Wisconsin tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1847-1854, 1853-04-14
Human Hair-HOw il Grows &c.

The hair may be called the offspring OF
the skin and in health and disease. youth
and age, there is close sympathy between
the two. A fins growth of hair. when
magnitied, might be compared to a plan
tation of osiers when the leaves are off
with some differences, of course. Human
hair IS not perfectly round, it seems to
be when seen with the naked eye; nor Is
it of the same thickness through its whole
length At its origin in the skin it swells
out into bulbouS form, like crocus root,
or the body of 8 young spring onion, be
fore the leaves have opened. From this
base the hair springs forth, and gradually
becomes bulkier ss it lengthene, This
goes on to a certain point, at which the
greater growth is attained and then the
hair grows fine by degrees and beautifully
less. uath, if allowed its full growth, as on
the hend of young damsel, It's point Is
many times smaller and more delicate
than tie portion near the centre of its
length, Some hair is much rounder, more
cylindrical than other some being oval
and some fattened The fat hair it is
that curls most-Adonis and the negro
are, therefore, alike In one point at least
Hairs vary much, both in thickness and
in length those on the scalp being natu-
rally the longest of all, and those of the
beard of men being next in length, and
longer than those OF the male head The
hair of the female scalp is not only longer
than that of the male, but in propoFtipn to
its length, Is larger In diameter. The
thickest of all human hair, however, Is
( that of the beard of men and the lnyes
LEGATIONS of this subject tend to justify
the assertion of the BARRIERS that frequent
ly cutting and shaving the hair has q ten
dency to make it thicker. Every hair has
stem and a root, Just as tree has; the
root being bedded IN the skin just as n
tree is in the earth But the comparison
does not end here The tree has bark,
medulla, and intervening substance the
hair has the same The bark (or cortex)
Of the hair displays 3 series of scales,
placed one overlapping another. just as we
see tiles overlap on ? h0usetop lmmedt-
atey below this Scaly marx we have q IL
brous portion forming Two thirds of the
bulk of the hair TnDse d5res are seen to
separate when the hair splits from being
too long uncut The centre Of she hair
has little canal. full of an oily, marrow
like substance containing too, the greater
part OF the COlOIlU- uldtlcE DtdCh III DidCh
hair, brown in brown hair. and almost alb
sent whom the hair has become gray
The marrow of the hair, and its two outer
coatincs. are well seen III section of a
hair from a well shaved chin. The razor,
day by day, cuts 1t across; 1t cannot grow
longer. so it grows thicker and stronger
and each slice taken away by the Hiatutl-
nal shave, looks under the microscope, ike
a section of bone, just as as bone ts cut
across when ham Is cut up into slices
( for broiling whilst the stump remaining
on the chin has just the same look as the
bone on the section of grilled ham ready
I for breakfast The primly shaved mouth
is thickly dotted round by myriads of hid
eous hair-stumps, with inner layer and
marrow all exposed. FashiQn ever since
the day of Louis Quartorza, has demand
I ed the drily sacrifice and men continue
/ to pay it Happily they do not see the
stumps of their boards through micros-
cope. or razor-makers would starve.