TALES OF BLANCHED HAIR.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVI, Issue 14, 17 January 1912, Page 6

TALES OF BLANCHED HAIR.

It has been, believed, that the case of the fabled Prisoner of Ohillon, whose "hair turned white in a single night," had similar happenings in [real life to lend it credibility. Most of us have heard that Marie Antoinette's hair turned' white during the night before her execution, and that the deeds and terrors of St. Bartholomew's night blanched the hair of Henry IV. ' Few have had the hardihood to doubt that the phenomena actually occurred, but it seems that the time has now come for all to abandon their belief. Stieda, a harcl-headed German scientist, declares boldly that there have been no such eases. He states as one having authority, that such a thing could not possibly happen, and then, not satisfied, adds that it never has happened. With a fine disregard of folk lore, history, and medical literature, he points the finger of doubt, and challenges many long-deceased historians and physicians to arise and prove their stories. He claims that when the hair turns white under ordinary conditions it does so in one or two ways; either the pigmented hairs fall out and are replaced by unpigmented .hairs,, or less commonly, pigment production stops in a growing hair, and the colorless portion gradually replaces the darker outer segment. As the growing of a new crop of hair in a night is a physical impossibility, Stieda discredits all the tales. He analyses the best authenticated stories of such supposed Handlings of hair, and finds them all lacking in support sufficient to meet critical consideration, much less than sufficient to establish an acceptable scientific demonstration. For example, he doubts the story of Marie Antoinette's sudden loss of hair pigmentation, stating that although the Queen certainly was grey at the time of her execution, yet this was no novelty, for she was almost grey nine months before, at the time the King met his sudden end at the hands: of the revolutionists. Many other stories of the same sort he proves to be nothing better than old wives' tales, founded on credulity rather than careful investigation. In several instances the explanation offered is simplicity itself: the dungeon's door shut the prisoner off from further supplies of hair dyes. Truly, the ioono-

olast respects nothing—not even the grey hairs of sorrow.

An interesting arrival in Tasmaman waters a few a<t.ys -ago (says the Sydney Daily Telegraph) waa the" Norwegian ship Mimosa, which is to act as a floating factory in the proposed whaling industry on the west coast of Tasmania. She is to be followed by four other vessels, and they will carry out whaling operations in theyiciniiy of Port Davey. Considerable interest attaches to the scheme, sis it is a resuscitation of an old Tasinahian industry. In the old whaling days the work of capturing the whales was carried on completely by sailing vessels, but now auxiliary .and steam vessels are used. Years ngo a boat w«s launched from the ship, and the whittle harpooned by hand, but now the harpoon is shot from a gun. The barque Helen is the last of the Tasmaniun whalers. She was withdrawn in 1900, and is now engaged in the commercial* service.

"Fines incurred on the way" might, be reasonably considered a fair charge in the bill of costs of a surgeon -who has complied with an urgent call to the hospital to perform an operation. For instance, Dr. Mdrchesini, out on such &\n errand the other day, motored round the corner of Symonds Street and Grofton Bridge, Auckland, at ten miles an hour, thereby incurring the notice of a constable, a city sioeed law, and the Police Court, a combination which produced a fine of 10s and 7s costs. *