CURRENT TOPICS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXXII, Issue 15524, 26 January 1911, Page 6

CURRENT TOPICS.

THEIFTT DIVINES.

Among the names which the almanac of to-day recalls is that of

a remarkable Scottish divine, David Low, who was Bishop of Ross and Argyll. He was the last clergyman in Scotland who acted officially on behalf of the house of Stuart. When he was ordained a deacon of the Episcopal Church of Scotland in 1787, it was the practice of that body to omit from its services the prayers for tho King and the Royal Family, the church still being firmly attached to the fortunes of the house which had forfeited the British Crown nearly a hundred years before. It was not until after the de?.th of the unfortunate Charles Edward in 1783 that the church was induced to pray for King George. By early association and strong religious and political predilection Low was a staunch Jacobite, and Lis knowledge of the history of the Stuarts was unsurpassed. Tho bishop had another claim to celebrity in the extreme simplicity of his life- He never married, and he lived in a room of tne old priory of Pit.tenweem, on the coast of Fife, where he ministered to a congregation for which, eays a contemporary writer, a good dining-room would have furnished tolerably ample accommodation. Ho probably never had an income of more than £IOO a year, but even of this the venerable divine spent so little that on his death on January 26, 1855, it was found that ho had bequeathed about £BOOO to the purposes of the bishopric ho had held so long. The stern simplicity of Bishop Low's life was almost equalled by that of one of his contemporaries, the venerable Dr Jolly, Bishop of Moray. Bishop Jolly lived in a little fishing village in the north-east corner of Aberdeenshire, where only a small congregation gathered round him. His home k described as "a plain two-storey house, such as is common in Scotch towns," the upper storey containing only two apartments. There the worthy prelate passed his life, devoting all the time that could be spared from his ministrations to his flock to the great library he had gathered together. His income was little greater than that of Bishop Low, but his economical habits enabled him to save sufficient money to gratify even his great passion for books. These two remarkable divines did honour to their church by the simple-minded dignity which ruled their lives.

A British Blue Book issued a few weeks ago, embodying the result of exhaustive inquiries made by the Local Government Board on the subject of quack doctors, coi> tains some startling statements. la-

QTA.CVL DOCTOBS.

formation has been gathered from no fewer than sixteen hundred officers of -icalth, stationed in all parts of the United Kingdom, and it has been found that unqualified practitioners axe increasing in- number in eighty-two towns, and that only thirty towns in the United Kingdom are entirely free from them. Cases are reported of smallpox having been treated as chicken-pox, with disastrous results, and as a simple skin disorder. Diphtheria has been diagnosed as mumps, and a case of measles has been treated as one of consumption. Cough-mixtures are shown to have been prescribed indiscriminately for respiratory complaints, their use in cases of tuberculosis or chronic phthisis " entailing delay, thus seriously diminishing the chances of cure." The report also directs attention to "the irretrievable mischief often done by unqualified bone-setters." Dislocations are frequently treated without being reduced, and permanent disablement sometimes follows. Blind faith in patent medicines is strongly condemned, cne medical man stating that on three separate occasions during the year just closed he has treated cases of supposed scarlet fever in which the rash and symptoms were wholly due to the action of certain kidney pills. It is suggested that the composition of all advertised remedies should be stated on the wrapper or label. This precaution was urged by Dr Mason when he was Chief Health Officer here, and wa6 actually embodied in a Bill presented to Parliament, but the proprietors of patent medicines raised such a howl against the betrayal of their secrets that the authorities took fright a.nd ultimately the proposal was withdrawn. It is a remarkable thing that while very few people will accept an unqualified legal opinion, the ordinary individual will readily follow the advice tendered by the quack doctor. It can hardly be that he is more concerned for his pocket than he is for his health.

An incident which occurred during the third test match between the South African and Australian cricket teams gave rise to some discussion. Towards the close of the fifth day's play in Adelaide, when the Australians were at the wickets, Hathorn, ono of the South Africans, was affected by illness, and the captain of the side, Sherwell, asked Hill, the captain of the Australian team, to permit a substitute to field for Hathorn, Commaille being suggested. Hill is said to hare refused the request firmly but courteously on the ground that Hathorn's illness was not the result of injury sustained in the match. The rules of the game proride that " a substitute shall be allowed to field or run between wickets for any player who may during the match bo incapacitated from illness or injury." Hathorn, who was formerly one of the most brillian* in South Africa had been ill early in the tour, and when ho was selected for the test match somo of his friends feared that he would nob be able to stand the strain, and that in the event of his breaking down the eido would bo left short-handed. Hill says himself that ho asked Sherwell whether the request for a substitute was reasonable, and_ Sherwell admitted that it was not, as Hathorn's weakness was due entirely to his previous illness. At the time all tin players wero tired out by their strenuous efforts, and Hill felt himself justified in observing the letter of the law rather than encouraging his opponents by allowing them to make use of a brilliant fieldsman who would be quite fresh. The Australian captain's decision is not without precedent. Moses, the famous Sydney batsman, was choson in 1892 to play for Australia against an English team captained by W. G. Grace, though he was suffering from an injured leg. Grace at once informed Blackham, the Australian captain, that ho would have to take tho risk of Moses breaking down, but in the match a substitute was allowed. Whatever may be the ethics of the incident at Adelaide, it serves to show the keenness of the players, and to emphasise the glory of the South Africans' success.

THE LAWS OF THE GAME.