TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11486, 20 January 1903, Page 4

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

To the baoteriologist the

A world is full of microbes. Mad World. To the brain epecialkt it

appeal* that the greater part, of mankind k going mad. Dr. George S. Bunn, of Boston, in a rather appalling lecture recently delivered, makes this perfectly clear by tl» lint of signs which he kindly gives in order that persons may «- cognise in themselves or others a condition of unsound mind. "Illegibility in the handwriting of educated adults," for instance, ie a proof of mania. The magaeme appeal for "type-written manuscripts only" *oow* th« prevalence of tbie dieease. Writiiig in iinee which elope tip or down ikcroe the page ifl another mental eign; in fact* "any eccentricity in the vast of pen or pencil" it to be considered ac grave evidence against the author's brain. The .great test, nowever, ie in drawing a circle. Lunatics, cay« Dr. Bunn, invariably begin drawing from th* right towards the left, whereas the person of well-balanced brain draws from left to right. Thia recall* a familiar household theory that the incapable domestic ie declared an the way sb« wipe* a plate. II the diaholoth moves from right to left, there ie no hope for her; but a left to right movement invariably show* etnartness and capacity. Next to the right and left teeb of wnity,' come* jthe text of the stick or umbrella. The man who swings hi* stick in a circle ac he etridee through the street is giving proof of the existence of lunacy; if im carriee his umbrella by the middle he ie equally likely to go. , road an a siweb time*} and should he add to these bad b*b*« the praotioe of "frequently pulling or twisting. his moustache," it ie only another friendly warning to his. neighbours of a mind Mini-! distraught. Even what one might imagine the common masculine awkwardness of "carrying parcel* in « clumsy, uncomfortable way," is noted by this ieiriWe pay* J sician as showing incipient brain trouble. Does th* reader of this paragraph grasp his newspaper fiercely with both band. w*ii» he read*, as though th* element* might combine to tear it f rotn toim? We wgret to say tbat, according to P*. Bumv, ioe)ny; Americans -betray unsound mind.by giving , their morning jotornaj 'the lunatic grip.' . The habitual confcrection of tl» ey«i anU forehead 1 is : another danfswu* ligiu A wtinkled twtfw if fery ftequeatly an indication of innanity. A l *** g«tb*rit is not wonderful if Boston brains have been left in a state of ueeaa» likely to be relieved only by the hippy >p*e*acle of Dr. Bunn himeeM carrying an ombreUs, by the middle* eleiclriiif bis newspaper with iron grip, or writing a more than commonly illegible, prescription. < '■ 1 ■■; : - .\ : ;\ "\r. iA':l4t«!M^ , ,.»tMwrs International of the international Tennis Matches, tennis matches of 1902 .■•• ■- ■. / ■■' •■ ■*•■. giren in "Tfe* Munsey," an American monthly magazine. /Last year England l sent over to the United States a teartr of *epTt*ei)*ative yiaytw, coneieting of Dr. Pirn and M«a*e It. t , . and H L. D«iwrty, to compete fo* "the International Challenge Cup, presented by Dwi«bt F. Davis, in 1900. This was tn« second attempt on the part of English temnk-pkye*e to wiM the DaVw Cop. t» 1960 England sent over at her chalkogsw Messrs A. W. Gore, E. & Blade, and H. E. Bartifett. The matches then played teveated a marked difference in the American and the Bo*#*h style d|. pjayi th* former being distinguished by a number of new strokes which coinpleiely baffled ibe visitom from the Old Country. Meet remarkable of theee was the overhead twiifceervice of Malcolm D. Whitman, at -that tin**champion of the United States. The Eng]#hmen were - badly V./'beaten by -!£•••»" IXwight, Ward, «o<l Lamed, of America, and "returned to their own- country in ? * state of extreme aeton»hment at the skill ! ofWhe American Tne\ English team of 1902 met witn better success. They failed, it is true, to win the Davii Cup, but the Measn Doherty won the American Doubles Championship, ah£ R. F. Doherty was. /winner xn the All-Comers' Singles at Newport. "No lawn tenuis tournament," «ay» "Muo* eey's," "ihas ever claimed a larger number of first-class players than, this championship meeting at Newport. There were repre* sentafcivee of every style of play, from every quarter of the Union. Players came from England, Prance, Ireland, the Pacific Coast, and the Far South. . . Through all these the Messrs Doherty emerged victorious, and after a. L. -Doherty had defauked to hi* brother, and R. F. Doherty bad vanquished Haloohn D. Whitman, an Englishman stood winner of ' the All* Comers' Singles at Newport." The sec* ret of the Englahman's victory, it was generally agreed, lay in the fact that, winning or losing, he never got "rattled," as the Americans would May. While Lamed Whitman, and' other American crack* played with tremendous energy, the Doherty brothers conserved their *trongth a* much as possible. "At first," we are told, "their style was called 'languid,' t&eir self-pos-session wa« thought to fee lackadttiricat. Witi time, however, they justified tbenv selves of their method, and won because of their reserve of energy." ILF* Doherty on the day after he defeated Whitman, mat the United States champion, W. A. Larved, and was defeated *v 3 set* to 1. The Englishman wae stiff from oVer-play, and iuwti* capped by tbe unusual heat, and the champion mode the most of bjs> advantage. Tn* 'vrriter in "MwueyV oontpliment* tbe Messrs Doherty upon tbe aptitude with <whioh they pkked up. new strokes f nun, %h* American, and adds that it "will b/strange il tiey do not carry back to Englaod the material for a rim'—mi ,that' wiß work for the bast totsrssf of fU jguM. w