Sketcher.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 429, 4 August 1904, Page 7

Sketcher.

THE FADS OF NOVELISTS. JHgfftROST novelists have various fads "fcWfding the conditions under which they write their books. Mark Twain, for example, writes his in a peculiar fashion, lying face downwards, at full length on the floor. Within easy reach he places the works to which he has reason to refer. With a favorite pipe in bis mouth, he scribbles away, the weight of his head and body resting upon his left arm, Jules Verne sometimes writes in a somewhat similar manner, that is, reclining at full length. This great writer, however, does this only when jaded by writing in the position ordinary mortals use. When he is so fagged out, he partially undresses and slips into a little bed he keeps in his study for this especial purpose. There, in perfect undress freedom, he is able to scribble away and to rest his body at the same time. Count Tolstoi takes a little gymnastic exercise when he finds the strain of writing is beginning to tell on him. He takes off his ceat, and swings upon some large rings which hang from the ceiling of his room,

Pretty nearly every writer has a particular method of transferring his thoughts to paper. Some authors can write only in the midst of bustle and turmoil; to others quietness and peace are essential. One humorist is busiest when he is apparently losing away his time in a hammock. Another finds that his thoughts flow more freely when he is on a railway journey than at any other time. There is very little luxury or display in connection with the working habits of great writers. Few of them .favor special dress, although one of Britain's great authors may be excepted in this respect. His workißg attire consists of a suit of ancient clothes and a particularly ragged and dilapidated dressing gown. A frayed blue neckerchief and a pair of cloth slippers add a finish to the costume. Most authors like to work in old clothes, owing to the great comfort and freedom from irksome worries. Carlyle could never write in what might be termed respectable clothes, We all know how the lady who wished 'to see the great man at work' was taken by Mrs Carlyle to the cellar, and there saw the philosopher writing, pips in mouth, with his feet in a tub of hot water. Literary workors have fads without number. Soma eannot write unless they have a particular kind of paper or ink or pens, Charles Dickens needed blue ink and a supply of quills before he could write. Even then lie could not write well unless he had certain bronze trinkets within sight. Without these he was helpless, although he knew quite well that their presence was a fad. Many examples of these fads might be given. All brain workers have them Zola could no more work unless he had counted certain articles than he could fly. He must count the steps to his room, the gas jats, and certain ornaments, besides which he must touch certain articles a certain number of times. The habit he had fallen into was inexorable, and he was always afraid that he might have omitted to count some articles. This oounting mania is a fad with many brain workers. Dr. Johnson was a slave to the habit, Another common fad is the possession of some nick-nack as a fetish. Haydn could never compose unless he had a certain ring upon his finger, while Paderewßki cannot write a note unless he has a certain old leather bag before his eyes. Henrik Ibsen has stated that he could not produce a single play unless he had a quaint collection of copper animals on hia desk. They stand in a tray—a tiny devil three grotesque cats, a bear and some rabbits. These are the fetishes which inspire his creative powers. Other brain workers must have some particular living animal at hand, often a cat.

DANGER OF HEADACHE POWDERS. A distinguished physician has made to a representative of the 'London Daily Mail' a statement in reference to the widespread evils caused by the unrestricted and increasing sale of 'headache powders,' which obviously deserves the attention of those Government departments responsible for the protection of public health. • Many of the sudden deaths, particularly those of ladies and elderly persons of both sexes attributed to heart disease are really due to taking headache powders,' the physician declared. * Old people whose hearts are failing, and young girls who Buffer from aisemia nearly always succumb when they take these powders. Moreover, headache is frequently a symptom of some serious illness that is impending, such as enteric and typhoid fever. Ignorant of this fact, the sufferers fly to headaohe powders Sudden collapse follows. They can seldom be saved, and generally die at the end of the second week. For a long time medical men have been only too well acquainted with the deadly effects of these compounds, but have refrained from making the facts public beoause they do not wish to court the charge of being actuated by selfish motives—a point upon which doctors are very sensitive. Bat the evil has now grown to such an extent that the time has arrived to speak out in the interests of the general public' The impression ia that headache powders, owing to their cheapness, are bought mainly by the middle and poorer classes. But a chemist with an exclusively West End connection stated that he was required to keep twelve different kinds of the powders, and that, contrary to his wish, he was compelled to do a large trade in them. The authority explained that among all the compounds the most dangerous are those which contain antifebrin and antinvrin. But a West End physician went further than this, and denounded as 'a national danger' all such coal tar preparations. * Sulphonal poisoning, due to taking them, is frequently treated by me and my colleagues,' he said. ' Not only do headache powders often result in sudden death, but they cause other diseases, the most distressing of which is hemorrhage. In severe cases there ia wholesale loss of blood, and when life is saved it is only after a terrible and prolonged struggle. The constituent corpuecies of the blood break up; in other words, the very foundation of life is destroyed. In milder cases the powders produce lassitnde, breathlessness, and airamia. ' There is a desire to seek seclusion and to avoid the slightest exertion, Mental or physical. I can tell at a glance when a lady patient is addicted to the habit. She is a nuisance in her own home. Headaohe powders are quite unnecessary, ard when they sfford relief it is only temporary. No one need run the risk of illness and death by taking them, for the headache that cannot be cured by a gocd liver pill cannot be cured by these evil-workißg compounds,"