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SCAVENGER

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Originally appearing in Volume V24, Page 306 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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SCAVENGER , now one who cleans the streets, removes refuse, generally a workman employed by the See also:

local public See also:health authority (see PUBLIC HEALTH). The name is properly " scavager " or " scaveger " (the n being intrusive as in " passenger " and " messenger "), an See also:official who was concerned with the See also:receipt of See also:custom duties and the inspection (scavage) of imported goods. The " scavagers " are found with such officials of the See also:City of See also:London as aleconners, beadles, &c., in the See also:Liber Albus (Munimenta Gildhallae Londoniensis, ed. See also:Riley). These officials seem to have been charged also with the cleaning of the streets, and the name superseded the older rakyer for those who performed this See also:duty. See also:Skeat takes " scavage " to be a See also:Low See also:French corruption of " showage," spelled variously as schewage, See also:savage, &c., and, therefore, to be derived from " show," to exhibit for inspection. ' The view that he was See also:consul again in Io8 is disproved by See also:Bloch (see See also:bibliog.). SCAVENGER'S DAUGHTER (corruption of Skevington's or Skevington's Daughter), an See also:instrument of See also:torture in use during the 16th See also:century in See also:England. It was invented by See also:Sir W. Skevington, See also:lieutenant of the. See also:Tower in the reign of See also:Henry VIII. It consisted of a wide See also:iron hoop which by means of screws was tightened See also:round the victim's See also:body until the See also:blood was forced from the See also:nose and ears, and sometimes even from the hands and feet.

End of Article: SCAVENGER

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