A QUEER SURVIVAL

Evening Star, Issue 22526, 19 December 1936, Page 2

A QUEER SURVIVAL

’Because of a queer clause in the lease of the premises, the Green Man Public-house, at the corner of Edgware road and Bell street, Marylebone, London, has to dispense eye lotion free with its beer. The reason goes hack to the days of the original “ green man,’ an old herbalist who lived on the site and discovered the healing properties of the water which came from the well there. He bottled it and dispensed it to the poor of the neighbourhood, and so famous it became that his name was perpetuated in the pub-lic-house, and a clause inserted compelling all future tenants to give the eye lotion away on demand. About 30 years ago, with the construction of the Edgware road tube station, the water was diverted and the well dried up. But the then licensee took the precaution of having a portion of his stock analysed, and it became possible to make up the lotion from , the prescription. From the analyst’s report it was found that the water contained zinc deposits, accounting for its soothing effect on the eyes.. People (says the ‘ Sunday Pictorial ’) come from all over England, from Ire- , land, Scotland, and even from Arne-; rica to see if the story of the “ pub ” that gives away eye lotion is true and not just “ eyewash.”