HERE AND THERE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16571, 2 November 1921, Page 6

HERE AND THERE.

SITE OF MAGNA OH ART A SIGNING OFFERED FOR SALE. The exact location of the spot on which King John and the confederated barons stood at Runnymede at the signing of Magna Chart* has become a livo issue in England with the discovery that the traditional site of the concession has been offered for sale by the government. The- meadow in Oxfordshire, which has been colled f‘ the cradle of English liberty,” was placed under the hammer last month, but owing to lack of suitable bide the transaction was not concluded. The Marquis of Lincolnshire called attention to the fact that “ Lot 8, coloured yellow.” a section of the land offered to the highest bidder for the sake of “ raising every shilling ” arid reducing the tax payers’ burdens, was actually the fifcld on which the barons wrested from King John the signature limiting his powers. Strenuous protests againt the Gale, which is still being contemplated by th«j officials, have been made by the press. The persons responsible for the sale have replied that the actual signing of the charter took place on an inland in the centre of the river bordering the meadow. An important piece of historical evidence ha* been cited to this effect. Two other documents, however, including the charter’s text, describe the signing as having taken place in the meadow itself. It is on Charter Island.’ that the stone is found which through the centuries has been reputed to have served as “ the base of English liberty.” NOT SURGERY, * BUT MEDICINE FOR CANCER The chief trouble in the treatment of cancer, said Dr Frederick Dugdale, of Boston, before the recent tenth annual convention of the Allied Medical Asso- ' ciations of America, has been that surgeons considered it. as strictly a surgical disease. He eaid that while he had no desire to question the value of legitimate surgery under certain conditions, surgical treatment would continue to be rightfully oondemned until surgeons learned that their success depended wholly upon selecting cases on -v/hi oil they are to operate “ and recognise the fact that cancer in certain stages is not wholly surgical, but frequently surgical and medical combined. or entirely medical.'* Dr Dugdale said the same thing applied to X-ray and radium treatments. He contended—basing his opinion upon tho fact that cancer in its inception is a constitutional disease, and that treatment. to be effective, must act through the blood stream—he had for mam years been using a treatment composed of creosote, guiacol and essential oils in tho form of intra-mu scalar injections, and that very satisfactory results had been obtained. “ Ninety-five per cent of cases coming under the care of the writer.” said Dr Dugdale, “ are those in advanced and incurable stages, and even under such conditions it has brought about apparent cures in patients living five, eight and twelve years respectively. In the hands of others who have used it, they have reported the same satisfactory results as the writer.” • * VEW TERRORS FOR CRIMINAL?. Poroscopy and: graphometry are two i new “ sciences ” intended to make the I way of the transgressor harder than it jis (says a report from Paris). Poroscopy is the science of measuring the pores of the body. Graphometry is the j science of form ajid relative proportion fof letters in handwriting. Dr Edmond | Locard, head of the Lyons police laboratory of identification, has elaborated these new methods of crime detection to* a point where the results have been accepted in the Lyons courts are said to havw been proved effective. In poroscopy, Dr Locard holds the number, form and position of body pores remain the same throughout life. The impression of the pores, in Dr Locard’s system, is coloured by chemical vapours or very fin© i powders so that they may be photo- i graphed under a microscope. Dr Loc- J ard tells of several successful prosecu* m tions supported by his new sciences. In one case a burglar wore gloves, but b’ft an impression of n small of forearm. That trace convicted Another burglar, perspiring freely, the impression of pore through his gloves and went to Graphometry, as termed by Dr Locard consists primarily in tho theory handwriting always shows a certain relation in size between letters and nnmistakabl© characteristics in form, particularly of loops. In addition to these principles,- Dr Locard, of course, utilises generally accepted methods of detecting forgeries. MIGHT HAVE BEEN. Lady Hope, of Pinkie, who has been appointed a Justice of the Peace for Midlothian, is a daughter of Lord Balfour, of Burleigh. She tells the story of a typical Scotch countryman who got into an argument with an Englishman concerning the merits of their respective nationalities. Military prowess, brilliance in invention, engineering, travel and Empire-building had all been passed in reviw, and the Scot had won hands down. Eventually the Englishman sought refuge in literature. “ "VVeel, tae tak ? literature,” interrupted the Scot, “ there's Rabbi© Burns, Walter Scot, Stevenson, Hugh Miller, Barrie—that’s mentionin’ a few at random—r’ Scots!” “Yes, yes. but wait a bit,” protested the Eng a lishman. “ There is one greater than these all put together—William Shakespeare. You wouldn't suggest thai. he was a Scotsman, would you?” “ Weel,” thoughtfully responded the Scot, “ I wadna precisely sac that. But the man’s intelligence wad almost warrant the inference.” LEAGUE OF NATIONS. “ But are you a British-born »ul>jectP” angrily demanded the official aL the passport office. “Mv mother was British ” began the applicant. “ Yes, yes ” “ But she married a Frenchman ” “Yes?” “In Italy.*’ ‘ Yes : but where were you born “ I was born on a ship flying Spanish colours whilst she was lying at anchor off Japan, but my parents died in Brazil when I was only four years of age, and 1 was adopted by a Chinaman 3 who brought me up in Russia ” “ Well, he’s——” began an official* “ He’s a League of Nations !” remarked another official. *** MRS PAT. Recently a reporter took Mrs Patrick Campbell to task on her rooted aversion to being interviewed. “ You know.” Airs Campbell.” he said. “it makes it bad for us when we are told to get hii interview with von and have to go back and report a failure. Have you any particular grievance against newspapers or newspaper menP’’ ‘'Only this,” said the actress. “ They will call me Mrs Pat. I can't stand it. That' Pat ’ is the last straw that breaks the Campbell’s back.”