IN SEARCH OF BEAUTY.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 13841, 22 December 1908, Page 7

IN SEARCH OF BEAUTY.

A yI'ACK PA\S £JOO DAMAGES.

Mrs Heath, wiie of a London tradesman, had three small-pox marks on her face, and was naturally disposed to consider favourably any treatment suggested for their removal. Her attention was drawn to the advertisements of "Madame Augtiste," a beauty specialist, of New Bond Street. This lady had a "method of complete rejuvenation of the face, neck, and hands, and the removal of wrinkles, scars, smallpox pita, freckles, birth marks, moles, etc., by purely harmless and painless methods." To this treatment, which met with the entire approval of the medical profession, many royal and titled ladies oned their marvellously youthful appearance. A famous actress wrote that this marvellous system was "the wonder of this age of wonders." The lady in search of greater beauty was warned to avoid "so-called beauty doctors." who effected only temporary improvement. Mrs Heath interviewed Madame Auguste and agreed to pay her thirty guineas for a six weeks' course of treatment, which was to result in the obliteration of the marks. On her first visit small pads were dipped in liquids and applied to her nose, causing considerable pain. On reaching home Mrs Heath noticed that her nose was discoloured, so she went back to the specialist, who put a plaster on the place. On the following day brandy had to be administered to the patient. The treatment continued for some months, until the state of Mrs Heath's nose alarmed her husband so much that he called in a doctor, who deemed it advisable to call in a specialist. There was what her husband called "a ghastly hole" in the nose, and what the doctor called a deep ulcer, produced by a strong irritant. Mr and Mrs Heath sued Madame Auguste for damages. The dpfenco was that the state of Mrs Heath ,s face was due to the discontinuance of the treatment, and a customer was called to state that she had benefited by Madame's treatment. It was impossible, said counsel, to bring forward as witnesses other ladies who had submitted themselves to this treatment, because ladies who went to have freckles or wrinkles removed, or in order to he made to look younger than they really were, were averse to coming into court. Neither could he give their names, because such a business could only be conducted on the understanding that neither name nor identity was divulged. n£& c J ury awarded the plaintiffs &SUU.