroy. ^ 
 
 Many in advanced years can look back into th^ 
 past and still see some of the treasures in the store- 
 house of memory, laid there in their youthful days; 
 but with regret have to confess that recent events soon 
 pass from their memories, and that they have no 
 power to retain them. These persons may recollect 
 the beautiful flowers that grew in well cultivated gar- 
 dens and fields ; but these are now a desert waste 
 from a want of proper cultivation. 
 
 The mental effort in associating one thing with 
 something that has a correspondence with some his- 
 toric event, so as to call to mind not only the event 
 itself but furnish a word that will give the exact and 
 unmistakable date of the event, must have in itself a 
 good effect on the memory. 
 
 It is this habit of associating one thing with another 
 that gives a healthy exercise to the brain, by which 
 its functions are strengthened, and also has a salutary 
 effect on the entire physical human organism. The 
 first symptoms of decline are seen in the loss of men- 
 tal vigor. This affects very unfavorably the entire 
 nervous system, and the intimate connection be^- 
 tween the nerves and the muscular structure soon 
 causes a general breaking down of all the physical 
 energies. 
 
 There are many persons whose mental vigor is as 
 
i6 
 
 LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 strong from sixty-five to seventy-five years of age as 
 in their youthful days; but upon inquiry it will be 
 found that all such persons have kept their minds 
 actively employed and cultivated, especially the fac- 
 ulty of remembering things. 
 
 In conversation with a lady of superior intelligence 
 and attainments, not long since, she told me that in 
 consequence of a long and severe illness she lost her 
 memory. On her health returning she found she 
 could not recollect the commonest events of life. At 
 this she became alarmed and immediately commenced 
 a systematic course of cultivating her memory. She 
 now has a good memory, but told me, ‘‘It is all culti- 
 vated.” Had she not been endowed with a strong 
 will power, and superior intelligence, what would 
 have be6n the result? The answer to this question 
 is plain. This lady, thus deprived of her memory, 
 would have relapsed into a state of imbecility, border- 
 ing on idiocy, if she had not determined to regain her 
 lost memory by a systematic effort to obtain this de- 
 sirable end. 
 
 The restoring process of the wonderfully con- 
 structed organism must not be attempted by a severe 
 strain on the body or mind; but by a gentle, easy and 
 systematic training. This cannot be forced by slash- 
 ing and driving; but by a process that will conserve 
 the remaining forces and add new powers to those 
 already possessed. 
 
 Close observation and experience have taught us 
 valuable lessons on this subject. 
 
 There are some persons now in advanced years 
 
LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 17 
 
 with memory fully as strong, if not stronger than it 
 w^s in the earlier days of their lives. They can look 
 back on the line along which they have traveled, and 
 not only see the wrecks and ruin of thousands that 
 have prematurely fallen in their journey from a want 
 of attention to some plain rules that should govern 
 our two-fold nature of matter and spirit, or body and 
 mind; but also see where their own feet had ventured 
 •near the precipice where thousands have fallen. 
 
 It is not intended here to convey the idea that we 
 can make ourselves immortal, so far as our existence 
 on this earth is concerned, by memory, or mental cul- 
 ture. It is simply purposed to show that by proper 
 observance of certain laws we may prolong our lives, 
 and make them more pleasant to ourselves, and more 
 agreeable to others. 
 
 When men have valuable machinery or mechanical 
 contrivances which they run for profit or pleasure 
 they will carefully notice every symptom of disturb- 
 ance in the movement of the different wheels, springs 
 and weights, well knowing that if repairs are not 
 promptly attended to the whole will soon run down 
 and become a mass of useless material. Why not 
 watch with eager eye the marvelous workings of this 
 complex structure of the human organism which can 
 only retain the higher or spiritual power by keeping 
 in a good running condition. 
 
 The structure of the nervous system in the human 
 constitution contains in itself a world of wonders. 
 These channels of our vital forces have been laid with 
 a master hand, and their healthy operations have been 
 
i8 
 
 LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 left to our guardian care, and we are, to a certain ex- 
 tent, responsible for this trust. In mechanics we 
 know that machinery is liable to rust and become use- 
 less from a want of proper attention; even our finest 
 ornaments need occasional burnishing and polishing 
 to keep their brilliancy and luster. Everything orna- 
 mental and useful demands attention to keep it in 
 perfect order. How much more should we be con- 
 cerned to keep the noblest faculty of our higher 
 nature in an active condition. 
 
 When we awake to a sense of our duty to our- 
 selves, and learn how to take care of and preserve 
 that which is a natural endowment of humanity, we 
 shall hear less complaining about the loss of memory 
 and its consequent annoyance to us in daily life. 
 
 We speak of what we know. These rules which 
 we recommend to others are not the wild dreams of a 
 fanciful imagination. They are the result of careful 
 observation and study for many years. Their appli- 
 cation can only result in good to all who make the 
 experiment for themselves. 
 
 The treasures of the intellect are of more value 
 than all the hoarded accumulations of material wealth. 
 We carry them with us, not only through this life, 
 but to the believer in a conscious existence in a future 
 state it amounts to more than a mere conjecture that 
 these accumulated treasures of useful knowledge will 
 be a rich inheritance to us in that unending state of 
 existence where there will be an endless progression 
 in knowledge, and increasing knowledge will give 
 increasing power. 
 
LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 i9 
 
 The cultivation of the memory can only be accom- 
 plished by a systematic effort on a well-defined course 
 of instruction, and following certain rules of associa- 
 tion connecting one thing with another, so as to find 
 the names, places, and properties of things by attach- 
 ing them to something which we can follow along the 
 line of association. 
 
CHAPTER IL 
 
 PHONETIC AND HOMOPHONETIC WORDS FOR FIGURES. 
 
 We commence with the letters of the alphabet 
 which, in their construction, resemble figures, and can 
 be used for numbers to any desirable extent. Figures, 
 when standing promiscuously represent nothing, only 
 as they are used as numerators of objects, or to ex- 
 press numbers. It is difficult to retain figures in the 
 memory, especially where large numbers are pre- 
 sented, but words and sentences representing 
 figures can easily be retained in the memory. In 
 this way we can place numbers, dates, chronological 
 tables, periods of important events in history, by 
 selecting a familiar word that gives us the desired 
 number. Familiar phrases may be selected to repre- 
 sent any desirable amount of figures, as high as the 
 mind is capable of running them. 
 
 Several systems have been invented in which letters 
 were used for numbers; but no one has approached 
 so near to a complete system as Prof. Gouraud. 
 
 With some variations, we adopt his classification of 
 words and articulation sounds corresponding with 
 the different letters to represent figures and numbers. 
 
 The resemblance between the letters and figures 
 will help the memory to retain them. 
 
 ( 20 ) 
 
LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 21 
 
 We select letters from our English alphabet to 
 represent the figures. 
 
 o, I, 2, 3, 4, -5, 6, 7, 8, 9. 
 z, t, n, m, r, 1, j, k, f, p. 
 
 The similarity between the figures and the letters 
 may be easily recognized. 
 
 The first articulation of z is cipher or zero, and 
 represents o. This, with all the other ' letters repre- 
 senting figures, has the vowel e added to make the ar- 
 ticulation complete. 
 
 Z — or ze, is the first articulation of zero^or cipher o. 
 
 T — or te, with one single stroke represents - - i. 
 
 N — or ne, with two strokes represents - . - 2. 
 
 M — or me, with three strokes represents - - - 3. 
 
 R— or re, is the fourth letter of four - - - 4. 
 
 L — or le, Roman numeration, is 50 - - • - 5. 
 
 J — or che-c resembles the figure 6 - - - 6. 
 
 K — or ke, form of key upside down, resembles 7 7. 
 F — or fe, the written f like an elongated 8 - • 8. 
 
 P — or pe, inverted, looks like 9 9. 
 
 In addition to these simple articulations of single 
 letters, we have other letters and combinations of 
 letters that resemble these sounds, and are articulated 
 accordingly. 
 
 The letter d resembles the sound of t, and is articu- 
 lated the same. The letter j, when inverted, bears 
 some resemblance to the figure 6, and also in sound 
 resembles the ch. This, and the soft sound of g, are 
 articulated like and represent the figure 6. 
 
 The s as an apostrophe, in the possessive case, is 
 not articulated. The t, before h, keeps the value of 
 
22 
 
 LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 t. In words where the c takes the sound of k, it has 
 the articulation of k. 
 
 In all words where the vowels a, o, u follow c, it 
 takes the articulation of k, and when the sound of k 
 is distinctly heard it represents the figure 7, but in 
 words where the k is silent, as in knowledge^ knight^ 
 knifcy etc., it has no numerical value. The hard 
 sound of g, as in go, give, good, gloom, glad, etc., is 
 articulated like k, and represents 7. The same in 
 words ending in iiig. The b has a sound resembling 
 p, and the sound is produced by the same motion of 
 the lips, and therefore represents the figure 9. 
 
 The vowels and the letters h, w, and y have no nu- 
 merical value. In all combinations of letters where any 
 of these sounds are distinctly recognized they are ar- 
 ticulated as figures, according to the rules above 
 stated. 
 
 For instance, in cases where the ph has the sound 
 of f, as in phosphorus, photograph, Philip, the p 
 loses its distinct sound and the combination with h 
 gives the sound of f, and represents the figure 8 
 
 PHONETIC SOUND. 
 
 The addition of the vowel e to the letters articulated 
 in numbers gives the phonetic sounds of 
 
 te, ne, me, re, le, che, ke, fe, pe, ce. 
 b 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, o. 
 
 To these we add 
 
 che 6, ge 7, ghe, que 7, ve, phe 8, be 9, ce o. 
 
 Where two identical letters come together in 
 words such as ?nall^ matter',, will^ 7 nill^ the two 
 
LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 23 
 
 letters are articulated as one, me le 35, fe le 85, me, 
 te, re, 314, le 5, me le 35. 
 
 Where two similar letters occur with two distinct 
 sounds, both sounds are articulated into figures and 
 have their numerical value. 
 
 The word suggest is translated ge, che, se, te, 7, 
 6, o, I. While accident will be translated ke, se, de, 
 ne, te, 7, o, i, 2, i. The same rule is observed in 
 compound words having two similar letters joined by 
 a hyphen, as in book-binder, be, ke, be, ne, de, re, 
 979214. 
 
 In words where the t occurs, but has no distinct 
 sound, it is of no numerical value, as in watch, match, 
 latch, che 6, me, che 36, le, che, 56. 
 
 These rules, with some variation, are according to 
 those laid down in Gouraud’s Philosophical Classifi- 
 cation of Homophonic words of the English lan- 
 guage, and with a little attention will be easily un- 
 derstood. 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 FIGURES REPRESENTED BY LETTERS AND HOMO- 
 PHONETIC SOUNDS. 
 
 The following table gives words for numbers from 
 I to lOO. 
 
 The rule for representing figures by words, once 
 understood, will enable us to represent any number 
 of figures in statistical tables by word formulas, or to 
 associate some object with any of these numbers, so 
 as to recollect it in order, and in the numbers we 
 associate with the object. 
 
 1 
 
 2 
 
 3 
 
 4 
 
 5 
 
 6 
 
 7 
 
 8 
 
 9 
 
 10 
 
 11 
 
 12 
 
 H 
 
 15 
 
 16 
 
 Hat 
 
 17 Deck 
 
 33 Mummy 
 
 49 
 
 Harp 
 
 Honey 
 
 18 Dove 
 
 34 Merry 
 
 50 
 
 Lass 
 
 Home 
 
 19 Top 
 
 35 Mill 
 
 51 
 
 Lady 
 
 Hero 
 
 20 News 
 
 36 Match 
 
 52 
 
 Lawn 
 
 Hill 
 
 21 Want 
 
 37 Make 
 
 53 
 
 Elm 
 
 Hush 
 
 22 None 
 
 38 Move 
 
 54 
 
 Lawyer 
 
 Hack 
 
 23 Name 
 
 39 Map 
 
 55 
 
 Lily 
 
 Hoof 
 
 24 Near 
 
 40 Horse 
 
 56 
 
 Lash 
 
 Hip 
 
 25 Nail 
 
 41 Road 
 
 57 
 
 Elk 
 
 Woods 
 
 26 Inch 
 
 42 Rain 
 
 58 
 
 Loaf 
 
 Tide 
 
 27 Ink 
 
 43 Room 
 
 59 
 
 Leap 
 
 Tin 
 
 28 Knife 
 
 44 Warrior 
 
 60 
 
 Cheese 
 
 Tame 
 
 29 Nap 
 
 45 Rail 
 
 61 
 
 Shoot 
 
 Deer 
 
 30 Mouse 
 
 46 Irish 
 
 62 
 
 Chain 
 
 Dale 
 
 31 Mouth 
 
 47 Rock 
 
 63 
 
 Gem 
 
 Dish 
 
 32 Man 
 
 48 Roof 
 
 (24) 
 
 64 
 
 Cherry 
 
LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 25 
 
 6s Jelly 
 
 74 Augur 
 
 83 Foam 
 
 92 Pin 
 
 66 Shash 
 
 75 Gale 
 
 84 Fur 
 
 93 Poem 
 
 67 Cheek 
 
 76 Cage 
 
 85 Fowl 
 
 94 Bower 
 
 68 Chaff 
 
 77 Keg 
 
 86 Fish 
 
 9S Bell 
 
 69 Ship 
 
 78 Calf 
 
 87 Fig 
 
 96 Bush 
 
 70 Kiss 
 
 79 Cab 
 
 88 Fife 
 
 97 Bake 
 
 71 Cat 
 
 80 Face 
 
 89 Fop 
 
 98 Beef 
 
 72 Gun 
 
 81 Foot 
 
 90 Posy 
 
 99 Poppy 
 
 73 Game 
 
 82 Fan 
 
 91 Pad 
 
 100 Doses 
 
 The words in the above table are so arranged that 
 it will be comparatively easy to commit them to 
 memory. This task being accomplished, the figures 
 which the words represent will be known as unmis- 
 takably as if they were seen. Any object to be remem- 
 bered can be associated with the word giving the 
 number, and by this process any number of promis- 
 cuous objects can be remembered in the order in 
 which they are repeated to us, from i up to 100. 
 
 This table should be so committed to memory that 
 when the figure is named the word can be given, and 
 when the word is named the figure can be given. 
 
 Words can be remembered when figures and num- 
 bers would be forgotten. 
 
 When the principle of representing words by 
 figures is clearly understood, any object or number of 
 objects may be retained in the memory by the law of 
 association. 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 MATHEMATICAL PROBLEMS. 
 
 Moving the knight of the chess-board to sixty-four 
 different squares without going twice into the same 
 square until it returns to the starting point at num- 
 ber one. 
 
 It is said that this interesting problem was solved 
 by the celebrated mathematician, Euler, after a 
 number of years’ constant experiment. 
 
 The chess-board is numbered from one to sixty-four 
 
 1 
 
 2 
 
 3 
 
 4 
 
 5 
 
 6 
 
 7 
 
 8 
 
 9 
 
 10 
 
 11 
 
 12 
 
 13 
 
 14 
 
 15 
 
 16 
 
 17 
 
 18 
 
 19 
 
 20 
 
 21 
 
 22 
 
 23 
 
 24 
 
 25 
 
 26 
 
 27 
 
 28 
 
 29 
 
 30 
 
 31 
 
 32 
 
 33 
 
 34 
 
 35 
 
 36 
 
 37 
 
 38 
 
 39 
 
 40 
 
 41 
 
 42 
 
 43 
 
 44 
 
 45 
 
 46 
 
 47 
 
 48 
 
 49 
 
 50 
 
 51 
 
 52 
 
 53 
 
 54 
 
 55 
 
 56 
 
 57 
 
 58 
 
 59 
 
 60 
 
 61 
 
 62 
 
 63 
 
 64 
 
 (26) 
 
LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 27 
 
 The knight will have to pass into the squares in 
 the following order, starting from number i, move 
 till he returns to the same number without stopping 
 twice in the same square: 
 
 I. 5> 151 32, 47» 64, 54, 60, 50, 35, 41, 26, 9, 3, 
 i3» 7> 24, 39^ 56, 62, 45, 30, 20, 37, 22, 28, 38, 21, 36, 
 19, 25, 10,4, 14, 8, 23, 40, 55, 61, 51, 57, 42, 59, 53, 
 63, 48, 31. 16, 6, 12, 2, 17, 34, 49, 43, 58, 52, 46, 29, 
 44» 27, 33, 18, I- 
 
 When the key to this problem is understood, which 
 can easily be commited to memory, any one can re- 
 tain all these figures in the memory in the order in 
 which they are given above. 
 
 The key to this problem will be found in another 
 place. 
 
 I have taken the following from Francis Fauvel- 
 Gouraud’s Philosophical Classification of Homopho- 
 netic Words of the English language, and arranged a 
 formula of words by which this array of figures can 
 be committed and retained in the memory. 
 
 Now the fact that a person past seventy-five years 
 of age can accomplish this is proof that this system 
 of memorizing is plain, and that the task is easily 
 accomplished. 
 
 SECOND PROBLEM OF THE CHESS-PLAY. 
 
 It is said that Sysla, the Brahmin who invented the chess play 
 having caused such a high satisfaction to Sirham, the Indian 
 king to whom he first presented it, the king told him to ask for 
 any favor he might wish in recompense for his brilliant inven- 
 tion. Sysla modestly asked for one single grain of wheats geo- 
 metrically doubled upon itself from the first square of the chess- 
 board down to the last, or sixty fourth. The king, spurning 
 
28 
 
 LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 what he judged to be a nonsensical petition, unworthy of his 
 royal munificence, ordered his grand treasurer to deliver up to 
 Sysla one million of measures of wheat, or, upon the choice 
 of Sysla, the sum of money equivalent to the price of the same 
 number of measures. But the Brahmin having insisted upon 
 the sacredness of the royal word which had given him the 
 choice of his recompense, upon exarpination it was found that 
 the number of grains upon the sixty-fourth square of the chess- 
 board would be 
 
 Grains^ 33893487503 i 74010930 ; 
 and as one pound {avoirdufois) of wheat, of a good quality, 
 contains an average of 13, 184 grains, one American bushel, or 
 sixty pounds, will contain 791,040 grains, and one ton or 2,000 
 pounds, 26,368,000 grains. Divide the whole number of grains 
 by these different proportions, and we find that it contains, in 
 Pounds^ 2570804573966475, 
 
 Bushels^ 4284674289944 I, 
 
 Tons^ 1 285402286983; 
 which would be worth, at $i the bushel, or $33.40 the ton, 
 $4284674289944 i; 
 which would load as many canal boats of 40 tons as 
 
 32135057174; 
 
 or as many vessels of 300 tons, as 
 
 4284674289; 
 
 which would make as many loaves of bread, of one pound, as 
 2570804573966475; 
 
 and which would feed all the population of the globe, or 1,000- 
 000,000 of souls, at one pound a day, or 365 pounds a year for 
 each, as long as 
 
 7, o 4 3 years, 209 days. 
 
 EXPLANATION IN REFERENCE TO THE KEY TO THE 
 PROBLEM OF THE KNIGHT OF THE CHESS-BOARD. 
 
 A certain classification of words will give the homo- 
 phonetic sounds, by which each figure or number may 
 be readily distinguished. 
 
 The words themselves mean nothing but the rep- 
 resentatives of the numbers or figures passed over by 
 the knight of the chess-board, from one to sixty-four. 
 These key words are so arranged as to make it com- 
 
LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 29 
 
 paratively easy to remember them in the order in 
 which they stand. 
 
 Bear in mind that the vowels and the consonants 
 h and w have no numerical value, and other letters 
 take the numerical value of the first class of letters that 
 have a similarity to the figures, on account of their 
 homophonetic analysis, or similarity in sound. The 
 ch combination resembles g, or g soft represents the 
 figure 6, while the hard sound of g, and the c when 
 followed by a, o, or u, and in all cases where it takes 
 the sound of k, represents the figure 7, while c, before 
 i, and in all cases where it has the sound of z, repre- 
 sents the zero or cipher o sound. 
 
 The d, V, and b, represent the same figures as t, f, 
 and p, from similarity of sound. Any letter repre- 
 senting a figure has no numerical value when it is si- 
 lent, or its sound is not distinctly heard, as t, in watch. 
 Here the ch sound is distinct, but the t sound indis- 
 tinct, and represents 6, and not 16, as it would if the 
 t had a distinct sound. The k, in knife, knock, 
 etc., has no numerical value. The 1 , in calf, and in all 
 words where it is silent, has no numerical value. In 
 the word laugh we have the 1 and f sound, which 
 represent 58. 
 
 With these explanations we give the key to the 
 problem of the knight of the chess-board. 
 
 By the above explanation it will be an easy task 
 to understand how the following words will conduct 
 the knight to 64 different squares without passing 
 twice into the same square. 
 
30 
 
 LESSONS ON memory. 
 
 The key words are: 
 
 Hat, tide, hill, dale, moon, rock, Jewry, lawyer. 
 Cheese, less, mill, rat, inch, pie. 
 
 Home, time, key, honor, mop, lash. 
 
 John, rule, miss, niece, make, none, enough. 
 Move, not, much, top, nail. 
 
 Does, your, dear, wife, name, rose, lily. 
 
 Shoot, wild, elk. 
 
 Run, leap, lame, Jim. 
 
 Rough, maid, teach, joy. 
 
 Dine, honey, dig, merry. 
 
 Europe, army, love, lion, Irish, nap. 
 
 Horror, Yankee, mummy, doff, hat. 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 We have already referred to a proper training 
 of the memory to give it strength, the same as we 
 train our physical organism, to develop and strengthen 
 the muscles of the body. The mind needs pleasant 
 and healthful recreation, as much as the body. We 
 do not send invalids to solitary wastes and deserts of 
 inhospitable climates, where the mind is, in a man- 
 ner, compelled to dwell on the gloomy surroundings, 
 but we recommend them to the regions of sunshine, 
 where there is healthy atmosphere, and where there 
 are pleasant surroundings — where the fragrance of 
 flowers and the melody of song and other cheering 
 influences contribute much to build up and keep in 
 good repair the tabernacle in which the mind dwells, 
 and through which it acts. 
 
 There is, undoubtedly, much truth in the system 
 of treating the sick, commonly called “ mind cure,” 
 or psychopathy, as some call it. The mind has a con- 
 trolling influence over the body, and the physical con- 
 ditions over the mind, as well. As positive and nega- 
 tive electrical conditions control the universal empire 
 of matter, so mind in nature has a controlling in- 
 fluence in the operations of nature. 
 
 Science is just now looking for the first stepping 
 stone in an effort to solve the mysterious problem of 
 
 (31) 
 
32 
 
 LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 human life. One solid truth after another will finally 
 be discovered, and humanity will reap the benefit of 
 our advaneement in knowledge. Persevering efforts 
 will finally enable us to solve many of the apparent 
 mysteries connected with our present mode of exisl- 
 tence. Nature furnishes us with an abundance of ob- 
 jects for mental gymnastics, and we have only to pass 
 through her vast Alhambra with our eyes open to see 
 her beauties, and our ears open to hear her melodies ; 
 and our minds receptive to receive the impress which 
 the Infinite Author of Nature is ready always to make 
 upon the mind thirsting and longing for knowledge. 
 
 The following, from Southey, is a difficult piece 
 to remember by an ordinary effort of the memory. 
 In the exercise of mental gymnastics it became an 
 easy and interesting task, not only to commit the 
 whole to memory, but to know each line from the 
 number standing before it: 
 
 THE CATARACT OF LODORE. 
 
 1. Here it comes sparkling, 
 
 2. And there it lies darkling; 
 
 3. Here smoking and frothing, 
 
 4. Its tumult and wrath in, 
 
 5. It hastens along, conflicting and strong. 
 
 6. Now striking and raging, 
 
 7. As if a war waging, 
 
 8. Its caverns and rocks among. 
 
 9. Rising and leaping, 
 
 10. Sinking and creeping, 
 
 11, Swelling and flinging, 
 
LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 33 
 
 12. Showering and springing, 
 
 13. Eddying and whisking, 
 
 14. Sprouting and frisking, 
 
 15. Turning and twisting, 
 
 16. Around and around, 
 
 17. Collecting, disjecting 
 
 18. With endless rebound; 
 
 19. Smiting and fighting, 
 
 20. A sight to delight in; 
 
 21. Confounding, astounding, 
 
 22. Dizzying and deafening the ear with its 
 
 sound. 
 
 23. Reeding and speeding 
 
 24. And shocking and rocking, 
 
 25. And darting and parting, 
 
 26. And threading and spreading, 
 
 27. And whizzing and hissing, 
 
 28. And dripping and skipping, 
 
 29. And whitening and brightening, 
 
 30. And quivering and shivering, 
 
 31. And hitting and splitting, 
 
 32. And shining and twining, 
 
 33. And rattling and battling, 
 
 34. And shaking and quaking, 
 
 35. And pouring and roaring, 
 
 36. And waving and raving, 
 
 37. And tossing and crossing, 
 
 38. And flowing and growing, 
 
 39. And running and stunning, 
 
 40. And hurrying and scurrying, 
 
 41. And glittering and flittering. 
 
LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 42. And gathering and feathering, 
 
 43. And dinning and spinning, 
 
 44. And foaming and roaming, 
 
 45. And dropping and hopping, 
 
 46. And working and jerking, 
 
 47. And heaving and cleaving, 
 
 48. And thundering and floundering, 
 
 49. And falling and crawling and sprawling, 
 
 50. And driving and riving and striving, 
 
 51. And sprinkling and twinkling and wrink- 
 
 •ling, 
 
 52. And sounding and rounding and bounding, 
 
 53. And bubbling and troubling and doubling, 
 
 54. Diving and gliding and sliding, 
 
 55. And grumbling and rumbling and tumbling, 
 
 56. And clattering and battering and shattering, 
 
 57. And gleaming and steaming and streaming 
 
 and beaming, 
 
 58. And rushing and flushing, and brushing 
 
 and gushing, 
 
 59. And flapping and rapping, and clapping 
 
 and slapping, 
 
 60. And curling and whirling, and purling and 
 
 twirling, 
 
 61. Retreating and beating, and meeting and 
 
 sheeting, 
 
 62. Delaying and straying, and playing and 
 
 spraying, 
 
 63. Advancing and prancing, and glancing and 
 
 dancing. 
 
LESSONS ON MEMORY. 35 
 
 64. Recoiling, turmoiling and toiling and boil- 
 
 ing, 
 
 65. And thumping and flumping, and bumping 
 
 and gumping, 
 
 66. And dashing and flashing and splashing 
 
 and clashing, 
 
 67. And so never ending, but alw’ays descending, 
 
 68. Sounds and motions forever are blending, 
 
 69. All at once and all o’er, w’ith a mighty 
 
 uproar, 
 
 70. And this is the way the water came down 
 
 at Lodore. 
 
 KEY TO THE SECOND PROBLEM OF THE CHESS 
 BOARD. 
 
 To make this as plain as possible, without putting 
 the most ordinary capacity to a severe mental effort, 
 we give the key words in connection with the figures 
 so that the study of the problem will be as agreeable 
 to the mental as swinging dumb-bells, or any other 
 exercise, is to the physical. Authors frequently have 
 their subjects so completely fixed in their own minds 
 that they take it for granted that the reader will see 
 it, and understand it in an instant, but this is often 
 not true. 
 
 The key words representing figures can be re- 
 tained in the memory as easily as if they expressed 
 the most elegant sentiments in prose or poetry. 
 
 To give 
 
 The total in grains. We start with a gray 
 
36 
 
 LESSONS ON MEMORY, 
 
 mummy fop, more fog, less mud, curiosity, sweep, 
 muss. 
 
 The words in italics are the first links of the chain 
 which the mind takes hold of. “We start,” signifies 
 the commencement of the problem. The word^rqy 
 suggests the idea of grains^ and the key words give 
 the figures as follows: me, me, fe, pe, me, re, fe, ge, 
 le, se, me, te, ke, re, se, te, se, pe, me, se. 
 
 Grains in a pound. 
 
 He who undertakes to count the grains in one 
 pound in a minute will have to be in haste, or be 
 
 Timed over. 
 
 Te, me, de, ve, re. 
 
 Grains in a bushel. 
 
 The man who counted the grains of wheat and 
 rice in a bushel. 
 
 Kept his rice. 
 
 Ke, pe, te, se, re, se. 
 Grains in one ton, or 3,000 pounds. 
 
 Towns have barber shops, but in the country 
 No chum shaves us so. 
 
 Ne, che, me, she, ve^ se, se. 
 Divide the whole number of grains by these dif- 
 ferent proportions, and we find that it contains in 
 Pounds. Pound the rogue^ we have. 
 
 No locks; officer; lock him up; chew charcoal. 
 Ne, le, ke, se, fe, se, re, le, ke, me, pe, che, che, 
 re, ke, le. 
 
 Bushels, bush ma7i^ 
 
 Run for sugar; no half pay boy reward. 
 
 Re, ne, fe, re, she, ge, re, ne, fe, pe, be, re, re, de. 
 
LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 37 
 
 Tons. Large towns are not made by a 
 Wooden hovel, race union, fish pie fame. 
 
 De, ne, ve, le, re, se, ne, ne, fe, she, pe, fe, me* 
 
 Which would be worth at the bushel. See key 
 word “ busk manP 
 Load canal boats at 40 tons. 
 
 If I owned the whole and one would sink^ I 
 would 
 
 Mind my loss like a digger. 
 
 Me, ne, de, me, le, se, le, ke, te, ke, re. 
 Load vessels at 300 tons. 
 
 The captain of the ship would make a servant boy. 
 
 Run for sugar; navy pie. 
 
 Re, ne, fe, re, she, ge, re, ne, ve, pe. 
 Which would make as many loaves, at one pound 
 each, as, see Pound the rog 7 ie. 
 
 Which would feed the population of the globe, or 
 1,000,000,000, at one pound a day, or 365 pounds a 
 year, for each as long as 7,043 years, 209 days. 
 
 Gas room and newsboy. 
 
 Gn, se, re, me, & ne, se, be. 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 ILLUSTRATIONS IN MENTAL GYMNASTICS. 
 
 As already stated, the process of exercising the 
 memory so as to fix and retain numbers, dates, and 
 figures, to any desirable amount, is so plain and easy 
 that the mind is at once interested, and the exercise 
 becomes a pleasant and agreeable task, and the bene- 
 fits are incalculable. 
 
 An incident will illustrate this. A short time 
 since the author met a friend in a bookstore, and 
 while looking at a copy of the revised version of the 
 Bible, said, “ I can commit to memory, in a few 
 hours, every page on which the books of the Old 
 Testament commence;” and in about three hours the 
 task was accomplished, and these numbers are easily 
 retained in memory. Not only were the pages on 
 which the book commences committed but the num- 
 ber of chapters in each book, by the following 
 process: 
 
 First, we must find some word as a link by which 
 we get the name of the object. These link words 
 are always printed in italics to impress them upon the 
 mind. In some instances the matter is so plain that 
 we do not need a link word, as in Genesis. 
 
 We know that Genesis commences on the first 
 (38) 
 
LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 39 
 
 page, but in getting the number of chapters the book 
 contains we must have a key word, and these key 
 words stand alone so as to distinguish them from the 
 ^sentence from which we get them. To get the num- 
 ber of chapters in the book of Genesis we remember 
 This book gives the account of our Loss. 
 
 Exodus: This gives an account of the journey 
 of the children of Israel, and we can 
 
 easily imagine that they have no Road, 
 
 And when Pharo pursued them they were 
 
 on a Race, 
 
 Leviticus: takes the priesthood with a Gush* 
 
 And would not take the j^oor man on his Nag, 
 Numbers: No bars can keep away the Dust 
 
 Nor keep one from a Mash, 
 
 Deuteronomy : Do it for the law is Adamic, 
 
 Keep it and be Merry, 
 
 Joshua: Jo shoe a horse to make the 
 
 Head Shake, 
 
 And he will be a Winner, 
 
 Judges: A judge of music would not play on a 
 
 Hot Fife, 
 
 He might lose his Wind. 
 
 Ruth : Gleaning amongst the reapers was Unsafe. 
 
 But had no fears from an Arrow. 
 
 I Samuel: When Samuel frst went to the 
 
 house of Eli he was Needed, 
 
 But had to live without a Mate, 
 
40 
 
 LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 II Samuel : The second time he was called he 
 
 found he had nothing to Unmake^ 
 
 And took one from the Owner. 
 
 I Kings: Saul, the first king from David, had 
 
 No Help. 
 
 With all his power he found himself a Ninny. 
 11. Two Kings^ when crossing Jordan, had 
 
 No Ferry. 
 
 But hung their garments on a NaiL 
 
 I Chronicles: One crown on a nickel would be 
 
 rather Massive, 
 
 But not on a Knob. 
 
 II Chronicles: Two chronic kings in their 
 
 schemes May Miss. 
 
 Yet men will do them Homage. 
 
 Ezra: Israel had wounds he could not Mollify. 
 
 He left them in the 
 
 Woods. 
 
 Nehemiah: No hymn I know would make his 
 
 Home Jewish. 
 
 For he came from the race of Adam. 
 
 Esther: A stir was made because Mordecai sat 
 
 at the gate Smoking. 
 
 And this for Haaman was a bitter Dose. 
 
 Job: Job’s friends made him a Mujfy Home. 
 
 But he looked at it as Irony. 
 
 Psalms: The psalmist did not play his harp 
 
 with a Rasp. 
 
 As all who heard him could see him Hatless. 
 
LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 Proverbs: The book of proverbs w^as the 
 
 King’s Organ, 
 
 Because he gave many a pious Motto, 
 
 Ecclesiastes was a preacher, while David was a 
 
 Harper, 
 
 Because he had much Twine, 
 
 The Song of Songs: This long song was not 
 
 played on an Air Pipe, 
 
 Not for a Fee, 
 
 Isaiah : This prophet wars an AFseer, 
 
 As from his writings we may yudge, 
 
 Jeremiah: Cheer a man \)s\2X yo\x 2es\ Alarm. 
 
 Especially if you are Alone. 
 
 Lamentations: A lame man cried loud and 
 
 long like a Hill Fife. 
 
 On a Hill. 
 
 Ezekiel: Is he killed? Then put his name in 
 
 your Album, 
 
 And do not treat him Roughs 
 
 Daniel : Done well in the lions’ den as a Tamer. 
 
 He kept the lions Down. 
 
 Hosea: A house of worship is a Church, 
 
 With a large Door. 
 
 Joel: solitude is like a few Alone, 
 
 Yet he may be at Home, 
 
 Amos: A muss is not good for a feweler. 
 
 Where things are thrown into a Pie. 
 
42 
 
 LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 Obadiah : O a bed is better to sleep on than a 
 
 Shelf: 
 
 But when you lie down takeoff your Hat, 
 
 Jonah was as nauseating to the whale’s stomach 
 
 as a dose of falap. 
 
 And he was no Hero, 
 
 Micah : Transparent mica is not as good to 
 
 ~ write on as a few Sheet, 
 
 Yet it maybe tough as Oak, 
 
 Nahum: No ham would please him as well as a 
 
 few Cherry, 
 
 Which he might find at Home, 
 
 Habakuk. He would have a cook that would 
 
 prepare his meals yewishly. 
 
 In his own Home, 
 
 Zephaniah: So fine a prophet would prefer a 
 
 boot jack to a Shoe fack. 
 
 To use it in his Home, 
 
 Haggai: High Gears look like a few Job, 
 
 But not so sweet as Honey, 
 
 Zachariah: So carry your burthen like a 
 
 Jack Ass. 
 
 Though heavy as a Deer, 
 
 Malachi: Mai treatment makes many a one go 
 
 Gagging. 
 
 And dragging like a Harrow. 
 
LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 43 
 
 The foregoing is only intended to illustrate the 
 manner of forming short sentences containing link 
 and key words upon which the memory fastens, and 
 from which it transfers itself to other words that may 
 have some correspondence with the words, and 
 give the word that contains the proper numbers. 
 
 It is quite likely that some will object to this and 
 regard it as a round-about way of getting at the word 
 containing the number. But a fair trial and exper- 
 ience will soon convince the most skeptical that this 
 process of linking one class of words with others, has 
 a marvelous effect on the memory by giving it 
 strength and vigor. 
 
 The words we are sometimes compelled to take 
 may appear simple and ludicrous, but even this will 
 enable the memory to retain them better. 
 
 We are not arranging choice words and elegant 
 sentences, but memory-shelves and hooks on which 
 to lay or hang our words and numbers, so as to have 
 them at a moment’s notice. 
 
 To make this perfectly plain we give some illus- 
 trations from the preceding formulas: 
 
 The word Exodus at once gives the idea of a 
 journey — of the wilderness, where there was no road. 
 The word road gives 41 for the page. Now it is 
 very plain that when Pharo pursued them, they were 
 on a race; this gives the figure 40. Levi takes cor- 
 responds with Leviticus, no bars with Numbers, and 
 so on through the list. 
 
 By carefully looking over the formulas again you 
 will see how one thing hitches on to another, so as to 
 make the chain complete. 
 
44 
 
 LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 We can present numerous illustrations to show 
 the advantages of this system of fixing numbers in 
 the mind by words that are not easily forgotten. 
 Forty years ago the writer lived in the city of Balti- 
 more, and was requested to call at No. 75 Argyle 
 alley at a meat market, and the meat market sug- 
 gested the idea of killing, and the word kill was 
 fixed on, which gives 75, and this has remained in the 
 mind over forty years. 
 
 Some time since a young lad, going to school, 
 complained of a poor memory. W^hen asked to re- 
 member the number of a watch which was 3985, he 
 said he could not retain this number in his memory. 
 I told him to remember that when the girl scrubbed 
 the kitchen she made the mop Jly, This he could re- 
 member without the least difficulty, and this word 
 mop fly gives 3985. Now these little associations 
 would at once commence to strengthen his memory, 
 and by following the rules laid down in this w^ork, 
 he will soon be able to recollect anything he may 
 wish to store away in his memory. 
 
 As a convenience for reference from the formulas 
 giving the pages where the books of the Bible com- 
 mence, and the number of chapters in each book, we 
 give the figures, as all Bibles are not paged in the 
 same way, and it will be good exercise to get the 
 figures from the formulas or words, and then refer to 
 these figures to find them correct. 
 
 Books. Pages. Chapters. 
 
 Genesis i 5^ 
 
 Exodus 41 40 
 
45 
 
 LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 Books. 
 
 Leviticus 
 
 Numbers 
 
 Deuteoronomy. 
 
 Joshua 
 
 Judges 
 
 Ruth 
 
 I Samuel 
 
 I I Samuel .... 
 
 I Kings 
 
 II Kings 
 
 I Chronicles... 
 
 II Chronicles.. 
 Ezra ......... 
 
 Nehemiah 
 
 Esther 
 
 Job 
 
 Psalms 
 
 Proverbs ...... 
 
 Ecclesiastes .... 
 
 Song of Songs 
 
 Isaiah 
 
 Jeremiah 
 
 Lamentations . . 
 
 Ezekiel 
 
 Daniel 
 
 Hosea 
 
 Joel 
 
 Amos 
 
 Obadiah 
 
 Jonah 
 
 Micah 
 
 Nahum 
 
 Habbakuk . . , , 
 Zephaniah . . . . 
 
 Haggai 
 
 Zachariah 
 
 Malachi. ...... 
 
 Pages. 
 
 76 
 
 lOI 
 
 137 
 
 167 
 
 188 
 
 208 
 
 21 I 
 
 237 
 
 259 
 
 284 
 
 308 
 
 330 
 
 358 
 
 366 
 
 377 
 
 383 
 
 409 
 
 472 
 
 494 
 
 499 
 
 504 
 
 543 
 
 588 
 
 593 
 
 634 
 
 646 
 
 6t;2 
 
 654 
 
 658 
 
 659 
 
 661 
 
 664 
 
 665 
 667 
 
 669 
 
 670 
 
 677 
 
 Chapters. 
 
 •• 27 
 
 .. 36 
 
 • • 34 
 
 .. 24 
 
 21 
 
 •• 4 
 
 • • 3 ' 
 
 . . 24 
 
 . . 22 
 
 •• 25 
 
 . . 29 
 
 .. 36 
 
 . . 10 
 
 • • 13 
 
 . . 10 
 
 .. 42 
 
 .. 150 
 
 •• 31 
 
 . . 12 
 
 . . 8 
 . . 66 
 •• 52 
 
 •• 5 
 
 .. 48 
 
 . . 12 
 
 .. 14 
 
 •• 3 
 
 • • 9 
 
 4 
 
 7 
 
 3 
 
 3 
 
 3 
 
 14 
 
 4 
 
CHAPTER VII. 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS ARTICULATIONS. 
 
 In which some brief words give large numbers, 
 and long words small numbers. 
 
 1. Woody, widow, headway, heath, hood, hide, 
 ahead, weighty. 2. Honey, knew, own, now. 8. 
 Haymow, home, my, 299. Nabob. 412. War- 
 den, ordain, retain, written, harden. 841. Virtue, 
 overdo, afraid, fright, freight, Friday, forehead. 851. 
 Flight, field, fluid, fled, vailed. 859. Flap, flop, 
 flip. 941. Bird, bright, proud, parrot, breath, brute, 
 bread, abroad, board, part, party. 950. Policy, 
 pulse, plus, bliss, please, hopeless, palace, applause. 
 951. Plod, plate, build, blood, pallet, ballot, behold, 
 ability. 1014. Destroy, twister, duster, toaster. 
 1421. Tornado, adorned, trinity, eternity, trained, 
 tyrant, hydrant. 1491. Torpedo, tribute, tripod, 
 thereabout, water-pot, turbid. 1514. Dilator, idol- 
 ator, dilatory, delighter. 1714. Educator, doctor, 
 together. 1801. Headfast, deficit, defaced, divest, 
 devised, diffused, 901. Debased, deposed, deposit, 
 deepest. 2140. Notorious, indorse, nitrous, wond- 
 rous, inodorous. 2142. Unitarian, undrawn, en- 
 thrown. 2480. Nervines. 2482. Nervine. 2500. 
 Analysis. 2585. Unlawful. 2712. Nicotine. 2723. 
 
 (46) 
 
LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 47 
 
 Nickname. 2739. Encamp. 2744. Enquirer. 2810. 
 Invidious. 2844. Inferior. 2870. Infix. 2874. 
 In vigor. 2895. Enfeeble. 2911. Unpitiecl. 2942. 
 Inborn, unborn. 2951. Unbolt. 3014. Moisture. 
 3023. Misname. 3052. Muslin. 3058. Himself. 
 3068. Mischief. 3071. Mosquito. 3078. Mis- 
 
 give. 3095. Misspell. 3105. Mudsill. 3114. Imi- 
 tator. 3141. Matured. 3142. Modern. 3156. 
 
 Mythology. 3169. Midship. 3186. Mud-fish. 
 3209. Mince pie. 3212. Monotony. 3247. Mon- 
 
 archy. 3245. Mineral. 3256. Hymnology. 3262. 
 Mention, moonshine. 3276. Monkish. 3297. Mon- 
 ey-bag. 3321. Moment. 3340. Memorize. 3374. 
 Mimicry. 3395. Mumble. 3405. Morsel. 3412. 
 Meridian, 3418. Mortify. 3432. Mormon. 3470. 
 Marquis. 3495. Marble. 3510. Melodious. 3517. 
 Homoletic. 3540. Mill-race. 3601. Majesty. 
 3720. Meekness. 3275. Mongolia. 3726. Mag- 
 
 nesia. 3728. Magnify. 3741. Emigrate. 3745- 
 Mackerel. 3940. Impress. 3943. Emporium. 3947. 
 Embark. 3953. Emblem. 4034. Rosemary. 
 4075. Rascal. 4107. Heartsick. 4134. Redeemer. 
 4149. Wardrobe. 4150. Artless. 4175. Article. 
 
 4177. Earthquake. 4213. Random. 4264. Ranger. 
 4286. Hornfish. 4391. Armpit. 4751. Haircloth, 
 4848. Riflf-rafF. 4885. Revival. 4921. Urban- 
 
 ity. 4947. Rubric. 4960. Rapacious. 5012, 
 Hailstone. 5072. Eelskin. 5090. Allspice. 5157. 
 Lady-like. 5197. Lady-bug. 5204. Lancer. 
 5264. Lounger. 5394. Lumber. 5701. Laxity. 
 5727. Laconic. 5742. Alcoren. 5891. Alpha- 
 
48 
 
 LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 bet. 6049. Jew sharp. 6161. Chit, chat. 6245. 
 General. 6264. Ginger. 6425. Journal. 6791. 
 
 Jacobite. 6952. Chaplain. 7062. Oxygen. 7070. 
 Excuse. 7071. Exact. 7091. Exhibit. 7094. 
 
 Expire. 7103. Egotism. 7109. Catsup. 7115. 
 Cat-tail. 7129. Kidnap. 7174. Category. 7175. 
 
 Catcall. 7212. Canadian. 7270. Equinox. 
 7275. Kingly. 7284. Confer. 7375. Comical. 
 
 7401. Crest, grist, crust, corset. 7404. Grocery, 
 grazer, grocer. 7408. Aggressive. 7409. Grasp, 
 crisp, cross-bow. 7411. Graduate, greeted, courted, 
 credit. 7420. Greenhouse, cornice, grains, eager- 
 ness. 7424. Grainer, corner. 7427. Crank. 7439. 
 Crimp, cramp. 7454. Growler, crawler. 7456. 
 Girlish. 7460. Gracious. 7471. Correct. 7487. 
 Graphic. 7485. Gravel. 7495. Grapple. 7503. 
 
 Gleesome. 7509. Clasp. 7512. Gladden. 7524. 
 Gleaner. 7526. Clannish, clownish. 7531. Calu- 
 met, climate. 7544. Clearer. 7546. Clergy. 7547. 
 Clerk. 7548. Glorify. 7550. Guileless. 7569. 
 Coal-ship. 7584. Glover. 7611. Cogitate. 7697. 
 Cash-book. 7715. Cocktail. 7741. Go-cart. 7743. 
 Cook-room. 7750. Goggles. 7794. Cow-keeper. 
 7854. Cavalry. 7918. Captive. 7941. Copyright- 
 7954. Cobbler. 7970. Cow-pox. 7997. Copy- 
 book. 8014. Faster. -8018. Festive. 8081. Phos- 
 phate. 8084. Phosphor. 8130. Ofttimes. 8145. 
 Vitriol. 8216. . Vintage. 8274. Vinegar. 8322. 
 
 Feminine. 8350. Fameless. 8354. Familiar. 
 8401. First. 
 
CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 ARTICULATION OF DIFFERENT WORDS OFTEN GIV- 
 ING THE SAME NUMBERS. 
 
 8402. Overseen, foreseen. 8403. Aphorism. 
 
 8404. Overseer, verser, forswear, forcer, foreseer, 
 
 8405. Frizzle, fiercely, furiously. 8407. Frisky, 
 haversack, Pharisaic, frisk, forsake. 8408. Versify. 
 8410. Overdose, virtuous. 8411. Affrighted, forth- 
 with, fortieth, frighted, freighted. 8412. Overdone, 
 fortune, fourteen, frighten. 8413. Aforetime, fore- 
 doom, freedom. 8414. Farther, further, overdraw, 
 overthrow, overture, verdure. 8415. Fertile, fore- 
 tell, fourthly. 8416. Fruitage, foreteach. 8417. 
 Overtake, overtook. 8418. Frutive, fortify. 8419. 
 Overtop, foretop. 8420. Furnace, freeness, variance. 
 8421. Afront, fore-end, fore wind, overneat, over- 
 night, veranda, friend, front, fore-hand, affront, 
 8424. Foreigner, vernier. 8425. Vernal. 8426. 
 Varnish, fringy, furnish, French. 8427. Frank. 
 84e30. Pharmacy, farm-house. 8431. Formed, 
 framed, farmed, affirmed. 8432. Foreman, freeman, 
 freewoman, fireman, vermin, ferryman. 8434. Ever- 
 more, farmer, fcn'mer. 8435. Formal, fi rmly, form- 
 ula. 8436. Overmuch. 8440. Forehorse. 8441. 
 Over-heard, over-wrought, forward, froward, over- 
 
 4 ( 49 ) 
 
50 
 
 LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 ride, over-rate. 8442. Over- worn, forerun, fore- 
 warn, over-run. 8443. Fore-arm. 8445. Over- 
 rule. 8446. Overarch. 8447. Firework, over- 
 work. 8450. Fearless. 8451. Over-load, over- 
 laid, frailty, varioloid, freehold. 8453. Overwhelm. 
 8456. Overlash. 8457. Overlook, firelock, frolick, 
 fairy-like. 8458. Overlove, overlive. 8459. Over- 
 loop, overleap. 8460. Voracious, avaricious, fera- 
 cious. 8461. Fore-shadow, overshot, overshade, 
 freshet, over-shadow. 8462. Freshen, virgin, ever- 
 sion, version. 8464. Forger, forager, forgery. 
 8465. Freshly, fragile. 8469. Fore-ship, fire-ship. 
 8470. Varicous, fracas. 8471. Forked, fork-head, 
 overact, variegate, forgot, forget. 8472. Firkin, 
 foregone, African, overgone. 8473. Overcome. 
 8474. Overgrow, fore-goer, over-eager. 8475. 
 Freckle, freckly, fire-clay, frugal. 8476. Freakish, 
 8477. Fire-cock. 8478. Forgive, forgave. 8481. 
 Fervid, fore-foot, verified, overfeed. 8484, Forever, 
 verifier. 8485. Fire-fly, fearful, over-flow, over-fill, 
 over-vail. 8486. Farfetch. 8490. Verbose, over- 
 pass. 8491. Fire-pot, forebode, forbid, overbid. 
 8492. Ever-open, fire-pan. 8494. Overbear, for- 
 bear, overpower. 8495. Friable, fire-ball, variable, 
 variably, verbal, overblow, furbelow. 8496. Fur- 
 bish, verbiage, frubish. 8500. Falaceous. 8501. 
 Falsity, falsehood, felicity, fleeced. 8503. Fulsome. 
 8504. Fleecer, falser. 8505. Falsely. 8508. 
 Philosophy, falsify. 8510. Afflatus, flatwise. 8511. 
 Validity, affiliated, flighted, floated, fluidity, folded, 
 violated. 8512. Heavy-laden. 8514. Foulder, evil- 
 
LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 51 
 
 doer, upholder, violater, falter, vulture, filter, folder. 
 8515. Filthily, fiatly, fleetly. 8517. Voltaic. 
 8520. Felonous, fullness, felonious, awfulness, 
 fluency, vileness, violence, affluence. 8521. Flint, 
 ffinty, effluent, violent, affluent, valient. 8526. Flinch, 
 avalanche. 8527. Flank. 8530. Flimsy. 8539. 
 Flambeau. 8540. Valorous, effloresce. 8541. Fool- 
 hardy, florid, flirt. 8542. Florin, fluorin. 8545. Floral, 
 8546- Flourish. 8550. Valueless. 8561. Flushed. 
 8562. Evolation, evulsion, valuation, violation, val- 
 uation. 8564. Flasher, flusher. 8565. Foolishly, 
 fallaciously. 8567. Flesh-hook. 8570. Flux, flax, 
 efflux, afflux. 8571. Afflict, vulgate, flogged. 
 8572. Vulcano, volcano, flagon. 8574. Vulgar, 
 flicker 8580. Flavous. 8581. Velvet, full-fed. 
 vilified 8583. Effluvium. 8584. Vilifier, flavor. 
 8585. Fulfil. 8586. Fly-fish. 8591. Flea-bite. 
 8592. Flea-bane, fly-bane. 8595. Valuable, fly- 
 blow, available, fallible. 8597. Philippic. 8605. 
 Viciously, officiously. 8608. Vouchsafe. 8611, 
 Viciated, vitiated. 8618. Fugitive. 8621. Fash- 
 ioned. 8624. Visionary, fashioner. 8625. 
 Visional. 8632. Fish-woman. 8635. Fish-meal. 
 8643. Fishroom. 8657. Fish-like. 8677. Fish- 
 gig. 8701. Vexed, faxed, fixed. 8706. Fox- 
 ish. 8713. Victim. 8714. Vector, victor, factur- 
 factory, factor, victory, fig-tree. 8721. Vacant, vis, 
 count. 8740. Vigorous, vicarious. 8750. Voca- 
 lize. 8751. Faculty. 8758. FIgleaf. 8760. 
 Factious. 8762. Vocation, fiction. 8801. Vivacity, 
 half-faced. 8811. Fiftieth. 8812. Fifteen. 8815. Viv- 
 
52 
 
 LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 idly. 8841. Favoured. 8844. Favorer. 8846. Feverish. 
 8848. Feverfew. 8860. Vivacious. 8880. Viva-voce, 
 8921. Hoof-bound. 8944. Vaporer, February. 8945. 
 Febrile. 9010. Besides, pest-house, post-house. 9011. 
 Apostate, posted, bestowed. 9012. Abstain, piston. 
 9013. Pastime. 9014. Bestrew, whipster, pastry, pas- 
 ture. 9015. Pastel, pustule, bastile, pastil, pistol, pistole, 
 bestowal, beastly. 9016. Postage. 9017. Whip- 
 stock. 9018. Whip-staff, positive. 9020. Absence, 
 business, baseness, poisonous, absence. 9021. 
 Poisoned, obscenity. 9024. Poisoner. 9031. Bis- 
 muth. 9035. Piece-meal. 9041. Absurd. 9048. 
 Observe. 9049. Absorb. 9050. Baseless. 9051. 
 Absolute, obsolete. 9062. Position, bastion. 9064, 
 Beseecher. 9070. Obsequious. 9071. Biscuit, 
 basket. 9072. Buskin. 9074. Obscure. 9079. 
 Episcopy. 9085. Bass-viol, peaceful, peacefully. 
 9087. Pacific. 9095. Boys-play. 9100. Hypoth- 
 esis. 9101. Bedside, pietist, bedust. 9103. Budd- 
 hism. 9105. Piteously. 9i07. Bedusk. 9113. 
 Bed-time. 9117. Hypothetic. 9120. Badness. 
 9121. Potent, obedient, patentee, patent. 9127. 
 Botanic. 9131. Bed-mate. 9132. Abdomen, boat- 
 man. 9137. Epidemic. 9141. Betrayed, putrid, 
 patriot. 9142. Pattern. 9143. Bath-room, bed- 
 room. 9145. Petrol. 9148. Putrify. 9149. Be- 
 trap, boat-rope. 9162. Optician, petition. 9163. 
 Potassium. 9170. Optics. 9171. Abdicate, obduct. 
 9172. Bodkin, betoken. 9174. Apothecary, pedi- 
 gree. 9175. Hepatical. 9185. Pitfall, pitiful, beau- 
 tifully. 9195. Habitable. 9201. Pianist, boneset. 
 
LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 53 
 
 9205. Pencil. 9208. Pensive. 92*0. Bounteous. 
 9211. Painted, bounded, pounded. 9212. Pantheon, 
 abandon. 9214. Bender, pointer, banter, pantry, 
 pointer, panther, boundary. 9215. Bundle. 9216. 
 Bandage, bondage. 9218. Opiniative, pontiff. 9220. 
 Pennace. 92B2. Penman. 9240. Penurious. 
 9248. Panorama. 9250. Paneless, boneless, pain- 
 less. 9251. Penalty. 9261. Banished, pinched. 
 9264. Pincher, puncher. 9270. Pin-case. 9274. 
 Banker. 9275. Pinacle. 9281. Bona-fide. 9284. 
 Bonfire. 9285. Painful. 9295. Pine-apple. 9821. 
 Payment. 9850. Beamless. 9890. Pompous. 
 9894. Pamper, pumper. 9400. Process, precise. 
 9101. Brest, precede, priest, bruised, proceed. 9403. 
 Hebraism, prism. 9404. Piercer. 9405. Parcel, 
 parsley, Brazil, parasol, perusal. 9406. Presage. 
 9407. Brisk. 9410. Paradise, produce. 9411. 
 Birth-day, bright-eyed, breathed, bare-headed. 9412. 
 Puritan, brighten, burden, Briton. 9414. Portray, 
 barter, breeder, pear-tree, brother, porter, border, 
 operator. 9415. Port-hole, prattle, bridle, bridewell, 
 partly, portal, portly, brutal, pertly, 9416. Prodigy, 
 brutish, British. 9417. Partake, periodic, partook, 
 burdock. 9418. Abortive, operative. 9420. Bare- 
 ness, pureness, prance, bronze, appearance, barren- 
 ness. 9421. Pruned, burnet, hybernate, baronet, 
 parent, print, brandy, brant. 9422. Hibernian, pro- 
 noun. 9424. Primer, burner. 9425. Prunel, peren- 
 nial. 9426. Brownish, burnish, branch. 9427. 
 Prank, brink. 9430. Primacy, premise, promise. 
 9431. Permit, promote, pyramid. 9432. Brahmin. 
 
54 
 
 LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 9434. Premier, primary, primer. 9435. Primal. 
 9437. Abrahamic. 9430. Promise. 9439. Primp. 
 9440. Prioress. 9441. Priority. 9450. Paralize, 
 powerless, perilous. 9451. Broiled, prelate, prelude. 
 9452. Purloin, perihelion. 9453. Power-loom. 
 9454. Brawler, parlor, broiler, prowler. 9457. 
 Bear-like. 9460. Prescious, purchase. 9461. Brushed, 
 brush-wood, preached. 9462. Progeny, Prussian, 
 portion, operation, apparition, apportion. 9464. Per- 
 jury, preacher, purger. 9471. Apricot, brigade, 
 barracada, abrogate, brocade, barked. 9472. Bro- 
 ken, bargain. 9474. Broker, pricker, procure, 
 breaker, parker, barker, burgher. 9475. Prickly, 
 prickle. 9476. Breakage, brackish. 9480. Per- 
 vious, preface, previous, proviso, prophesy, profuse, 
 profess, privacy, profuse. 9481. Prophet, privet, 
 bare-foot, approved, provide, bereft, brevity, profit, 
 proved. 9482. Profane, proven. 9483. Perfume. 
 9484. Approver, prefer, bravery, purifier. 9485. 
 Approval, bravely, paravail, prevail, briefly. 9487. 
 Provoke. 9490. Perhaps, purpose, prepose, 9491. 
 Approbate, probate, abrupt, prohibit, barbed, 
 brow-beat. 9492. Bare-bone. 9494. Bribery, 
 proper, briber, prepare, barber. 9495. Parabola, 
 parboil, parable. 9497. Barbecue. 9501. Blest, 
 placid, pleased, placed, pulsate, blast. 9502. Blazon. 
 9503. Balsam, playsome. 9504. Plaser, blazer. 
 9505. Hopelessly. 9507. Obelisk. 9510. Poul- 
 tice. 9511. Applauded, plated, belated, bolthead, 
 pelted, blotted, polluted, palliated. 9512. Platina, pal- 
 atine, platoon, bulletin, bella-donna. 9514. Apple-tree, 
 
LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 55 
 
 bowlder, peltry, pelter, pleader, beholder, poultry, 
 builder, bell-wether. 9515. Belittle, boldly, politely. 
 9517. Baltic, politic, bull-dog. 9518. Palative, ap- 
 pellative. 9520. Ableness, paleness. 9521. Planet, 
 plenty, blind, plant, upland, blunt. 9524. Balneary, 
 plenary, planner. 9525. Plainly. 9527. Oblong, 
 plank, belong. 9531. Playmate, blamed. 9532. 
 Bell-man. 9535. Pell-mell. 9537. Polemic. 
 9539. Plump. 9540. Pleurisy, polarize. 9541. 
 Apple-yard, bleer-eyed, polarity, blurred. 9543. 
 Pile-worm. 9545. Plural. 9546. Bulrushy. 
 9547. Bulwark. 9561. Abolished, polished, 
 obliged, pillaged. 9562. Ablution, pollution. 9564. 
 Abolisher, polisher. 9570. Block-house, Black-sea. 
 9571. Pole-cat, blockade, bulk-head, obligate, black- 
 eyed, block-head. 9572. Balcony. 9573. Polyg- 
 amy. 9576. Blackish. 9578. Bull-calf. 9579. 
 Blue-cap. 9580. Pelvis, oblivious. 9581. Be- 
 loved, bull-fight, believed. 9584. Believer, pilfer, 
 belfry. 9585. Pailful, baleful. 9586. Blue-fish. 
 9590. Epilepsy. 9591. Pulpit. 9592. Ple- 
 
 beian. 9594. Belabor, blubber. 9595. Play-bill. 
 9597. Pull-back, play-book. 9598. Bull-beef. 
 9599. Blow-pipe. 9614. Peach-tree, beech-tree. 
 9620. Patience. 9621. Passionate, passioned. 
 
 9625. Optional. 9627. Passion-week. 9632. 
 
 Bushman. 9654. Bachelor. 9671. Object. 9685. 
 Bashful. 9701. Backside, backset. 9703. Buxom. 
 9704. Boxer. 9711. Bigoted. 9714. Back-door, 
 bigotry, picture. 9715. Pig-tail, pocket-hole. 9724. 
 Pecuniary. 9727. Picknick. 9732. Bookman. 
 
56 
 
 LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 9740 . Pack-horse. 9741. Bug-wort, hypocrite, 
 epicurean, beak-iron. 9743. Back-room, buckram. 
 9745. Pickerel. 9746. Bog-rush. 9754. Peculiar, 
 piacular. 9785. Bookful. 9791. Backbite. 9792. 
 Back-bone. 9794. Bug-bear. 9799. Bag-pipe. 
 9814. Beef-eater. 9824. Buffoonery. 9841. Pov- 
 erty, beavered. 9846. Beverage. 9858. Bivalve. 
 9865. Peevishly. 9901. Papist. 9910. Baptize. 
 9913. Popedom. 9915. Bobtail. 9941. Bee-bread. 
 9954. Popular. 9957. Public. 9969. Babyship. 
 9972. Popgun. 
 
 It is not the mere recollection of the figures rep- 
 resented by words as illustrated in this chapter, that 
 gives strength to the memory: but the association of 
 one class of words with another, by which names 
 and subjects are called up, and homophonous words 
 are selected by which numbers and dates are fixed in 
 the memory, so as not to be easily forgotten. 
 
 This is especially illustrated in the following chap- 
 ter. 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 POPULATION OF THE PRINCIPAL CITIES OF THE 
 UNITED STATES. 
 
 This is taken from Rand, McNally & Co.’s pocket 
 cyclopoedia. It may not represent the present num- 
 ber of the population of these different cities, but it 
 will illustrate how easily figures or numbers can be 
 permanently impressed on the memory by words 
 with homophonous sounds, to which are linked the 
 words that represent the numbers. Every effort in 
 this direction will strengthen the memory. To re- 
 member one thing by its similarity in sound to some 
 other object, is the best exercise we can engage in to 
 restore a feeble and too often neglected memory. 
 
 These formulas representing numbers may often 
 appear ridiculous and far fetched; yet this may serve 
 to impress them more forcibly upon the memory. It 
 is memory and not elegance of diction we are after. 
 
 By carefully studying the following illustrations of 
 this system, any one can soon form the habit of con- 
 structing formulas by which to call up things that are 
 always liable to slip from the memory. We aim to 
 make this so plain that the most ordinary capacity 
 can understand and profit by it. 
 
 ( 57 ) 
 
58 
 
 LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 Albany , N. Y. 90,758. 
 
 All bony hands would not look well in a 
 
 Boss glove. 
 
 90.758 
 
 Allegheny, Pa. 78,682. 
 
 All gains are not found in 
 
 Calfish fun. 
 786,82 
 
 Atlanta, Ga. 37,409. 
 
 Atlantern light we could not do fine work but night 
 
 Make a rasp. 
 
 37409 
 
 Auburn, N. Y. 21,924. 
 
 All burn gas where there is 
 
 One tap owner. 
 
 21,924 
 
 Augusta, Ga. 21,891. 
 
 A gust of wind may carry off a 
 
 Neat fop hat. 
 21,891 
 
 Baltimore, Md. 332,313. 
 
 A bold temer would not be frightened if 
 
 Mammon met him. 
 
 332,313 
 
 Bay City, Mich. 20.693. 
 
 A Bay near a city makes a good harbor for a 
 
 Noisy ship home. 
 
 20,693 
 
 Boston, Mass. 362,839. 
 Bosting men may make a 
 
 Machine of a mob. 
 
 362,839 
 
I>ESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 59 
 
 Bridgeport, Conn. 27,643. 
 
 A Bridge apart would not make a 
 
 Neck charm. 
 
 27.643 
 
 Brooklyn, N. Y. 567,665. 
 
 A broken line of thoughts could not make one use 
 
 Logic Jewishly. 
 
 567.665 
 
 Buffalo, 155,134. 
 
 A Buff fellow might be more successful than Sam- 
 son as a Delilah tamer. 
 
 155.134 
 
 Cambridge, Mass. 52,669. 
 
 A cane bridge might be as unimportant as a poor 
 
 Lone Jew shop. 
 
 52,669 
 
 Camden, N. Y. 41,659. 
 
 He came down to get his Heritage help. 
 
 41.659 
 
 Charleston, S. C. 49,984. 
 
 Charls in toivn could find nothing like a 
 
 Rope paver. 
 
 49.984 
 
 Chelsea, Mass. 21,782. 
 
 For a Chill so light it is better the medicine be 
 
 Not given. 
 21,782 
 
 Chicago, 111 . 503,185. 
 
 Chide as you go she moves majestically like soldiers 
 in a Wholesome defile. 
 
 503.185 
 
6o 
 
 LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 Cincinnati, O. 355,139. 
 
 Since I noticed your progress I see 
 
 No well hole damp. 
 
 255,139 
 
 Cleveland, Ohio. 160,146. 
 
 Cleve to the land like a 
 
 Duchess too rich. 
 
 160,146 
 
 Columbus, Ohio. 51,647. 
 
 A Cohun burst might cause a 
 
 Loud shriek. 
 
 5i>647 
 
 Covington. 39,730. 
 
 A Cove in town might make an 
 
 Unhappy gay ness. 
 
 39,730 
 
 Davenport, Iowa. 21,831. 
 
 To Dive in port may be done by a sailor 
 
 Not famed. 
 21,831 
 
 Denver, Col. 75,331. 
 
 Done over by rapid growth may soon 
 
 Culminate. 
 
 75^321 
 
 DesMoines, Iowa. 33,408. 
 
 Do mine come now or shall I None receive. 
 
 33,408 
 
 Detroit, Mich. 116,340. 
 
 Do it rights for from my bunch of flowers you cannot 
 
 Detach my rose. 
 
 116,340 
 
LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 6l 
 
 Dubuke, Iowa. 33,354.* 
 
 Do beg him not to send a 
 
 Ninny nailor. 
 33,354 
 
 Elizabeth, N. J. 38,339. 
 
 A bath in hot water would be like 
 
 An oven nap. 
 383,29 
 
 Elmira, N. Y. 20,541. 
 
 All miry land would not make a good farm for a 
 
 Nice lord. 
 20,54 1 
 
 Erie, Pa. 27,737, 
 
 EWe I would starve I would feast on a 
 
 Yankee game egg. 
 
 27.737 
 
 Evansville, Ind. 29,280, 
 
 Evan so will some conceited persons act like a 
 
 Nobby novice. 
 
 29,380 
 
 Fall River, Mass. 48,961. 
 
 A fall into a river might result from being 
 
 Ruff pushed. 
 48,96 1 
 
 Fort Wayne, Ind. 36,880. 
 
 Forty wagons iriay be sold in 
 
 One chief office. 
 
 26,880 
 
 Galveston, Texas, 23,248. 
 
 A galvanic current will affect No one nerve. 
 
 23,248 
 
62 
 
 LESSONS ON MEMORY 
 
 Grand Rapids, Mich. 32,016. 
 
 Ground raspberries may be used to make a 
 
 Mince dish. 
 32,016 
 
 Harrisburg, Pa. 30,762. 
 
 To harrass a burgher without a cause would be like 
 building a Mouse kitchen. 
 
 30,762 
 
 Hartford, Conn. 42,015. 
 
 A hard ford in a storm would not make 
 
 Rains ideal. 
 42,015 
 
 Hoboken, N. J. 30,999. 
 
 Hop packing could not be done by a little 
 
 Miss Bopeep. 
 
 30,999 
 
 Holyoke, Mass. 21,915. 
 
 A holy yok is the emblem of a laboring good man 
 who will Not peddle. 
 
 21,915 
 
 Indianapolis, Ind. 75,056. 
 
 Indian apples will keep well under a 
 
 Close latch. 
 
 75*056 
 
 Jersey City, N. J. 120,722. 
 
 Cheer a city that has no malaria and needs no 
 
 Dens quinine. 
 120,722 
 
 Kansas City, Mo. 75,131. 
 Kaned sauce is good diet with 
 
 Cold meat. 
 
 757I31 
 
LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 63 
 
 Lancaster, Pa. 25,769. 
 
 Long cases may contain Only ketchup. 
 
 25,769 
 
 Lawrence, Mass. 39»i5i- 
 
 Lawyers have kept many a rogue from a 
 
 Hemp toylet. 
 39>i5i 
 
 Louisville, Ky. 123,758. 
 
 Lewis will not leave from fear of an 
 
 Lowell, Mass. 599475- 
 A Low well might be filled 
 
 Atheneum gulf. 
 
 123.75S 
 
 All by rock oil. 
 
 59.475 
 
 Lynn, Mass. 38,374. 
 
 Lmen pure and white does not indicate 
 
 Muffy anger. 
 
 38.274 
 
 Manchester, N. H. 32,630. 
 
 A man chased her and she was less frightened than 
 if she had to Manage a mouse. 
 
 32,630 
 
 Memphis, Tenn. 339592. 
 
 Many tanners could not convert an ox hide into a 
 
 Mummy whale bone. 
 
 33.592 
 
 Milwaukee, Wis, 115,587. 
 
 A mile to walk in the swamps of Florida might bring 
 us to a 
 
 Tidal live oak. 
 
 ”5.587 
 
64 
 
 LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 Minneapolis, Minn. 46,887. 
 
 Many apples are good, but if too hard and sour they 
 might make an 
 
 Arch foe foggy. 
 
 46,887 
 
 Mobile, Ala. 29,132. 
 
 More bills might help and encourage an 
 
 Unpaid man. 
 29,132 
 
 Nashville, Tenn. 43,350. 
 
 No ashes will make a fire to run 
 
 Rum mills. 
 
 43.350 
 
 Newark, N. J. 136,508. 
 
 No ark could hang upon a rock and make the 
 
 Damage all safe. 
 
 136,508 
 
 New Bedford, Mass. 26,815. 
 
 A bad ford is of no more value than a toy of an 
 
 Inch fiddle. 
 26,815 
 
 New Haven, Conn. 62,882. 
 
 A new and good haven for ships would give more 
 joy to sailors than a 
 
 Geneva fan. 
 62,882 
 
 New Orleans. 216,909. 
 
 No oarlands^ but good timber lands can furnish ma- 
 terials for a 
 
 Neat ships baugh. 
 
 216,909 
 
LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 65 
 
 New Port, Ky. 20,434. 
 
 A new pot would not be an interesting subject for a 
 
 Nice rhymer. 
 20,434 
 
 New York, N. Y. 1,206,299. 
 
 A new cork leg on the richest man in this city would 
 show that the next largest city 
 
 Had no such a nabob. 
 
 1,206,299 
 
 Norfolk, Va. 21,964. 
 
 The North fork of any stream could not be dried up 
 with a 
 
 - Neat pitcher. 
 
 21,964 
 
 Oakland, Cal. 34,555. 
 
 An Oak tree on the land is stronger than 
 
 Miery low lily. 
 
 34>555 
 
 Omaha, Neb. 30,516. 
 
 An Old man^ s hall might make a 
 
 Mouse oldish. 
 30>5i6 
 
 Oswego, N. Y. 21,116. 
 
 As we go to school to learn and 
 
 Not to teach. 
 21,1 16 
 
 Paterson, N. J. 51,031. 
 
 Peter^s son may come home, and then 
 
 5 
 
 Let us meet. 
 
 51.031 
 
66 
 
 LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 Peoria, 111 . 29,269. 
 
 Pea or rye will make good feed, if there is among it 
 
 No bone chip. 
 29,269 
 
 Petersburg, Va. 21,656. 
 
 Peter borrowed from his peighbor a 
 
 Neat shoe latch. 
 
 21,656 
 
 Philadelphia, Pa. 817,170. 
 
 To fill a dale full of good soil might cause a 
 
 Fatigue tax. 
 817,170 
 
 Pittsburg, Pa. 156,389. 
 
 A fit full of water near a city might make a 
 
 Deluge move up. 
 
 156,389 
 
 Portland, Me. 33,810. 
 
 A Porter on land would not want to fall into 
 
 Mummy vats. 
 
 ■ 33,810 
 
 Poughkeepsie, N. Y. 20,207. 
 
 Poe keeps a garden of flowers from which one might 
 gather a Nice nosegay. 
 
 20,207 
 
 Providence, R. I. 104,857. 
 
 Providing for the future is so important to farmers 
 that one might well Desire a flock. 
 
 104,857 
 
 Quincy, 111. 27,274. 
 
 y. Quincy Adams was opposed to slavery, and had 
 some anxiety for a Young nigger. 
 
 27,274 
 
LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 67 
 
 Reading, Pa. 43,278. 
 
 Reading in solitude would be like a 
 
 Room in a cave. 
 
 43»278 
 
 Richmond, Va. 63,600. 
 
 A Rich man might amuse himself with 
 
 Sham chases. 
 63,600 
 
 Rochester, N. Y. 89,364. 
 
 A Roach chaser is as unprofitable as a 
 
 Foppy major. 
 89,364 
 
 Sacramento, Cal. 21,420. 
 
 Sacraments are not often given in 
 
 Hindo mines. 
 21,420 
 
 St. Joseph, Mo. 32,431. 
 
 A Saint would go sick rather than take a 
 
 Mean remedy, 
 
 32,431 
 
 St. Louis, Mo. 350,518. 
 
 A Saint would be to blame if he neglected his 
 
 Homeless old wife. 
 
 350^18 
 
 St. Paul, Minn. 41,472. 
 
 St, Paul when shipwrecked, could not his 
 
 Road regain. 
 
 41472 
 
 Salem, Mass. 27,563. 
 
 Sell them well and expect a Yankee eulogium. 
 
 27.563 
 
68 
 
 LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 Salt Lake, Utah. 20,764. 
 
 Sal^ in a lake would draw the cattle in spite of a 
 
 Nice cashier. 
 20,764 
 
 San Antonio, Tex. 20,550. 
 
 St, Anthony reigns quietly in a place that was 
 
 Once lawless. 
 20,550 
 
 San Francisco. 233,959. 
 
 A frisky saint could not make much paper out of 
 
 One mummy pulp. 
 
 233^959 
 
 Savannah, Ga. 30,709. 
 
 A Savan could not come to a wise conclusion from 
 
 Mossy gossip. 
 30,709 
 
 Scranton, Pa. 45,850. 
 
 Screen a town and protect your flocks and you will 
 have a good Yearly fleece. 
 
 45*850 
 
 Somerville, Mass. 21,929. 
 
 Some are well in places where they could 
 
 Not hob nob. 
 21,929 
 
 Springfield, 111. 19,742. 
 
 A Spring in a feld would keep things 
 
 Top green. 
 
 19.742 
 
 Springfield, Mass. 33,340. 
 
 A Spring full of water would not make a 
 
 Mummy morose. 
 
 33.340 
 
LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 69 
 
 Springfield, Ohio. 20,730. 
 
 A high spring might be a place for 
 
 Nice games. 
 20,730 
 
 vSyracuse, N. Y. 51,792. 
 
 Sir^ excuse me for leaving my Old cabin. 
 
 51,792 
 
 Taunton, Mass. 21,213. 
 
 A Ten town mass meeting singer might sing a 
 
 Night anthem. 
 21,213 
 
 Terre Haute, Ind. 26,042. 
 
 Tare a hat for a man and he may give you an 
 
 Unjoyous run. 
 26,042 
 
 Toledo, Ohio. 50,136. 
 
 To lead instead of drive may cause 
 
 Less damage. 
 
 Trenton, N.J. 29,910. 
 
 To rent one room might give us an 
 
 Unhappy bed house. 
 
 29,910 
 
 Troy, N. Y. 56,747. 
 
 Try if you can stop a scream with an 
 
 Owlish croak. 
 
 56,747 
 
 Utica, N. Y. 33,914. 
 
 Tou take a cup of water, it is better than a dry 
 
 Mummy powder. 
 
 33^9H 
 
70 
 
 LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 Washington, D. C. 147,294. 
 
 Washing done in the capital of the nation may be 
 done by a 
 
 Freaky neighbor. 
 
 147,294 
 
 Wheeling, W. Va. 30,739. 
 
 A Wheelbarrow may be used to build a 
 
 Mossy camp. 
 
 30.739 
 
 Wilkesbarre, Pa. 23,470. 
 
 Will bare more wood but 
 
 No more rocks. 
 
 23,470 
 
 Wilmington, Del. 42,478. 
 
 A town willing to keep good order will 
 
 Run a rogue off. 
 
 42,478 
 
 Worcester, Mass. 58,291. 
 
 A War chaser will likely 
 
 Love nobody. 
 
 58.291 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 
 DIFFERENT PERIODS OF DISTINGUISHED PERSONS 
 INDICATED BY HOMOPHONOUS SOUNDS. 
 
 Zoroaster b. c. iooo. 
 
 A sore toe is not counted among common 
 
 Diseases. 
 
 iooo 
 
 Buddha b. c. 500. 
 
 A bud in the spring promises to bring back autumnal 
 
 Losses. 
 
 500 
 
 Homer b. c. 850. 
 
 At home with his friends the time past and his friend- 
 ship was not 
 
 F alse. 
 850 
 
 Solon b. c. 638. 
 
 So alone he rose upon the darkness of his times like a 
 
 Gem wave. 
 
 638 
 
 Pericles b. c. 454. 
 
 A fair of claws would be better to climb a tree than a 
 
 Roller. 
 
 454 
 
72 
 
 LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 Herodotus, a Greek historian b. c. 484. 
 
 A hero in his work; his narrative flows like a 
 
 River. 
 
 484 
 
 Socrates b. c. 499. 
 
 So great a moralist uttered truths more weighty than 
 the sound of an Air pipe. 
 
 499 
 
 Xerxes flourished b. c. 481. 
 
 Xexercised his skill to send his army across the water 
 on a Raft. 
 
 481. 
 
 Plato born b. c. 429. 
 
 A 'plate of potatoes would not interest this philoso- 
 pher as much as a Rainbow. 
 
 429 
 
 Aristotle born b. c. 484. 
 
 Arise to tell me something of this man who traveled 
 through many lands to gain knowledge like a 
 
 Rover. 
 
 484 
 
 Demosthenes b. b. c. 385. 
 
 Dumb as an ass some men would be if it were not 
 for such men from whose lips great truths 
 
 May fall. 
 
 385 
 
 Alexander the Great b. b. c. 356. 
 
 All eggs under the grate of a thousand fires would 
 not make a full meal for his 
 
 Militia. 
 
 356 
 
LESSONS ON MEMORY, 
 
 73 
 
 Hannibal b. b. c. 247. 
 
 Hand a bell to a man who wishes to ring out an 
 alarm to save his country from 
 
 Anarchy. 
 
 247 
 
 Cicero b. b. c. 106. 
 
 See his row boat showing himself wiser than a com- 
 mon 
 
 Wood sage. 
 106 
 
 Pompey b. b. c. 106. 
 
 A pompous man with self conceit will not be driven 
 by a Tow switch. 
 
 106 
 
 Julius Caesar b. b. c. ioo. 
 
 A yew is easier under tyrannical rule without strong 
 
 Doses. 
 
 IOO 
 
 Virgil b. b. c. 70. 
 
 For chills go to a doctor, and for quills go to a 
 
 Goose. 
 
 70 
 
 Horace b. b. c. 65. 
 
 A horse that travels well will make his oWner 
 
 Jolly. 
 
 65 
 
 Augustus, son of the youngest sister of Julius Caesar 
 b. B. c. 63. 
 
 August is often followed by a calm as delightful as a 
 
 Gem. 
 
 63 
 
74 
 
 LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 Constantine b, a. d. 274. 
 
 Constant in his efforts to extend his empire, he kept 
 down his Anger. 
 
 274 
 
 Mohammed b. A. d. 570, 
 
 More ham or pork were rejected by this prophet 
 than could be put into a 
 
 Log house. 
 
 570 
 
 St. Augustus b. A. D. 354. 
 
 A saint in August with poor bread might blame 
 the Miller. 
 
 354 
 
 Charlemagne b. a. d. 742. 
 
 Charles managed to support his armies with an 
 abundance of Grain. 
 
 742 
 
 Alfred the Great b. a. d. 849. 
 
 All feared this great warrior from the nobles down 
 to the Ferry boy. 
 
 849 
 
 William the Conqueror b. a. d. 1027. 
 
 Will concord be restored to a distracted nation if the 
 king is wiser than a 
 
 Dizzy Yankee. 
 
 1027 
 
 Richard I. b. a. d. 1157^ 
 
 A rich bard could sing better in the pure air than 
 under a 
 
 Tight hulk. 
 
 ii57 
 
LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 75 
 
 Dante the poet b. a. d. 1268. 
 
 A dainty morsel might suit him better than a 
 
 Danish wife. 
 1268 
 
 Christopher Columbus b. a. d. 1436. 
 
 A Christian column should not perpetuate the mem- 
 ory of his enemy who proved himself unworthy of 
 such 
 
 Dear homage. 
 
 1436 
 
 Gutenberg first used movable type for printing a 
 D. 1438. 
 
 A good bargain in trade is better than a 
 
 Dear move. 
 
 1438 
 
 Joan of Arc b. A. d. 1412. 
 
 A joiner'* s ark was a place where Noah’s faith was 
 
 Tried in. 
 1413 
 
 Copernicus b. a. d. 1473. 
 
 A copper nickel would not help much in a 
 
 Dear game. 
 
 1473 
 
 Raphael b. a. d. 1483. 
 
 A raffle for a prize painting of great value might 
 
 Terrify him. 
 
 1483 
 
 Michael Angelo b. a. d. 1474. 
 
 Milk and jelly served for dinner to a hungry man 
 might be looked on as Trickery. 
 
 1474 
 
76 
 
 LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 Martin Luther b. a. d. 14S3. 
 
 More tanned leather to write his scroll would have 
 secured a 
 
 Dear fame. 
 
 1483 
 
 Henry the VIII. King of England, b. a. d. 1491. 
 Eight hens could never raise a brood of chickens if 
 you kept them in a 
 
 Tar pot. 
 1491 
 
 John Knox, Scottish reformer b. a. d. 1505. 
 yoin ox teams if you wish to draw a heavy load up a 
 
 Woodless hill. 
 
 1505 
 
 John Calvin b. a. d. 1509. 
 
 Call in vain for a deaf 
 
 Idols boy. 
 
 1509 
 
 Galileo b. a. d. 1564. 
 
 A Gallilean as wise as this man should sit in a 
 
 Tall chair. 
 
 1564 
 
 Elizabeth, Queen of England, daughter of Henry the 
 VIII. b. a. d. 1533. 
 
 Ill is the bath that makes one feel like an 
 
 Ideal mummy. 
 
 ^533 
 
 William of Orange b. a. d. 1633. 
 
 Will an orange peddler undertake to 
 
 Teach a mummy. 
 
 1633 
 
LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 77 
 
 Mary, Queen of Scots b. a. d. 1542. 
 
 A merry ^ueen she could not be while confined in 
 prison like an 
 
 Idle heroine. 
 
 1542 
 
 Francis Bacon b. a. d. 1561. 
 
 Pi'ied bacojt may be relished by a man who wears a 
 
 Stylish hat. 
 1561 
 
 Wm, vShakespeare b. a. d. 1564. 
 
 Shake a spear at a man who aims to get a 
 
 Tall share. 
 
 1564 
 
 Wm. Harvey, discoverer of the circulation of the 
 blood b. a. d. I 578. 
 
 Will harvest bring us grain to feed our 
 
 Tall calf. 
 
 157^ 
 
 Oliver Cromwell b. a. d. 1596. 
 
 All over cream might resemble a 
 
 Dull peach. 
 
 1596 
 
 John Milton, the poet, b. a. d. 1608. 
 
 A mill in town would be a safer place to sleep in 
 than a Wettish sofa. 
 
 1608 
 
 John Bunyan b. A. D. 1628. 
 
 A bunion on your toe might be relieved by trimming 
 it with a sharp 
 
 Dutch knife. 
 1628 
 
78 
 
 LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 John Locke, philosopher, b. a. d. 1632. 
 
 A lock on knowledge could not keep out an inquiring 
 
 Dutchman. 
 
 1632 
 
 Sir Isaac Newton b. a. d. 1642. 
 
 A new town hall would make the asseniblies of the old 
 
 Adjourn. 
 
 i6z|2 
 
 Wm. Penn b. a. d. 1644. 
 
 Will a pen be as good as the sword to 
 
 Teach a warrior. 
 
 1644 
 
 Alexander Pope b. a. d. 1688. 
 
 All eggs under a pop gun would not make as much 
 noise as a 
 
 Dutch fife. 
 1688 
 
 Emanuel Swedenborg b. a. d. 1688. 
 
 A man well in Sweden could not be amused by a 
 
 Dutch fife. 
 1688 
 
 Voltaire b. a. d. 1694. 
 
 A vulture will tear what cames in his way like a 
 
 ’ Hedge bear. 
 
 1694 
 
 John Wesley, founder of Wesleyan Methodism, b. a. 
 D. 1703. 
 
 A Welsh lion might endure much, if we do not 
 too much 
 
 Tax him. 
 1703 
 
LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 79 
 
 Benjamin Franklin b. a. d. 1706. 
 
 Be frank on the land if you expect a 
 
 Dog siege. 
 1706 
 
 The illustrations in this chapter will show the 
 manner of constructing formulas with homophonous 
 sounds by which words representing figures can be 
 easily called up. All these exercises have an ef- 
 fect on the memory, and their careful study is of 
 great importance to those who have defective 
 
 memories. 
 
CHAPTER XI. 
 
 THE ADVANTAGES OF MENTAL EXERCISE. 
 
 The question is frequently asked, ‘‘What are the 
 advantages of these exercises by which letters are 
 thrown into figures, and words stand for numbers to 
 any desirable extent?” In answer to this and all 
 such questions, it may be stated that by these associ- 
 ations of letters with figures and similar sounds to call 
 up another subject or word, the memory gains 
 strength to a degree that would scarcely be imagined 
 before a proper trial is made. 
 
 The very first effort to acquire a knowledge of 
 the first systematic and most important lesson will 
 give an exercise to the mind or memory that will 
 gradually strengthen this important faculty. The 
 comparison between letters and figures as found on 
 Page 21, will fix the lesson on the memory and at 
 the same time give strength to the memory for fur- 
 ther exercise. In conversation with an intelligent 
 lady she complained of the loss of her memory and 
 the embarrassment it was to her. I told her that her 
 memory could easily be strengthened and brought 
 back to its youthful vigor. She appeared to be 
 skeptical, and thought it impossible to restore a lost 
 (8o) 
 
LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 8 1 
 
 memory. I proposed to make a trial, and told her 
 that in one hour she could learn to give the number 
 of every word on Pages 34 and 25 of this book. I 
 directed her at once to the study of the alphabet on 
 Page 31 . After spending a few minutes in associat- 
 ing letters with figures, and the homophonous sounds 
 of a combination of letters as explained in, the second 
 chapter, especially on Pages 23 and 23, I directed 
 her to the 100 words above referred to, and after a 
 brief explanation including not more than one half an 
 hour, she was able to give the number immediately 
 of every word in the list of 100 words. On another 
 occasion three persons agreed to make the experi- 
 ment, and under my instruction in a little less than 
 one hour each one could not only give the number 
 in the list of 100 words without a single mistake, but 
 could also tell every number in connection with every 
 word in the Vllth Chapter of this book. They ex- 
 pressed themselves perfectly delighted with the sim- 
 plicity of the system and the entertainment it afford- 
 ed to the mind. 
 
 There is absolutely no hard study nor severe 
 mental strain required. It affords a pleasant mental 
 recreation. 
 
 The question is often asked, “ Will it help me to 
 remember names, or to recognize a friend after a first 
 introduction ? ” T<^ this we answer, It will.” The 
 
 mere recollection of numbers and dates or historical 
 events, is only a part of the advantages gained by the 
 study of this system. The exercise of the memory in 
 one direction will give it vigor and strength in every 
 6 
 
82 
 
 LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 direction. By this we learn to fix the attention on 
 anything we wish to retain. An impression is at 
 once made on the tablet of the memory, and the im- 
 pression remains as surely and indelibly as the ink 
 upon the paper from the pen or type. Some who 
 have witnessed the marvelous feats of memory dis- 
 played by those who have practically tested this sys- 
 tem, have concluded that it must necessarily require a 
 tedious course of hard study to become proficient in it. 
 This is not the case. In a few hours one can become 
 fully acquainted with the principles of the system; 
 and in proportion as these principles are applied in 
 exercising the memory, by so much the more will the 
 memory gain strength. The strength of the memory 
 will have a tendency to impart vigor to the entire 
 physical organization. It is the neglect to exercise 
 that enfeebles the noblest faculties of our nature. No 
 wonder persons become restless, sleepless and nerv. 
 ous. Our higher nature is suppressed and buried 
 under the rubbish and care for a mere animal exist- 
 ence, and the bodily appetites are gratified by the 
 luxuries of animal life, while the soul is hungry for 
 higher enjoyments, and the memory is ready to 
 store away our accumulated treasure of intellectual 
 wealth, if we wfill only make such repairs and ar- 
 rangements as will give this noble faculty a fair 
 opportunity to act its proper part in the mysterious 
 operations of our complex nature. 
 
 There is no department of scientific study in which 
 this system may not be turned to a good account. 
 The minister of the gospel going to a new charge 
 
LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 83 
 
 and among strangers, is very anxious to recollect 
 the members of his charge, and often feels embar- 
 rassed because he cannot do so to the extent of his 
 desire. In applying the rules laid down in this work 
 he will find great assistance in this direction. As 
 soon as he hears the name let him associate it with 
 some familiar object, animate or inanimate. Is it 
 Daniels? Let him think of Daniel in the lion’s den; 
 for Jones, let him think of Jonah and the whale; for 
 Smith, think of a blacksmith; for Abraham, think of 
 a broiled ham; for Fowler, think of shooting prairie 
 chickens; for Parkhurst, think of pie crust; for War- 
 ren, think of war on anything wrong; for Miller, 
 think of flour and bread ; for Willing, think of con- 
 sent; for Burns, think of barns; for Freeman, think 
 of a former slave; for Thomas, think of going to a 
 ?nass ffieeting ; for Stowe, think of stoiHng books; 
 for Cranston, think of a grand stone in a building; 
 for Bristol, think of a bright star in the stellar world. 
 These illustrations are given to show how objects 
 may be associated with names in almost endless 
 variety, by which names can be called up at pleasure. 
 
 Again, the characters of persons and qualities of 
 things may easily be fixed in the memory. Daniel 
 may be a hero or a coward. The whale may take in 
 a small specimen. The smith may have a large shop 
 or a small corner with a tack hammer. A broiled 
 ham may be good or bad. A fowler may shoot large 
 game in great quantities, or only a few snipes. A 
 pie crust may be made of good material and repre- 
 sent a generous nature, or it may be made of stale 
 
84 
 
 LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 flour, rancid lard, bad eggs, over baked, and repre- 
 sent a man of sour disposition, short, crusty and ill- 
 natured. A miller may make good or poor flour. 
 A store may be filled with good books or poor trash. 
 A grand stone may be a grindstone to keep things 
 sharp. By these suggestions you see how one thing 
 may be attached to another, like you attach a label to 
 goods to be readily recognized among thousands of 
 packages. Either by similarity or dissimilarity we 
 can easily learn to remember things. 
 
 To recollect faces, when you are introduced to a 
 person, fix your mind upon the features and associate 
 the name with some one you have been acquainted 
 with, and associate the name with some other familiar 
 name or object. The great difficulty arises from a 
 want of especial attention. To look at a person or to 
 hear a name or narrative with comparative indiffer- 
 ence is a sure way to forget. For instance: You are 
 introduced to John Smith; you may immediately 
 conclude he does not look like the Smith I saw at 
 such and such a place, or he may look very much 
 like him. In either case the association will enable 
 you to call up the name when you see the person 
 again. We use the name Smith as a familiar name 
 for illustration that will apply to any other name. 
 The want of attention and association makes a de- 
 fective memory, while especial attention and the asso- 
 ciation of one thing with another improves the 
 memory. 
 
CHAPTER XII. 
 
 DISTANCE BY WATER FROM NEW YORK TO FOREIGN 
 PORTS. 
 
 Alexandria, Egypt, 5,095. 
 
 All eggs from the country of the Nile would make a 
 
 Loose pile. 
 
 5.095 
 
 Amsterdam, Holland, 3,530. 
 
 A 7 naster dam across a stream could not keep away 
 
 A mill mouse. 
 
 3.530 
 
 Bermudas, West Indies, 680. 
 
 Burn meadows among savages and you will scare 
 the Chiefs. 
 
 680 
 
 Bombay, India, 1 1,555. 
 
 Boo?n away with your bomb shells and show your- 
 self Totally loyal. 
 
 11.555 
 
 Bordeaux, France, 3,334. 
 
 Burdocks have burrs that stick to any clothes accord- 
 ing to the best of My memory. 
 
 3.334 
 
86 
 
 LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 Brussels, Belgium, 3,418. 
 
 Bruise eels to death and you stop then forever from 
 having a Merry dive. 
 
 3418 
 
 Cape of Good Hope, Africa, 6,840. 
 
 Keep in good hopes ^ and from all the flowers you 
 look for, you may find the Chief rose. 
 
 6,840 
 
 Cape Horn, South America, 7,000. 
 
 A cap on a horn would be as singular as a cap on a 
 tail, and both would be insufficient to warm a 
 
 Case icy. 
 7,000 
 
 Constantinople. Turkey, 5,154. 
 
 A constant trader in staple goods should not be a 
 
 Low dealer. 
 
 5.15+ 
 
 Copenhagen, Denmark, 3,650. 
 
 To cope with hunger would not be so bad if we were 
 not 
 
 Mushless. 
 
 3.650 
 
 Calcutta, India, 13,510. 
 
 Cold cats will freeze if you put them in a cold 
 
 Wooden lighthouse. 
 
 12,510 
 
 Canton, China, 14,105. 
 
 Can towns be made to prosper where merchandise 
 have a 
 
 Tardy sale. 
 
LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 87 
 
 Gibraltar, Spain, 3,290. 
 
 A gib and not a halter will suit the runaway sailor 
 when he sees a Man pass. 
 
 3^290 
 
 Glasgow, Scotland, 2,934. 
 
 A glass blower steady at his work is No bummer, 
 
 2,934 
 
 Halifax, Nova Scotia, 563. 
 
 A hill fox will escape from the hounds unless you 
 get near enough to Lash him. 
 
 563 
 
 Havana, Cuba, i ,275. 
 
 Have any of your threads been found in a 
 
 Tangle. 
 
 L275 
 
 Lima, Peru, 11,312. 
 
 Limar beans would make a nice dish for a 
 
 Tidy maiden. 
 11,312 
 
 Lisbon, Portugal, 3,184. 
 
 Lizzids bonnet did not suit her and it had to be 
 
 Made over. 
 3.184 
 
 London, England, 3,376. 
 
 Alone down in a hovel in this great city might make a 
 
 Home mawkish. 
 
 3.376 
 
 Liverpool, England, 3,080. 
 
 To live and full through danger 
 
 May save us. 
 3,080 
 
88 
 
 LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 Madras, British India, 11,840. 
 
 Meadow grass in swamps would not make a 
 
 Tide furious. 
 1 1 ,840 
 
 Naples, Italy, 4,327. 
 
 No a^fles for an Italian fruit peddler would make 
 him as stubborn as an old Roman neck. 
 
 4^327 
 
 Pekin, China, 15,325. 
 
 A pecking hen might scare a little Chinaman, but 
 not an American Tall manly* 
 
 15^325 
 
 St.John, Newfoundland, 785. 
 
 St. yohn found land enough to travel over, but in 
 his race was a 
 
 Weak fellow. 
 
 785 
 
 St. Petersburg, Russia, 4,432. 
 
 St. Peter does not want a follower of his teaching to 
 be a 
 
 Rear man. 
 
 4432 
 
 Sandwich Islands, 7,150. 
 
 The sand which is scorched by the burning sun 
 makes the air so hot that a man can go 
 
 Coatless. 
 
 7.150 
 
 San Francisco, California, 18,843. 
 
 Send PranPs sister to the man on a 
 
 Tough farm. 
 18,843 
 
LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 89 
 
 Shanghai, China, 14,510. 
 
 High shanks could not be exchanged for 
 
 Dear lots. 
 14,510 
 
 Stockholm, Sweden, 4,075. 
 
 A stocking with a hole does not make the wearer a 
 
 Rascal. 
 
 4.075 
 
 Valparaiso, Chili, 4,813. 
 
 A valiant prisoner on the wrong side of a question 
 could not 
 
 Refute me. 
 4»Si3 
 
 Vera Cruz, Mexico, 2,185. 
 
 Very curious that this old city is 
 
 Not full. 
 2,185 
 
 Vienna, Austria, 4,095. 
 
 Why any people should be hungry if they can find 
 a large 
 
 R ice pile, 
 
 4.095 
 
 Yokohama, Japan, 7,533. 
 
 Vou come home from heathen lands and you may 
 have a 
 
 Clean home. 
 
 7.523 
 
 Reading these formulas over a few times so as to 
 recollect the distance of each place named in the 
 above list. This affords a pleasant and amusing 
 exercise for the student in mental gymnastics. 
 
CHAPTER XIIL 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS HOMOPHONOUS FORMULAS, 
 GIVING NUMBERS. 
 
 INTERESTING BIBLE FACTS. 
 
 The Bible contains 3,566,480 letters. 
 
 By a bill we might secure a 
 
 Militia watcher office. 
 
 3,566,480 
 
 It contains 773,765 words. 
 
 The word is 
 
 Go, come casually. 
 
 It contains 31,173 verses. 
 
 Far sees the hunter who expects 
 
 Immediate game. 
 
 3bi73 
 
 It contains 1,139 chapters. 
 
 The chap tears his hands if he attempts to scrub 
 
 Without a mop. 
 
 i>i39 
 
 “And” occurs 46,277 times. 
 
 Andrew was not in haste when he made his 
 
 Irish nag walk. 
 46,277 
 
 (90) 
 
LESSONS ON MEMORY, 
 
 ‘‘ Lord ” occurs 1,855 times. 
 The Lord den:jands our 
 
 9 ^ 
 
 Youthful will. 
 
 LENGTH OF SOME OF THE PRINCIPAL RIVERS OF 
 THE WORLD, 
 
 Rhine, in Europe, 960 miles. 
 
 Rye in leaky vessels will run out unless you put on 
 
 Patches. 
 
 960 
 
 Colorado, N. A., 1,060 miles. 
 
 Collar a doe and her mate may give you a 
 
 Dizzy chase. 
 1,060 
 
 Columbia, N. A., 1,200 miles. 
 
 Column by column would be useless if made like a 
 
 Wooden ice house. 
 
 1,200 
 
 Don, Europe, 1,300 miles. 
 
 Done and finished. It bears its freight like 
 
 Tame asses. 
 1,300 
 
 Amur, Asia, 1,500 miles. 
 
 A mere river is of more importance to commerce 
 flian a Tall Swiss. 
 
 1,500 
 
 Red River, N. A., 1,600 miles. 
 
 A red rover^ like an Indian, would eat his game 
 and never look for Dish sauce. 
 
 1,600 
 
92 
 
 LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 Danube, Europe, 1,725 miles. 
 
 Dan^you be careful with your bare feet; you might 
 tramp on a 
 
 Tack nail. 
 
 1.725 
 
 Rio Grande, N. A., 1,800 miles. 
 
 Rye or grain of any kind might make the specu- 
 lator appear to have 
 
 Two faces. 
 1 ,800 
 
 Arkansas, N. A., 2,000. 
 
 Are kanes when young and tender good to eat with 
 
 Wine sauces. 
 3,000 
 
 St. Lawrence, N. A., 2,200. 
 
 Low rents for saints and you will hear 
 
 No noises. 
 3,200 
 
 Mackenzie, N. A., 3,300 miles. 
 
 Mike can see many dears along this river, but 
 
 No misses. 
 3,300 
 
 Congo, Africa, 3,400 miles. 
 
 Ton can go diwA join the great Bishop Taylor, but 
 in that far-off land you may find 
 
 No roses. 
 2,400 
 
 Niger, Africa, 3,000 miles. 
 
 A nigro might sail down this river and turn his 
 craft to 
 
 Misuses. 
 
 3,000 
 
LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 93 
 
 Missouri, N. A., 3,000 miles. 
 
 Misery often follows Misuses. 
 
 3,000 
 
 Amazon, S. A., 3,750 miles. 
 
 Amazing^ said the tippler to his friend, you have taken 
 
 My glass. 
 
 3.75^ 
 
 Mississippi, N. A., 3,160 miles. 
 
 Miss is sifting your broth and leaves you noth- 
 ing but 
 
 Meat ashes. 
 3,160 
 
 Nile, Africa, 5,100 miles. 
 
 No ill can come to one who has remedy for 
 
 All diseases. 
 5,100 
 
 COMPARATIVE POPULATION OF THE PRINCIPAL 
 COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD. 
 
 Austria, Hungary, 37,741,434. 
 
 An oyster hungry man might 
 
 Make a krout rhymei. 
 
 37.741434 
 
 France, 46,922,048. 
 
 Franks if you have fears, keep your 
 
 War ship in nice reef. 
 
 46,922,048 
 
 German Empire, 45,234,061. 
 
 Cheer a 7 nan who has arisen so high that he can 
 
 Rule no more as shoddy. 
 
94 
 
 LESSONS ON M^IMORY. 
 
 United States, 50,155,783. 
 
 A statesinan meeting his foe would 
 
 Always ideally cuff him. 
 
 5o,i55>783 
 
 Empire of Russia, 100,372,560. 
 
 Rush in and ask the Emperor’s chief man if he 
 
 Does his home canal choose. 
 
 100,372,560 
 
 Empire of Great Britain, 253,521,755. 
 
 A great bright one is the queen whose empire has 
 
 No lame land galley law. 
 
 253,521,755 
 
 Chinese Empire, 434,600,000. 
 
 China ware is used by all nations where 
 
 Rumor chooses essays. 
 
 434,600,000 
 
 COMPARATIVE HEIGHT OF SOME OF THE PRINCIPAL 
 SPIRES IN THE WORLD. 
 
 Cathedral of Cologne, Germany, 511 feet. 
 
 Catharine called on her friends on 
 
 Lady day. 
 
 St. Stephen’s, Vienna, Austria, 470 feet. 
 
 Send Stephen away in to oversee the 
 
 Workhouse. 
 
 470 
 
 Strasburg, Germany, 468 feet. 
 
 Strawberries are a choice fruit, but for a lawyer 
 would not be a Rich fee. 
 
 468 
 
LESSONS ON MEMORY, 
 
 95 
 
 St. Peter’s, at Rome, 448 feet. 
 
 Send Peter to the top of this steeple when the air is 
 so light you need want it to Rarefy. 
 
 448 
 
 Notre Dame, Antwerp, Belgium, 442 feet. 
 
 Not to me nor to thern^ but to the old hero that is 
 
 % 
 
 Warworn. 
 
 442 
 
 St. Paul’s, London, England, 365 feet. 
 
 Send Paul up in a London fog and you might give 
 
 Him a chill. 
 
 365 
 
 Hotle de Ville, Brussels, Belgium, 364 feet. 
 
 A hotel in a village may be kept by a 
 
 Major. 
 
 364 
 
 Trinity church, N. Y., United States, 284 feet. 
 
 Pry on a tie of silk, for we have 
 
 No fur. 
 284 
 
 NUMBERS OF THE DIFFERENT CREEDS OF THE 
 WORLD. 
 
 As it is difficult to form words to represent so 
 many ciphers as are required to express millions, 
 the letter M is added to indicate million and to aid 
 the memory. 
 
 Parsees, principally in Asia, 1,000,000. 
 
 Par sees the man who looks into the sky without a 
 
 Hat. 
 
96 
 
 LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 Jews, 7 M. 
 
 A yew is as well satisfied under his own vine and fig 
 tree as under an 
 
 Oak. 
 7 M. 
 
 Brahminical Hindoo^s, I20 M. 
 
 Broom in a celL The want of it I Witness. 
 
 120 M. 
 
 Mohammedans, 122 M. 
 
 More ho 7 ne fnaidens might tell what room to 
 
 Dine in. 
 122 M. 
 
 Aboriginal tribes, 227 M. 
 
 An arbor in general is much better than 
 
 No awning. 
 227 M. 
 
 Christians, 388 M. < 
 
 A Christian once established in his faith will not 
 often 
 
 Move off. 
 388 M. 
 
 Buddhists, Shintos, and followers of Confucius, 482 M. 
 Buds shine before they open into bloom if not 
 nipped by a 
 
 Raven* 
 482 M^ 
 
 The foregoing illustrations will enable the student 
 of this system to construct formulas by which dates 
 and numbers may easily be fixed in the memory. 
 
CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 THE LATCH-STRING TO MEMORY’S STOREHOUSE. 
 
 “You will find the latch-strings out at my house,” 
 was a common expression among the early settlers of 
 this country who lived in log cabins, and the only 
 fastening they had to their doors was a latch inside, 
 to which a string was fastened, and a small hole in 
 the door through which the string was passed to the 
 outside. A pull at the string would lift the latch and 
 open the door, and drawing the string to the inside 
 was equivalent to bolting the door. The expression, 
 “You will find the latch-string out,” was the same as 
 saying, “You can come into my house whenever you 
 see proper to do so.” Now we invite you to pull the 
 latch-string of memory’s storehouse, and walk in and 
 see the beautiful arrangement this storekeeper has, to 
 put everything in its proper place, and how readily 
 everything can be found and recognized as the very 
 identical thing you have been looking for. The pro- 
 cess by which you find the string, and open the door 
 is so simple and easy, that any one can do it. Some 
 have been friglitened from studying these memory 
 lessons, under the impression that it required some 
 terrible effort of the mind, similar to solving some 
 great mathematical problem, so that instead of mak- 
 
 ( 97 ) 
 
98 
 
 LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 ing the effort, they have turned away with the idea 
 that they could never comprehend the mysterious 
 problem. Now we will endeavor to convince you 
 that there is nothing mysterious or difficult about it. 
 
 It is as simple as the alphabetical arrangement of 
 letter boxes in a postoffice, or as going into a well- 
 regulated house, where the lady of the house can 
 point to every piece of furniture, every picture on the 
 wall, and call them all by name; or find every article 
 of clothing, and everything in its proper place in the 
 kitchen and cooking department. 
 
 Surely this does not require hard study, but simply 
 a system of orderly arrangement which soon be- 
 comes a pleasure instead of a burdensome task. 
 
 It is the office of the memory to keep a place for 
 everything and everything in its proper place, so 
 marked on the tablet of the memory as to designate 
 it by its name or its nature at any time. 
 
 This system of memory culture does not propose 
 to enable any one by some magic or mysterious 
 bound, immediately to pass from a defective memory 
 to a good memory. This would be unreasonable. 
 We only propose to give rules for the improve- 
 ment of the memory whicli, if carefully followed, 
 will certainly lead to this desirable result. 
 
 Some have evidently procured the first edition of 
 this book — Mental Gymnastics — under the mis- 
 taken idea that they would only have to read the 
 book through and immediately find themselves in t!ie 
 possession of a good memory. 
 
 The following extracts from letters received on this 
 
LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 99 
 
 subject show how erroneous the views of some are 
 in reference to this matter. A minister of the Gospel, 
 who had the lirst edition, writes: have read your 
 
 book through, and do not see that I can recollect my 
 sermons or lectures any better now than I could 
 before I read the book.” 
 
 An attorney at law writes: ‘‘I thought by reading 
 your book I would find the secret of retaining in my 
 memory everything pertaining to my profession ; but 
 my memory is no better now than it was before I 
 read the book.” 
 
 These are specimens of numerous letters received 
 on this subject from those who had the first edition. 
 
 The object is to give plain directions for the 
 gradual and successful training of the memory, and 
 to strengthen it by such a process of exercise as not to 
 become wearisome nor exhausting to the mental 
 faculties. 
 
 In the act of calling up one thing by comparing it 
 with some other and more familiar thing, we 
 strengthen this noble and too often neglected faculty 
 of the human soul. 
 
 Pei sons have frequently told me that they could 
 not recollect anything, and these same persons on a 
 single trial, in a few minutes, would commit to mem- 
 ory the alphabetical arrangement of letters represent- 
 ing figures on page 21. If we can only get our ideas 
 down to the extreme simplicity of the process, we 
 find an easy task before us. When I commence with 
 my pupils, I tell them that they can certainly recollect 
 that o, or cipher, represents zero, and when standing 
 
lOO 
 
 LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 alone represents nothing; and when it is added to 
 the figure i it makes lo, and so on through all the 
 figures from i to 9. 
 
 The sound of z or s always represents o. The 
 small printed t certainly looks like the figure i.. 
 Now this you cannot forget. The small printed n 
 has two strokes, and this represents the figure 2. 
 Now here the memory retains the comparison, 
 t, 1, n, 2, Again, the letter m has three strokes, and 
 represents 3. The r is the last letter of the word 
 four, and always represents the figure 4. Now 
 repeat this over a few times and you have it com- 
 pletely fixed in the memory. 
 
 Then proceed to the letter 1 . This, in the Roman 
 numeration represents 50, but you leave off the o, 
 and you have 5. Now repeat a number of times over, 
 
 1 for 5, and you will soon have it fixed in your 
 memory to remain. Next take the letter j, and it 
 this is reversed, we have a resemblance to the figure 
 6. Now repeat it in the same way. 
 
 The k when turned upside down resembles the 
 figure 7, and it also looks like a key when upside 
 down. Here you have a picture of the figure 7. 
 
 The figure 8 looks like an elongated written f, 
 and therefore f represents 8. The p reversed resem- 
 bles the figure 9, and therefore always represents 9. 
 
 Now turn to pages 22 and 23 and read and study 
 carefully what is said there in reference to phonetic 
 Sounds. 
 
 Tiiese rules being understood it will be an easy 
 matter to give the numbers of every word on pages 
 24 and 25. 
 
LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 lOI 
 
 Remember the vowels and the letters, h, w and y 
 have no numerical value. 
 
 The student will now he prepared to give the num- 
 bers standing before the words in Chapters VII. and 
 VIII. When these are well understood, then the 
 formulas in the different chapters may be studied, 
 and the learner will soon be able to construct forms 
 of words and sentences so as to represent numbers, 
 and this habit once formed will enable one to retain 
 any desirable number of figures in the memory. 
 
 The question is frequently asked, ‘‘What is the 
 advantage of all this process of fixing numbers and 
 figures in the memory?” To this we reply: When 
 memory is strengthened in one direction, it gains 
 equal strength in every direction. If you ask the in- 
 valid with feeble limbs and debilitated muscles why 
 he engages in physical gymnastics, he will tell you 
 that this gives him strength to labor at anything he 
 may wish to undertake. Exercise, if not too violent 
 and exhausting, gives strength to body and mind. 
 But this exercise must be well and carefully directed, 
 and especially so in mental processes. A confusion 
 of ideas may crowd the mind, and without a sys- 
 tematic arrangement to store away everything in its 
 proper place, the result would be similar to throwing 
 all kinds of goods and wares into one common pile 
 where everything would be in confusion and nothing 
 could be found, only as a mere matter of accident or 
 chance. It is this confusion of our thoughts; this 
 want of a proper classification that has such an injuri- 
 ous effect upon our physical nature in advanced years 
 
103 
 
 LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 that brings on premature decay, and contributes much 
 toward increasing the infirmities of old age. 
 
 Keep the latch-string of your memory’s storehouse 
 out. Invite deposits from every direction; mark and 
 label these deposits. Place them so that you can find 
 them at a moment’s notice. The vigor of your 
 memory will add vigor to your physical man- 
 hood and womanhood. It will help to smooth the 
 wrinkles of the furrowed bi'ow and drive away the 
 gloomy forebodings that often hang like a spectral 
 cloud over the horizon of our vision as we are ad- 
 vancing in years. 
 
 I have myself received incalculable benefits from 
 this memory culture, and that which I have realized 
 in my own case, may be obtained by others. It is» 
 however, difficult to make some people understand 
 that this, as all other mental improvements, is a mat- 
 ter of gradual growth. The law of association by 
 which we call to mind some things by their similar- 
 ity to other things may be so studied and practiced 
 that almost anything can be remembered by an asso- 
 ciation with some similar thing. See Chapter XL, 
 page 8o. Carefully study this chapter. 
 
 Some of the letters received from persons who 
 have purchased the book plainly indicate that they 
 have not read the instructions it contains. Perhaps 
 after reading a few pages they concluded that by 
 some magical process their memory should at once 
 be capable of retaining the contents of a sermon or a 
 lecture. 
 
 The following letter is one among many of a 
 
LESSONS ON MEMORY. I03 
 
 similar kind showing how little attention is given to 
 the plain rules laid down for the gradual improve- 
 ment of the miemory. The writer says: “I pur- 
 chased one of your books on Mental Gymnastics. 
 I do not seem to comprehend it. I cannot see how 
 by taking the words and figures I can remember a 
 sermon or a lecture, or remember what I read. I 
 cannot see what connection there is in ''Somerville^ 
 Mass., 21,929 and some are well^ in places where 
 they could not hob nob 21,929.’ ” 
 
 Now if the person asking the above question, had 
 read the remarks at the commencement of Chapter 
 IX,, page 57, he would have seen that these formulas 
 are given to exercise the memory to give it strength, 
 not only by the law of association, but by homopho- 
 netic sounds as well. 
 
 For instance, we wish to recollect the number of 
 inhabitants in the town of Somerville, Mass. We 
 look for some word or phrase that sounds like Som- 
 erville; and we write ^'‘Some are welV'' Now is there 
 not a sufficient similarity between So 7 nerville and 
 some are %vell so that when you hear one you can 
 call up the other, and the effort to do so gives a good 
 exercise to the memory. To recollect the number of 
 inhabitants you select a sentence to which you can 
 attach a word that gives you the number without the 
 chance of a mistake. Hence the phrase some are 
 well^ in places where they could not hob nob. 
 
 Now the words not hob nob gives the number 
 21,929. An effort to commit these phrases to mem- 
 ory will gradually strength the memory and enlarge 
 its capacity in every direction. 
 
104 
 
 LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 Again, some of my correspondents have asked how 
 to memorize the numbers of the lines in The Cata- 
 ract of Lodore^ page 32. 
 
 This is easily done by the law of association. The 
 following is an illustration in connection with the 100 
 words and numbers on page 24 and 35 to number 70: 
 
 1. Hat, a fine silk hat sparkles — 
 
 2. Honey lies darkling in the beehive. 
 
 3. Home chimney smoking — at home. 
 
 4. Hero causes tumult in war. 
 
 5. Hill hastens down from the hill, along — 
 
 6. Hush your striking and raging — 
 
 7. Hack will carry you from the waging war. 
 
 8. Hoof of the horse among caverns and locks. 
 
 9. Hip and this makes him leap. 
 
 10. Woods, you may sink or creep through wood. 
 
 11. Tide swelling tide will fling things. 
 
 12. Tin cans are used for showering plants. 
 
 13. Tame things will not run back in eddies. 
 
 14. Deer a deer may be sporting and frisky. 
 
 15. A dale among hills may turn and twist. 
 
 16. Dish, a dish of fruit may turn and twist, pass 
 around and around. 
 
 17. Deck, on deck of a war ship there will be 
 collecting. 
 
 18. Dove may rebound from its fall when shot. 
 
 :(. Top. The smiting and fighting man on top. 
 
 20. News if good is what we delight in. 
 
 21. Want of things are confounding and as- 
 tounding. 
 
 22. None need be dizzy if at a distance. 
 
LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 105 
 
 23. Name a man Read and give him speed, 
 
 24. Near danger is shocking, 
 
 35. Nail keep things from parting, 
 
 26. Inch of thread cannot spread — 
 
 27. Ink and pen may cause a hissing. 
 
 28. Knife cut into a cup of water causes dripping. 
 
 39. A nap may be brightening to the sleepy. 
 
 30. A mouse wet may be quivering and shivering. 
 
 31. A mouth cannot be used for hitting and 
 splitting. 
 
 32. A man should not seek to be shine nor 
 twining. 
 
 33. A mummy may rattle but cannot be battling. 
 
 34. Merry men are neither shaking nor quaking, 
 
 35. Mill will run by water pouring and roaring. 
 
 36. Match-making requires neither waving nor 
 raving. 
 
 37. Make a tossing at the crossing. 
 
 38. Move the flowing keep the growing. 
 
 39. Map-makers are often running and stunning. 
 
 40. Horse in a hurry but not scurrilous. 
 
 41. A road is not glittering or flattering. 
 
 42. Rain from gathering and feathering clouds. 
 
 43. Room for dinning and spinning. 
 
 44. A warrior may be foaming and roaming. 
 
 45. A railway be dropping and a frog hopping. 
 
 46. An Irishman at work may give a jerk. 
 
 47. A rock may be heaving before cleaving. 
 
 48. A roof is not a suitable place when thun- 
 dering. 
 
 49. A harp may send a little fellow sprawling. 
 
io6 
 
 LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 50. A lass may go driving — 
 
 51. A lady sprinkling — 
 
 52. xA lawn may have sounding boards. 
 
 53. An elm tree near which a spring is bubbling. 
 
 54. A lawyer may be diving into matters — 
 
 55. A lily in the pond may make men grumble — 
 
 56. A lash may make a clattering — 
 
 57. An elk with smooth hours may be gleaning — 
 
 58. A loaf may make the hungry go rushing — 
 
 59. A leap may cause flapping — 
 
 60. A cheese is made round by whirling — 
 
 61. Shoot before heating and retreating — 
 
 62. A chain may cause delaying — 
 
 63. A gem may cause advancing — 
 
 64. A cherry cannot recoil nor turmoil — 
 
 65. Jelly comes down thumping — 
 
 66. Shash or sash is worn by a dashing fellow — 
 
 67. Cheek, no ending to cheeky men — 
 
 68. Chaff blown from a windmill sounds and 
 motions. 
 
 69. Ship, ships in the harbor make an uproar. 
 
 70. A kiss does not come down in this way, but 
 gently and quietly. 
 
 Here the learner will find the numerical words 
 from I to 70 as they are arranged on pages 34 and 25, 
 and corresponding with these are some woids from 
 the lines opposite the numbers which will enable any 
 one to find the lines belonging to the different num- 
 bers. A little patient and persevering study will 
 make this exercise plain and interesting. All we 
 want is the word that serves as a latch -string to open 
 
LESSONS ON MEMORY, I07 
 
 the door and lead us to the information we want on 
 any subject. The lessons here given are not mere 
 theories without demonstration; but these rules have 
 been carefully applied and practiced by the writer 
 who can repeat every figure, number, and date of 
 events in this book on hearing the formulas, and on 
 hearing the word in Chapter VIL and» VIIL will 
 give every number correctly included in those ten 
 pages. In this statement there is no exaggeration or 
 mistake. 
 
 Any one of ordinary capacity and intelligence, by 
 a little application in leisure moments will be able to 
 do the same thing by following the plain directions 
 laid down in this book. 
 
CHAPTER XV. 
 
 FINAL DIRECTIONS FOR STUDYING MENTAL 
 • GYMNASTICS. 
 
 After having become perfectly familiar with the 
 alphabetical arrangement of the letters giving num- 
 bers and the numerical value of letters having similar 
 articulations as explained on pages 32 and 23, it will 
 be an easy matter and a pleasant task to form phrases 
 commencing with a word that has a sound similar to 
 the object you wish to remember, and close with the 
 numerical word. For illustration see Chaj^ters XII. 
 and XIII. The numerical word is always placed at 
 the end of the sentence or phrase, and standing alone 
 and below the line of the foregoing. 
 
 If I were to write a large volume I could not 
 make the instructions plainer and more readily un- 
 derstood. 
 
 The student of this system of memory culture 
 must banish from his mind the idea that there is 
 something mysterious or difficult of comprehension 
 about this. It is a plain, simple process of strength- 
 ing this noble faculty of our higher manhood. The 
 only difficulty in the way of success is a too hasty 
 glance over the wmrk, and an equally hasty conclu- 
 sion that it is above the comprehension of common 
 minds. Study one thing* after another, and do not 
 
LESSONS ON MEMORY. 
 
 109 
 
 attempt to comprehend the whole subject at a mere 
 glance. 
 
 With the first effort in the lesson on page 21, you 
 will find your memory gradually gaining strength, 
 and as you progress you will wake up to a new vigor 
 of mind and body. 
 
 It is this unnecessary yielding to the idea that be- 
 cause we are advancing in years we must necessarily 
 break down, and wither in body and mind. Confi- 
 dence in our ability to rise, in a good degree, over 
 th.e wasting influences of time will give us new 
 strength, and have a tendency to prolong our earthly 
 existence. 
 
 We do not claim to have found the secret of per- 
 petual youth, but we do claim, most emphatically, 
 to have discovered a mental process, which if adopted 
 and followed out according to these instructions, will 
 add years full of comfort and enjoyment to our 
 earthly existence. 
 
 Objections are frequently urged by those who have 
 not carefully studied the subject. We are sometimes 
 told that it is as difficult to remember these formulas 
 and rules as to remember anything without them. 
 
 To this we reply. That the law of association, or 
 of comparing one thing with another, or calling to 
 mind one thing by recollecting something that resem- 
 bles it in sound or form, will give strength to the 
 memory and will so impress it that it is not easily 
 forgotten. See illustration on page 44. 
 
TESTIMONIAL'S. 
 
 The following testimonials will show how this work has been 
 appreciated by those who are competent to judge on this sub- 
 ject; 
 
 Mental Gymnastics; or Lessons on Memory. By Adam 
 Miller, M. D., auihor of “ Life in Other Worlds,” *'• Plain 
 Talk to the Sick,” ‘‘Mistakes of Doctors,” “ Laconography,” 
 etc. Price, $1.00 
 
 As the title implies, this book is designed to sugge.-t and 
 illustrate methods by which w'hat the author justly calls “the 
 noble faculty of memory ’’ may be strengthened and improved 
 in its processes. The system is of such a nature as not to be 
 understood from any such brief account of it as we can give 
 liere. Dr. Miller will forward his book by mail to any per&on 
 sending him the price, and accompany it with wTitten instruc 
 tions, which furnish a guide iii its use. The system employed 
 avails itself of that power of associating ideas which is one of 
 those properties of the mind of which every one must be more 
 or less conscious To w'hat extent this can be used as a disci- 
 pline and help to the memory, we ourselves have leari:ed, 
 somewhat, by experience. Dr. Miller is one of those men w ho 
 take delight in bringing recondite things to the surface, and in 
 making obscure tilings plain. Whatever of success he achieves 
 in his present undertaking to that end and in giving help and 
 stimulus to memory 'where it needs discipline, wdll be a leal 
 beriefit to those who may enjoy his instructions. — The Standard. 
 
 Dr. Adam IMii’er, a W' H-l^uown and venerable member of 
 the medical profession m this cdy, has just published a little 
 work en iiled ‘Mental GymnastiC', or Le-i-ous on Jilemory ” 
 He does not claim to have originated an entirely new- system < f 
 mnemon'es, but does claim to have simplified some oi the old 
 and complex systems, and by arranging new and 01 iginal for- 
 mulas, lo h.av ' brought the subjec t within the comprehension 
 of ord nary minds, 'i he Doctor is himselt a convincing witness 
 of the us. fulne.-s and value of his system of memory culture, 
 and, thou d) he has passed the yfifh mile.‘«tone in his life’s pil- 
 grimage, his memory is much stronger and more reliable than 
 it was in ita earlier years — the result, he claims, of the training- 
 recommended in the pages of his book. Teachers, and persons 
 of defective memory, will examine Dr. Miller’s treatise wdth 
 iidere&t. — Chicairo Event no- Journal. 
 
 ( 1 10) 
 
TESTIMONIALS. 
 
 I I 1 
 
 Mental Gymnastics. — fiy Adam Miller, M. D., Chicago. 
 This is a thin volume of 112 pages, neatly printed and bound. 
 It is a careful study of mnemonics by improved methods, so 
 simple and easy as to be easily understood. The author, an 
 old man, claims to have a memory more to be trusted by train- 
 ing under this system than even while he was joung. He 
 starts out with the proposition, which is undoubtedly true, that 
 “the rnemory is more susceptible to improvement by proper 
 exercise and training than the body. It is that which possesses 
 the body and is destined to survive its final dissolution and 
 decay. The dweller in the house is more important than the 
 hou e, so the mind of man, of which memory is a part, is < f 
 more importance than the body in which it dwells .” — Chicago 
 lyiter-Ocean. 
 
 The Rev. John O. Foster, pastor of Sheffield avenue M. E. 
 Church, after a lecture was delivered at his church, says: 
 “ Tlie audience was much pleased, and said so by a rising vote 
 of commendation. The Doctor has something new and val- 
 uable” 
 
 Tlie well-known philanthropist, Mrs. Annie Wittenmyer, 
 says: “ It was my privilege to hear a lecture by Dr. Adam 
 Miller on Mental Gymnastics, and I was surprised and pleased 
 at his wonderful power in handling numbers under his simple 
 system of mental culture.” 
 
 Mental Gymnastics, or Lessons on Memory, by Adam 
 Miller, M. D. In 1847 the Doctor, then a very vigorous 
 preacher, visited Boston and preached in a number of our 
 churches with great acceptance. His health failing, for a num- 
 ber of years he has been in the practice of medicine, and is, 
 withal, a diligent and thoughtful student in certain lines of 
 intellectual investigation. He has invented a new grammar of 
 memory — a process of intellectual discipline in the u?.e of ctr 
 tain mnemonics — which he believes will greatly strengthen 
 the memory. In its use, although he is now seventy-seve-', he 
 says his memory is better than when a young man, and diat he 
 can repeat all the figures of his book, which is someth ing 
 amazing. The volume is a thin quarto, with a series of lessons 
 and an interesting essay upon iriemory. — Zion's Herald^ Boston^ 
 Alass. 
 
 We cordially commend it to all persons of failing rnemorv, 
 as the best book obtainable on that subject. — Interior. 
 
 “Mental Gymnastics” is a curious little volume of 
 “ lessons on memory,” by Dr. Adam Miller, of this city. The 
 author emphasizes briefly the value of a’ good memory, one 
 which can be trusted, and then sets forth his plan for cultivat- 
 
I 12 
 
 TESTIMONIALS. 
 
 ing and strengthening the memory by the use of phonetic and 
 homophonetic words for figures, by which dates, numbers, etc., 
 may be readily fixed in the memory, and when certain figures 
 once come to stand for sounds, a combination of figures will 
 stand for a word or a combination of words, etc. The author 
 is correct in holding that “the cultivation of the memcry can 
 only be accomplished by a systematic effort on a well-defined 
 course of instruction,” etc., and when one has succeeded in 
 fixing in memory the principles and met lods of the author s 
 system, he will have made an important advance in that culti- 
 vation. The whole system is founded on the law of association, 
 and hence is logically based, since association lies at the bot- 
 tom of the whole process of remembering, whether consciously 
 or not. The author’s method, then, simply aids i s in getting 
 control, at will, of the agencies unconsciously employed in acts 
 of what may be called spontaneous recollection. It is a system 
 at once ing^ nious and simple . — Chicago Tunes. 
 
 Mental Gymnastics, or Lessons on Memory. By Adam 
 Miller, M. D. Many and various have been the methods de- 
 vised for strengthening and aiding the faculty of memory. 
 This work of Dr Mil'er’s is the latest, and certainly one of the 
 most ingenious. To those having a natural mental bent toward 
 association of ideas, it will undoubtedly be congenial and help- 
 ful, for the system therein set forth is based almost entirely on 
 the law of association, and on this foundation is built up into a 
 veritable memoria technical or artificial memory . — Livuig Church., 
 Chicago. 
 
 “Mental Gymnastics,*’ by Adam Miller, M. D., is a little 
 manual which develops a system of mnemonics. It aims to 
 dispense with a memorandum book by using instead “the tab- 
 let of ihe heart.” By connecting the objects to be remembered 
 with numbers, in a most ingenious and elaborate fashion, it 
 enables any one who familiarizes himself with the system, to 
 carry an immense mass of digested information, ready for pro- 
 duction on demand. By experiment we have tested the author’s 
 mnemonic resources and been moved by them to wonder. — 
 Advance., Chicago, 
 
TESTIMONIALS. 
 
 II3 
 
 We could multiply these favorable notices from the different 
 papers to an indefinite extent, to prove the importance of 
 memory culture. But all theories should be judged by their 
 results more than by the laudations of men. 
 
 A mechanical contrivance that accomplishes the work for 
 which it is made, is pronounced good and valuable. A system 
 of mental training is valued in proportion as it proves itself 
 superior to other systems. No matter how plausible any sys- 
 tem may be in theory, if, upon a fair trial, it does not prove 
 itself successful, it cannot expect public favor and patronage. 
 We should be willing to put any new theory to the test of 
 fairly -conducted experiment, and determine its value by its 
 results. With this view, we bring before the public this newly- 
 arranged system of memory culture, under the appropriate 
 name of “Mental Gymnastics.” 
 
 The benefits resulting from exercising the mind on the 
 problems laid down in this work, are by no means confined to 
 the mere fact of having committed to memory a number of 
 words and figures to an almost incredible extent : but the men- 
 tal training received by the process here recommended, will so 
 strengthen the memory in a general way as to make it more 
 reliable in any department of literature. I have frequently 
 been asked this question : “What good will it do me if I com- 
 mit to memory everything in your book.^” To such question 
 I reply, that the principles there laid down will be to the 
 memory what food is to the body. The process of associating 
 one object with another gives activity to the mind, and be- 
 comes an agreeable exercise, without the severe mental strain 
 in solving mathematical problems. 
 
 In conversation with some friends, to whom I explained the 
 simplicity of the process of fixing numbers in the memory, I 
 
II4 
 
 TESTIMONIALS. 
 
 told them I could easily retain in my memory the two prob- 
 lems of the chess board. The first was to move the knight of 
 the chess board over the sixty-four squares without going 
 twice into the same square, which would take the following 
 numbers: i, ii, 5, 15, 32, 47, 64, 54, 60, 50, 35, 41, 26, 9, 3, 13, 7, 
 24. 39. 56. 62, 45, 30, 20, 37, 22, 28, 38, 21, 36, 19, 25, 10, 4, 14, 8, 
 23. 40. 55 , 61, 51, 57 , 42, 59 , 53 , 63, 48, 31, 16, 6, 12, 2, 17, 34, 49, 
 43 , 58, 52, 46, 29, 44, 27, 33, 18, I. The second problem of the 
 chess board is to multiply a grain of wheat, or geometrically 
 doubling it upon itself from the first square of the chess board 
 down to the sixty-fourth square, giving in grains 33,893,487,- 
 503,174,010,930. Grains in one pound of good wheat, 13,184; 
 in one bushel, 791,040; in one ton, 26,368,000. Dividing the 
 whole number of grains by these different proportions, we 
 have in pounds 2,570,804,573,966,475 ; in bushels, 42,846,742,- 
 899,441 ; in tons, 1,285,402,286,983, which would load as many 
 canal boats at forty-two tons to each boat as 32,135,057,174; or 
 as many ships at three hundred tons to each vessel as 428,467,- 
 289; which would make as many loaves of bread at one pound 
 each as 2,570,804,573,966,475; which would feed the inhabitants 
 of the globe, a Ilowing the number to be i, 000,000,000, at one 
 pound per day, for 7,043 years and 209 days. 
 
 I have written the above calculations from memory, and by 
 comparison find them correct. I can teach any one of ordinary 
 intelligence to do the same thing in a few brief lessons, and to 
 commit any desirable number of figures and numbers to 
 memory. 
 
 The following are additional testimonials from reliable 
 sources. 
 
 Rev. H. W. Bolton, D. D., pastor of the First M. E. Church, 
 Chicago, says: 
 
 The undersigned heard Dr. Adam Miller lecture on Mental 
 Gymnastics or the cultivation and improvement of the mem- 
 ory, and was interested to see him answ’er questions in figures, 
 
TESTIMONIALS. 
 
 II3 
 
 dates and historical events, and especially in moving the 
 knight of the chess board the 64 difterent squares without going 
 twice into the same square, himself knowing nothing about 
 chess playing, it was an effort of memory cultivated and im- 
 proved according to his method. 
 
 Rev. H. W. Bolton. 
 
 The wife of Rev. Dr. Bolton says : 
 
 I was both entertained and profited by Dr. Miller’s lecture 
 on the improvement of the memory. He proved the efficiency 
 of his system by the wonderful manner in which he could 
 give numbers their proper places, making no mistakes. 
 
 Mrs. H. W. Bolton. 
 
 Chicago, March 10, 1887. 
 
 This is to certify that I questioned Dr. Miller in reference to 
 figures, dates and events published in his book, with a view of 
 testing his memory, and I found his answers displayed such a 
 marvelous memory that I at once bought one ot his books on 
 Mental Gymnastics. 
 
 I have known Dr. Miller for over fifteen years, and although 
 he is now 78 years of age, his memory is better to-day than 
 that of most people in the prime of life. I think his system of 
 memory culture would help others in developing a retentive 
 memory. S. W. Packard, 
 
 Law Office of S. W. Packard, Borden Block. 
 
 We, the undersigned, put Dr. A. Miller to some very severe 
 tests in reference to his marvelous memory in figures, numbers, 
 dates, and historical events. He answered our questions 
 promptly and appears to be master of the problems in his book 
 called ‘‘Mental Gymnastics.” Dr. Miller claims that these 
 lessons are easily understood, and every step in the progress 
 of studying them will improve and strengthen the memory. 
 He also claims that a careful cultivation of the memory will 
 keep up the vigor and strength of the body, and to a great ex - 
 tent restore the wasting energies incident to old age. 
 
 Chas. C. Hager, 
 
 J. E. Hodges, 
 
 With Lord & Thomas, 45 Randolph Street. 
 
Laconography or Geometric Shorthand. 
 
 BY ADAM MILLER, M. D. 
 
 Testimonials in favor of this system : 
 
 Rev. Bishop Fallows, D. D., of the Reformed Episcopal 
 Church, says: 
 
 “Although I am not acquainted with the use of any system 
 of shorthand, I have no hesitancy in saying, from what I know 
 of Dr. Adam Miller, as an author and phonographer, and from 
 what I have learned of the success of his method of teaching, 
 that his system of shorthand is worthy the earnest considera- 
 tion of all interested in the art of Phonography.” 
 
 “Dr. Adam Miller — Dear Sir : — I have been taking dic- 
 tated letters since last June — from ten to fifty per day — besides 
 a quantity of other work. I am greatly satisfied with your 
 system of shorthand. I could not have done so well with the 
 old Pitman system. Respectfully yours, 
 
 H. Brooks.” 
 
 Mr. Brooks took only ten lessons and commenced his work 
 immediately after the close of his lessons. 
 
 Rev. Justin A. Smith, D. D., Editor of The Standard^ says: 
 
 “We have known Dr. Miller many years as a man of high 
 intelligence, and of thorough integrity, and of much profes- 
 sional eminence. We have many testimonials to the excel- 
 lence of his method, enabling beginners in shorthand writing 
 to acquire proficiency in a surprisingly short space of time. 
 Persons interested may confide implicitly in Dr. Miller’s repre- 
 sentation of the matter.” 
 
 Sidney Thomas, Esq., President of the Chicago Philosophi- 
 cal Society, says : 
 
 “I take pleasure in stating that I am personally acquainted 
 with Dr. Adam Miller; that I have known him as a member 
 of the Philosophical Society, and have frequently met him 
 socially, and 1 believe him to be a gentleman of unquestioned 
 integrity, and of high honor as a professional man, and a man 
 of letters.” 
 
 ii6 
 
I 
 
 ! 
 
 
5^ ^-Ah0.i