The sun., 1908-12-27
!speetal oabls pespaten % rnE suv.

AS Il modem outbreak of tarantism Is af-
fprdng q good share of the Yuletide fun.
one highly technical writer points out
that the present age Is suffering from a
severe increase of katabolism among
women A writer in to-day's Times ex-
plains that there Is normally tendency
in the female sex to conserve energy or
anaboizs. while in the male sex it is toward
it's liberation. or katabolism This emil
nent biologist adds:
During the last few decades there has
been distinct tendency in some women
TO increase their katabolism and approx
mate it to the male type of outbursts.
These are followed by relatively quiescent
periods when they take up work in the
mills and also at the professions.
Following the results of recent Ger
man work, we may say that such women
have reverted to hermaphroditism by de-
creasing their anabolism and increasing
their katabolism. Usually the process
is interrupted by marriage and mother
hood. which has reversing tendency in
this country.
Lancashire is preeminsntly the courtv
of katabolic women and in accordance
with the general fitness of things we find
it to be the home of the militant suffra-
gette An examination of the police court
records gives two points in regard to
women arraigned:
i Previous katabolic history.
.. Motherhood has not occurred or is
no longer possible
This inexorable mouthpiece of science
odds: Nature is sometimes ronical
md of tn ha fho
militant suffragette who is most energetic
ia trying to obtain the vote for her sex
in virtue of the loss Of some of the qualities
pertaining to that Sc" and the assumption
of some of those pertaining to the other"
The suffragettes themselves are not
,lbmitting to these awful dicta of science
one protestant in the Times winds up her
protest with this earnest appeal Who
Is going to turn the hose on DIR. Shipley?'
UPRISING OF THE BARoNET.
The British baronet has long been an
noyed at the fashion in which his title
is treated. He complains that il does not
receive the respect to which it is entitled.
4 few years ago a society Of baronets
was formed with view of securing fuller
recognition of the order which is less
than noble but more than knightly. but
little seems to have come of the movement.
One we'll known baronet. however.
has taken the matter into his own hands.
He has issued printed notice expressing
the strong feeling of the baronets at the
expression Dear Sir being constantly
used in commencing letter to their SER
wants as well as in letters received by
themselves. He says it is not only in.
congruous but discourteous to the mem
bers Of an ancient hereditary degree. He
asks his correspondents in future to
accord him his title and commence their
letters sir Baronet.'
WOMAN INVENTORS,
Two consecutive applications at the
Patent Office come from women of high
title. The first is for a patent for mum,
and was filed by Lady Amherst OF Hack
ney, whose husbands fine library has just
been sold at auction. the Earl having lost
about 81, ,250 900 through a defaulting
solicitor The second patent was taken
out by the Princess Anne. widow of Prince
Ludwig of Lowenstein- Wertheim, who was
a member Of mediatized German family
and half sister OF the Earl of Marlborough.
She asks for protection for improvements
on self-levelling cots. trunks and other
articles which are to be used on board
ship.
DECLINE IN LITIGATION
Statistics for the courts OF England and
Wales for 1907. just issued. show that the
chief notable results were the decline in
the total number Of proceedings in all law
courts, q great decline in business on the
circuits, a decline in the number of petit
tions for dissolution of marriage and in
bankruptcy proceedings. slight increase
in chancery cases and a great increase In
workmen's g compensation cases. The petit.
lions for divorce numbered 73t. as COM
pared with 7e7 in 1906. The petitions for
judicial separation increased from 70 to
SIS. The maximum record for divorce
suits was in 1902, when they numbered
ESQ
CHRIsTMAs QUIBrUDE.
Nothing perhaps could better indicate
The external quiet of a London Christmas
than the fact that not only on Christmas
Day but to-day also for the first time
not a single afternoon paper was pub
ished The home staying proclivities
If Londoners at Christmas time were
recognized by everybody. Match sellers
and other familiar curbstone venders
abandoned the city and hastened to try
their fortunes with the suburban church
goers. During the day the trains and
buses reduced their service by two-thirds,
practically closing altogether early In the
evening.
Christmas day is by Law the same as
sunday By custom 1t is even quieter.
The Strand and Fleet street. the sidewalks
~ which on Sunday evenings are always
crowded with slowly moving mass OF
East End visitors. we're deserted. Even
the public houses in the poor. popuous
districts we're scantily patronized.
Perhaps the most mournful places in
London on Christmas day are the clubs.
which were almost entirely deserted.
The West End restaurants, however.
especially those where there is music.
we're crowded from Q TO II o'clock at night
and there was the greatest difficulty in
finding a seat unless 1t had been engaged
beforehand.
Christmas indoors was more festive
4 an Usual in London. since many persons
ho are accustomed to entertaining
country house parties kept their town
bouses open and gave large Christmas
PARTIES.
T. H. A. mana al aa de-