The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-06-21
THE HAIR.
DyeLng-The Fashionable COIOred Hair
--rho Dyes That XIII.


-rhe Dyes That XIII.
From the London Spectator.
Are wigs immoral? - because if not, one
scarcely perceives a reason why the newspaper
moralists who are so fond of describing Ano-
nyma and Cora Pearl with a kind of reprehen.
sive voluptuousness of detail should waste 80
much moral strength in denouncing the practice
of using hair dyes. 1t is not more wicked, one
would think, in itself, than wearing false teeth
or scattering powder or pudding, and all those
sins have hitherto escaped with very lenient
censure from the newspaper pulpit.
Women, and men too, have dyed their hair
from time lmmemOrial, and there has not been
an interval within the last three centuries dur
ing which hair-dressers have not employed pig
ments to conceal greyness, Whiteness, or eccen-
tricity of color i'm the hair. The only thing new
is the fashionable shade, and the introduction
oi that shade is in one way distinct gain. It
has restored the popular faith in the possible
beauty of light haired women. The condition of
public opinion upon that subject has for years
past been almost marvel That people essen
tally Northern, among whom five persons in
six have hair tinged with some shade of light
brown, should prefer black halr is perhaps
natural, for infrequency always increases the
piquancy OF admiration.
Orientals, on the same principle, admire fair
hair and excessive lightness OF com pleXion, and
one African race, the Somai STAINS Its black
wool with henna and lime till IT is of dull
brick.dust hue. But the English horror of light
hair in women was almost comical in its inten-
Sity, SO deep as to affect literature and penetrate
Ine opinions OF Jne uuCulClVate0 mass. One
shade of red. that false auburn which is red in
the sun and brown under artificial light was
tolerated. chiefly, we imagine, because fashion
able opinion Is formed under chandeliers but
the true auburn, which has golden flash in it
under the sun and red flash only by candle
light the auburn which the Italian painters
loved three centuries ago, and Millals can paint
now when he will let his imagination work as
well as his eyes, was utterly condemned, all the
more viciously perhaps because that is the
shade in which HAIR is found most voluminous
and silky.
Part OF the objection to red hair, no doubt,
arose from the ugly complexion, and treckles,
and turned-up nose 6y which it is often accom-
panied; but the aversion was felt and expressed
even i'll cases where red hair was only the natu-
raj complement OF very regular beauty. The
new fashion, therefore, OF dyeng hair to tighten
its color instead of dyeng it to darken it, strikes
right athwart q national prejudice, so clearly
athwart, that while it mas restored people to the
use of their senses in Judging color, it has also
raised an absurd shou! OF reprobation. Dyeing
may be immoral possibly, but dyeng red cannot
be more immoral than dyeing black.
So rapid mas been the spread of this fashion
that the resources of chemistry have been ran
sacked for dyes, and we have before us q huge
volume of receipts for the production of almost
any shade. They are all very nasty; nastness
is the real objection to halr-dyes, as 1t IS 10
rouge and chignons, and is not to false teeth
and all subject to one fatal defect. They do
not change the inherent color OF the hair which
grows every moment as IL was originally made;
reapplied, and the hair, instead of being dyed,
as, for instance, topaz Is dyed by burning, Is
only painted-by no means very pleasing idea.
One would think 1t prtntd tdc1e possible to make
a radical change, the cOlorlng mater being an
oil held, as it were, in tube and impregnated
with substances the character OF which has
been discovered.
According to Mir. Cooley, THE chemical con.
stitution of the hair was first made known by
Hatchett who showed it TO consist chiefly of in
durated albumen, together with little gelatine,
or matter that yields u. Soft and very flexible
hair is SAID to contain the most gelatlne. Sub
sequently, Vauquelin discovered that hair con-
tains two different kinds of oily matter-the one
white and bland, common TO all hair; the other
colored and on which, in part, the particular
color OF the HAIR depends. he also found small
and variable quantities OF mineral substances IN
hair. In lieht-colored hair he tonnd magnesia,
and in black and dark na'r iron and sulphur.
1t Is the presence OF these last that manly gives
to dark hair It's color Fur, wool, bristles, and
spines, in their chemical nature, structure, and
mode of formation, resemble hair; as also, to a
very great extent, do the feathers OF birds" We
ought, ii that Is correct, and we knew how, to
be able to feed people into hair of the wishedfoI
color; but then we do not know how, and SO are
driven back on devices many of which are dan
gerous or disagreeable.
1t is easy enough and safe enough to.darkeI
the color. A weak solution OF acetate of iror
dissolved in water and mixed with a little gly
cerine will, If rubbed daily into the head
gradually and permanently darken the hair
and benefit thehealth besides-a hint we recon-
mend t. red-haired beauties when popular
prejudice turns against them again, as it vii
one day. Lead, often used instead OF iron, is a
dangerous a substance az it is well possible Il
employ, and the lead comb in which our grand
mothers trusted Is o. very uncertain efficacy
There is no swift mode which does not involve
the use of lead or silver 10 dangerous extent
and no safe mode except iron, or sometimes
after a certain age, iron and sulphuret OF potas
stun, which restores the decreasing sulphur. II
any case, too, under any temptation, the wOmal
who tries to change the color of her eyelashes
fool who risks for nothing penalties whic
may embitter an entire lie. For tightening tn
hair the following IS said 10 be the formula mos
IN use, and is, when the lime IS applied llttl
too Iavishly, as ingenious a device tor inurin!
the head as ingenuity has yet discovered:-
lake OF Carbonate of lead. .............. ounce
LithaTPe (puIe levgatedl OF each,
Hydrated oNiOe OF Dsmuth '''' ounce
Fresh soked lnne. ........s,..... ounces
Dlstllled or soft water. ,.......... pint;
boil with constant stirring, for 30 or 40 minutes
When cold, pour the whole into wlde-mouthe
bottle, add OF
Liquor OF ammonia ssO.ss2). ...... 2 fluid dIachml
put in the cork, and shake frequently for som
hours. The next day pour of the liquid portion
The sediment, which forms the dye, must the
be well stirred together, and again before us
II is to be applied for 10 10 minutes to produC
an auburn color;" 10 minutes tor ''chesnut,n .
minutes for "tull brCWn;" and 30 minutes
longer for ''deep brown and "blacE." For II
paler shades il is to be washed off with watI
containing a little common soda.
("Liquld Plumbic Dye.l
Take Of II, drafted prOtoxide OF lead. -! ounce;
Liquor OF poIassa.., ......,,,2 MUD ounce
NIX in stoppered phlal, and agitate it Fl
quenhy for some days. It must oe used mol
or less diluted, according TO the object in yieV
By its skilful application, every shade, from
pale "sandy redn to ozark brown" may
produced; and these may be turned on y