BEAUTY AS MONEY.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIII, Issue 7983, 12 March 1906, Page 7

BEAUTY AS MONEY.

Beauty ia an asset that can apparently be assessed at a money value. In August of 1904 Mrs Rita March, who was staying at the Burlington Hotel, Dover, rell into a cellar that had been left unoovered, and received severe injuries. Mrs March was described as "A HANDSOME YOUNG WOMAN," even exceptionally beautiful, and as ber nose was squashed flat by its rude contact with the floor of the oella'r, she had a very genuine grievance against the people who had negligently left the cellar uncovered. The proprietors of the hotel were sympathetic and kind, and suggested that in order to give her a change she should be conveyed to another of their hotels, whan she was able to be moved,- at their expense. This was done, and she was first taken to the Pavilion Hotel, Folkestone, and then to the Majestic Hotel, Harrogate. Plaintiff's face HAD BEEN PERMANENTLY DISFIGURED, but it had been suggested that the disfigurement might be removed by an operation, and the injeotion of paraffin, that being the recognised method of creating a new nose. Experts, however, said it would be impossible to have such an operation in Mrs March's oase. The bridge of ber nose could not be raised; it had gone. When Mrs March MADE A CLAIM FOR COMPENSATION, the hotel nroprietors sent in a bill for £l9l for accommodation, etc., at their hotels, and the injured lady had perforce to seek the help of the courta. The case was heard in London, a few weeks ago, a special jury being asked to assess the damages. The evidence provided an advertisement for paraffin and petroleum as agents in the creation of beauty. Injected under the skin, paraffin sets hard, and aots as a permanent support, so that a nose that has fallen in where the bridge ought to be may be made to look as good as new. Mr Justice Bigham in summing up, expressed the opinion that if bis nose had been injured, no jury would have considered the damage assessable, but the plaintiff in this case was a lady, and she stood in a different category. The jury thought so too, and awarded Mrs March £SOO.