ANOTHER MAGNETIC HEALEK.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 5, Issue 1341, 31 March 1883, Page 2

ANOTHER MAGNETIC HEALEK.

(From the Wairarapa Standard.)

'■ A personage, called DrW.H, Allen,' of the Surgical Institute, San''.Francisco, visited Grey town yesterday, aud, at night gave an ;open-air,;.harangue• from a brilliantly lighted lip carriage/,:: in front of the ForcY.ers' Arms;/ Hotel.*: Dr Allen claims to be a "pVagnetic healer," but disavows all connection;, with "the; opposition shop,", run by the notorious Stephen, The open-air "deliveranco" was quite an impromptu affair. The doctor's "boy in buttons," a smart little chap, with a remarkably big bell-topper, perambulated the highways and by-ways ringing "Host Jones's" dinner bell, and inviting all and sundry to roll up and come to the, doctor's lecture. The people: :did "roll up" en masse, and quite a large crowd assembled near the doctor's : ' carriage, which stood closo in front of the Hotel, with five blazing kerosino lights placed round it, Then the doctor mounted the carriage and " spoke a piece." He spoke very well indeed, being great in command of language and tremendously emphatic in gesture. But his views on'the subject of physiology and the origin and treatment of diseases were decidedly queer and novel. He talked of nerves, tissues, circulation, brain, heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, and "buffs" generally, auallihg his audienco by the enumeration of a terrible catalogue "of all the ills which human flesh is heir to." But. consolation was in store, He produced something like, a cushion, made up of leather, zinc, copper and strings, called "The Magneto-Galvano-Voltaic-Electro-Pile-Pad," or some other such'name, which he declared if wet with vinegar and applied to the stomach or the 'spine, would cure everything, from "softening of the brain," to gout in the big toe. At least a score of the audience were apparently very bad with the former malady, because ' they bought up " the Pile-Pads" rapidly, and retiring to secret places, applied them duly " vinegared" to their afficted members. Just as the sale was at its briskest point Constable Eccleton appeared on the scene and ordered the doctor to "move on," on the ground that he was creating an obstruction-in.,, the public street. This was hardly 'the v case as there was no person or "thing • in the street at the time, that could ;be, obstructed. However, the doctor "shut up shop," but complained that he Lad received special permission to give Lis lectures in the public streets of Napier and Auckland from the Mayors of tboso places—producing official documents in proof of his assertion. Then-'Mr Pole, the local Inspector of Nuisances opined that "it was Im right to have interfered—if interference had been necessary—and that constable Eccleton had trenched unwarrantably on his province." However, the doctor had sold a score of" Pilo Pads " or" Pad Pirns," at 5s each, and had netted a goodly sum, and so he was pacific' and satisfied. Finally, everybody " liquored up," the scone closed, and all was bright and peaceful. Tho doctor is coming back to Greytown with a fresh stock of" pads," So long as fools and dupes exist, quacks will flourish and prosper exceedingly, and "The Patent Hydro-Magneto-Galvano-Voltaic-Electro Pile Pad" will find gullible buyers at the modest price' of two half crowns, prepaid.

There are a thousand and one names upon the list of Metropolitan Charitable Societies, and these have an income amongst them of £4,453,000, which is ever so much mure than the whole public revenue of Persia.- It exceeds the income of the Metropolitan Board of Works by a quarter of a million; is throe times as much as that of the London School Board; doubles tho Budget of Greece; nearly double that of Denmark; Holland only collects from every source, east and west, twice as much: and Portugal's total imports are n» more, Sweden's annual budget is lower than that of these societies, and Switzerland only raises the third of their returns. Tho Nelson Evening Mail Days:—" In Waimea West, where hop-growing is carried on to a large extent, there is a very busy scene just nowj picking in all the gardens being in full operation. On-Wed-nesday we were told of a woman and her two children (she had four in the'field, but one was told off to look after the baby), who had on that diy picked 91 bushels, which 3id per bushel would give the nice little sum of £1 63 6d for the day's work. 'And this, or something liko it,' aaid one of the pickers, 'isgoing on for three weeks more In the course of a case heard in the Central Police Court, Sydney, recently, it was stated that an unfortunate woman, who had been deserted by her husband, had lately supported herself and two children by "working with her needle." Some idea of the slavery and semi-starva-tion the term " working with the needle" implies may be gleaned from the fact that though she worked all day in the house of her mistress and took work home with her in the evening, often stitching till midnight, she conld on an average earn but 12s to 15s a week. On one occasion, and one only, Bhe earned SX 2s 6d. In the mail news published recently mention was made of the murder in Chihuahua; Mexico, of a Mr Buohan Hepburn, This gentleman, a native of Smeaton Hepburn, Midlotliiunj'EUCceeded}; to a baronetcy; only, recently. T waß;V formerly in the 9th Lancers, and hai- ! lately : beeii: travelling extensively,; The': deceased gentlemany saysithevLyttelton Times wae;a first cousin •■'■to }Mi "WiUiam V JuchativHepburn, ;wellibowhih. ; the'i\ theatrical circles of tbis colony. By the • death of :liiß:scoußin,:Mr He^ntn r the; ; samejournal understands, to the baronetcy;: