Evening star., 1923-04-23
Jonnart Made One of Forty Immortals
For His Many Great Services to France

a weak and manageable man for the
chief magistracy of the nation to
one who has a will of his own. and
who will not bow submissively to
their caprices, their eXtravagances
and their wishes.
Jonnart is very independent by rea-
son of his wealth. The emoluments
of office have no importance in his
eyes. He knows perfectly well that,
especially now since he has been
elected to the Academy of France.
there is no other office or dignity
open to him. since he realizes that the
presidency Of the republic is beyond
his reach. In fact, he is so rich and
so eminent that he can afford to en-
joy the luxury of a conscience and to
remain Indifferent to considerations
of expediency. A devout Catholic. a
thorough man Of the world. married
to a daughter of NJ. Aynard. the ex-
tremely influential financial magnate
and deputy Of the department of the
Rhone, he owns at least a dozen cha
| in the immediate neighborhood of the
| Due de Luynes at Dampierre. He is
universally respected both at home and
abroad. and. now that he has reached
the academy, may be said to have at
tanned the climax Of his career.
1t will be interesting to know il
DR.. Banting. for whom the Ontario
government has just endowed a chair
Of medicine in the University of To-
ronto. in recognition of his discovery
fof insulin. the cure for diabetes and
other maladies Of a kindred character,
is a son or nephew, as reported. of
the celebrated DR.. Banting of a quar-
ter Of a century ago. the originator of
what is still known as the Banting
cure for obesity. The latter had
among his patients many crowned
heads. including King Luis and King
Carlos Of Portugal, the now exKing OF
Wurttemberg. the late German en-
press. and. for a time, King Edward.
He was warmly recommended to the
mother Of Queen Mary, the late Ouch
ess Of Teck, In her youth the most
handsome and throughout her life
one Of the most popular of the Eng
lish princesses Of the blood. who in
her closing years undermined her
constitution. sapped her vitality and
impaired her strength to such de-
gree by her efforts r. reduce her pro-
nounced embonpoint that she was in
capable of resisting the sickness which
eventually carried her off.
In consequence Of strong recon-
mendations. she invited Or. Banting
/ to call upon her one day at the White
Lodge at Richmond. where she was
living at the time. To her astnnish-
ment she perceived, when he was in
troduced into her presence. an OK
ceednsly corpulent man. 1t vas d
disappointment. She had been told so
al nf
that he had knocked off from his own
figure that she had expected some
thing approaching a Slim weight. At
last, recovering herself. she observed.
TN afraid, Dr Banting, that al
though you have been of very great
assistance to others. YOU have done
very little fer yourself" With "A
suave smile. he replied. That is just
what I have come to show TO Your
royal highness.' So saying. the doc
tor began to intuition his tight-fit-
ting frock coat. 'Whea that operation
had been completed, he leisurely un-
did his waistcoat buttons. The
duchess had hardly expected such a
demonstration Of anatomy. and hur-
rledly exclaimed. ''Oh. DIR BantinG.
please don't trouble yourself any fur
rher." But ne was not to be refused.
He began to tumble at his suspenders.
The duchess could stand II no longer,
rang the bell for an attendant and left
the room.
1t was only when the equerry ap-
peared upon the scene that poor DIR.
Banting had an opportunity of ex-
planning matters. He showed the
equerry that in order to demonstrate e
the marvellous effect of his system. his
practice was to encase himself in a
sort of wicker-basket work arrange
rent. which he carried in front of
him, and which exactly correspondent
to the figure which he had possessed
until he had taken steps to reduce it,
and which gave him the appearance
of a man of eighteen or nineteen
sort of wicker basketwork arrange
ment was removed. he showed a slim
and thin DR.. Banting. with a weight
OF not above twelve stone. But the
process of removal was too much for
the duchess. He had been able
to complete the demonstration. and
the royal lady could never be induced
to allow him to repeat it and to carry
IL to its conclusion.