The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1865-01-07
ART OF QUALIFICATION IN
PARIS.

The return OF the gay WOIlU U tuc
capital is often q source Of curious sur.
prises. Red or grey is often found to
have changed to auburn or black;
and, stranger still, heads that have been
previously covered with black or dark
brown hair are seen, on their return to
town. to be covered with luxuriant crops
of faxen curls. Others, whose heads
had been actually grey, came back with
hair as white as snow, every bit of color
having been, by some ingenious chemical
process, completely gotten rid Of Blondes
and brunettes, too, are found to nave
changed their compilations, and tat peo-
ple. toe. have grown thin, and thin PEG,
nile fat. Both sexes seem equally skilllu'
IN bringing about these metamorphoses,
which have usually been the result OF q
| summer passed at some remo1c ",.
| out of sight of "the dear five hundred ire -
bv whom, these curious changes arc W
be duly admired and q9lzzed, as the case
r The art of making up the human ex--
terror has certainly been carried turther
in the Paris of today than ever else
where. We have special practitioners
sor the hair, the skin, the shape, the
teeth. and so on. But these "artists
have hitherto worked apart, each in his
own sphere and no one had bethoughs
him of setting himself up as a general
beautifer of the human subject. Inns
want. however, is now to be supplied. "A
prospectus has just been issued by some
one who has not yet divulgcd his name,
but who is evidently genius of very
high order in his way. He states that
he is the author of the new art, which
he calls the Cataplastic, and defines as
1.-THE whole art of Identification of the
face, form, and costume" He says that
"cataplastic processes" have hitherto
failed to produce their full effect because
not combined under the direction ola sin
gle competent professor; and adds, thatin
order to obtain the full and brilliant sue
cess which these processes are capable
of insuring, it is necessary to combine
the sure and cflicacious products of the
dermic chemistry Of the line of Aspasia
and Alcibiades, of ancient Rome, and the
Middle Ages, with the modern inventions
of the hair-drcsser, the corsct-maker, the
worker in gutta percha, the dentist, ocu
list, orthopedist, pedicure, tailor, dress
maker, and the jeweler. The Cataplastic
artist unites all these specialties in his
own person, and proposes to issue a
weekly newspaper, in which all these ele-
ments of the great work of Beautifica-
ton" arc to be treated of, and in which
accounts of results obtained are to be
duly communicated to the reader.
1.-THE work propose to undertake is
a general one" says the Cataplastic ora
Gle. 81 mend up the Aeshy parts, smooth
down asperities, fill up hollows, melt the
tints into one another, heighten or tone
down the complexion, soften the skin and
render it soft and lustrous, modify the
color and style of the hair to suit the.
general character Of the physiognomy
| attack the impcrfections of the eyes,
teeth, limbs and feet | make the crooked
straight, and cause dignity and upright
ness to succeed to stoop. Having rec
tilted the deviations of the body, given
animation to the glance, charm to smile,
and grace to the outline, proceed to the
toilette of the rejuvenated being.
"C0me to my rooms, ladies and gen.
tlemen, adds the oracle, and l will change
you so completely that your friends will
not recognize you-so youthful, fresh,
agile and enchanting shall | have rem
dered you. You will leave my hands in
state Of perfection, and will only need,
in order to ensure your triumph, to avoid
exposing yourself to the sun or rain"
A story is told of a certain elderly
dandy who continues to pass himself off
for younger than he is, by the aid of
these complicated appliances, and who
has recently engaged, as ualet de CHAM
1re, young fellow freshly imported
from his native village. The valet, who
has been impressed by the graces of his
new masters person, and who had no sus-
picion of their artificial nature, was greatly
amazed on assisting him to undress,
ON the night Of his entrance on his new
place, at the work of demolition in which
he was called upon to assist. The coat
and vest carried off with them the
rounded outlines that had showed to
such advantage the moment before, and
at the unbuckling of the corset, the jaunty
uprightness of the dandy underwent an
equally sudden eclipse. The withercd and
shrunken being, duly wrapped in dress
ing-gown, the old beau seated himself at
his dressing table, and proceeded to take
himself to pieces. The removal Of the
lustrous brown wig revealed a perfectly
bare scalp; the white teeth followed the
wig, and were carefully placed in glass
Of water for the night. The pair of
guttar pcrcha "plumpers," so skillfully
placed between the gums and the cheeks,
were carefully taken out, bctraying the
hollows they had so cflectually distcndcd,
and an artificial eye was next removed
from the cmpt1 socket. The amazement