The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1867-05-08

III oilSbbC. L VIC iiCtPCo poUi gem
as warn't SO young as he once was TO pleasant
places. Better let me dye it, sir it will do
wel'
'sNo mol! :" quotb I; it would do me no
good but you've thrown new light on the
natter
Looked at from a barbarian = point OF
view. then, there is something to be said in
support Of plain r-dye-fancy hair-dye l
altogether except.
To resume at point where while ago we
left off, letno one be SO i'll advised as to use
lead compound, or even a lead comb. Nitrate
OF slyer-lunar caustic-has also acquired a
certain celebrity as hair dye, and if the color
be not objected to, the nitrate is effectual
Those who remember the tint of markng-ink
also know what the precise color yielded by
nitrate of silver would be when first devel-
oped but nitrate Of silver used as hair-dye
| ultimately bestows, in addition to black, Ger
tain play of iridescent colors, which makes one
look ridiculous. happen to have seen ply
slclan, very celebrated physician too, whose
whskers are respondent in sunshine with all
the rainbow tints one sees on the neck of a
pigeon or the tail feathers of barndoor cock
He had been dyeing bis whiskers with nitrate
of silver; this fact stood revealed.
We have seen that lead, in combination with
sulphur, forms black compound. Chemists
name this the suphuret or suphide of lead
Now lead is not the only metal thus circum-
stanced. Many other metals yield black sui
pburets, but certain metals refuse to combine
with sui pbur in the condition in which the hair
Presents it. Iron belongs TO this category,
and yet-iron would seem TO be most natural of
all coIorlng agents, inasmuch as Vauquelin
proved the color of dark hair to be referable TO
the natural presence of this metal in the color
ing OIL Accordingly, whenever irons, or
rather any OF its soluble preparations, is used
as hair-dye, the blackening sulphur agent
must be artifciaIlv supplied, in the form of
that abominably smelling compound, sulphide
of ammonia.
10 dye hair natural brown is almost be-
yond the competence of art. For the most
part, the so-called dyes are only mitigated
black dyes but a true brown result can no
black dress, when worn till shabby, shall
change to brown. If only small hair mass
has to be treated, as mustache or imperial,
for example, chloride of gold may be used to
impart color between rudy and brown, not
unnatural to begin with. Ultimately, how
ever, gold solutions give rise to the same ri-
descent tints that were adverted to when sill
yer was in question.
Quite recently an insane fashion has run up.
on golden and other tints for ladies' hair Bru-
nettes would seem to have gone out of vogue
and blondes to have come in. Considering
the traditional pride of dark ladies, the defer
cnce now accorded by them to their fair rivals
is the more extraordinary. There is much to
offend masculine sensibties in the over-rigid
Difference to fashion shown by some ladies in
matters of attire; but when it comes to the cx-
IRENE of setting fashion for the color of
head ofhair, then we may well exclaim, "What
next?" The mortality of it I will not even
expatiate upon; yet even that does not seem
to me quite right. What I shall comment
upon is the effect. Can a dark belle reasona-
bly, suppose that light hair, even if produced,
wond harmonise with the tint of her skin ? III
she incagines this, it is unreasonable The
general effect would be inharmonous; it could
not be otherwise.
To pass from moral and aesthetic considera-
lions to matters of fact will just indicate the
scheme that has to be adopted by lady of
dark complexion, who yields to fashion in this
Objectionable matter. The dark hair has in
the first place to be deprived of certain
amount of color bleached in point of fact
Now the bleaching may be accomplished by
one of the three following agents, viz: aka
line leys (potash or soda, solution of chic
rine. and solution Of sui phurous acid gas. In
some cases the effect of bleaching is to leave
the hair of a subdaed tint, that may be &C
cepted by some as fair approach to the de-
sideratum; but usually process of dyeing
has to follow. Respecting the latter, the whole
range of the silk dyer's art may come into
play.
Who can answer for the whims of the la
dies ? who knows that they will not some day
cause the fashion to run upon blue, green, or
purple tresses2 1t has not come to that yet
fashion has only oscillated between the vari
Gus shades of gold and light brown. I shall
give no details of the processes whereby those |
tints are brought about; contepting myself
with stating that the materials used are iniu-
dangerous. When anthony,
nitrate Of lead, chromate of potash, and orpi-
ment (the latter preparation of arsenic) are
chronicled, the deadly accusation will be COM
pletely proved. 1t was chiefly, indeed, with
the intent OF guarding our lady readers against
the trivollty and worse attendant on hair-dye-
ing, and hair bleaching, that this article was
There are acted falsehoods as
there are spoken falsehoods; and, in some re-
spects, enacted fasehoods that are worse
falsehoods unspoken, the dyeing hair
of fancy colors seem to be amongst the most
contemplate. The poor clerk or shopman
may, perhaps, be excused for trying to beget
an impression Of greater youth by dyeing his
hair, whiskers, or mustaches black. His bread
may in some sense depend upon it; but were
he 10 bleach his naturally black or brown hair
only to dye it some fancy color, one would
then call him, among other names, a poor silly
fellow. Nothing can paIiate the fancy color
hair-dyeing now prevalent among ladies. The
practice is silly, and worse, morally wrong
Worse still lin the estimation of some, fear)
t is ruinous to the hair, as many ladies will
discover to their cost when the fashion changes.
0fthis change I am glad already to see igns I
n the shortcropped heads, which mark
transition state, while the hair is growing
lgain OF its natural hue,
SuRRATT.-The New York Times says:
It seems that John H. Surratt is treated very