The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-03-14
CHlGNONS.
More ABOUT their DRngers-BOth sides OF
n Dreadful story

gers of wearing chignons. The following has
since appeared in the London Teiopuph-it
processes to be the description of an actual
experiment.
'tIpurcbased at fashionable ir-dresser's
chfgn0n OF very elaborate appearance, and sub
mitted part of it to examination under power
ful microscope. From the mass or hair Compo-
sing the chignon | selected Tor experiment about
one hundred and fifty hairs, and commenced by
car emily cleansing them from grease and other
impuritips i'm tepid solution OF potash, and
drying them IN a current OF heated ar. Upon
submitting them to examination by moderate
nOwpr found the hair, which was OF dark
brown color and fine texture, perfectly clean
and free from any parastlCal appendages, until
within half an inch OF what was evidently the
natural end of the hair, when multitude OF
small dark knots or pLotuOeIanCSeS on Ihe outer
cOrticle were visible. Upon carefully detaching
some of these, and placing them ou an object.
plass under much higher power, IL was imme-
diatelv evident thai they we're innumerablc
specimens of the sOcalled gregdTtaes.
las nearly as / could estimate, half an inch
ota slrrlc hair would yield over thousand OF
these disgusting epizoa In their embryo cont
tIon and enYeoped ia giutlnous SUB stance.
HAVING thus satisfied myself OF their existence,
next proceeded to ascertain IT they were pos
segspd OF vitality. 1t Is well known that gentle
and continued heat affords the most favorable
conditions for the development OF this class OF
insect life. | therefore placed about a dozen
ends of the hair between two pieces OF felt
slightly oiled, aud submitted 1t TO a moist heat
of one hundred and twenty degrees for SIX
hours; and also bound upon the neck Of u COM
mon hen-a convenient place having been care
fully shaved for the purpose--a number OF hair
ends and placed the bird in front of the stove
for about the same time,
t'At the end OF this period the gregarines
which had been placed in felt we're care
fully examined They had undergone great
development, and more than a score sho we'd
unmistakable signs of life. But on removing
the hairs from the neck of the hen and placing
them under the microscope, a most eXtraOr-
dinaTy change in the Ova appeared TO have taken
place. The hairs we're swarming with the
released epizoa: nearly ALL indeed, were m re
or less detached from the envelope. and pre-
sented many OF the unmstakable peCuliarties
of the pedicUilts hlCDldnt cGpUlS. In many the
mouth was furnished with a probosCis, the an
teDne as long as the thoraX, and the depressed
segments of the abdomen were clearly visible.
at was abundantly evident that no process
TO which the hair had as yet been submitted
had even impaired, much less destroyed the
vitality of the grCgarines. | cannot venture to
trespass upon your space by giving detailed
account of the experiments made to ascertain
how this vitality could be destroyed; suffice 1t
to say that stepping in boiling water, and eX-
posure to a dry heat Of $50 degrees Fahrenheit,
totally failed to do so. The compound ethers,
benzole, and the biChloride of mercury de-
strOyed ithem completely, as also some OF the
mineral acids; but most of these would of course
render the hair worthless to the chlgnon-maker
the beauty of IT'S appearance being entirely
destroyed. regard these experiments as fully
demonstrating the fact that many ladies are
wearing, perfectly unsusDected, upon their
heads the germs of an insect life which may at
any moment spring into IA vitality that would
prove distressing beyond measure and be by
no means easy to eradicate, these horrible
insects multiplying with almost inConceivable
rapidity, and their generation being governed
by no welEascertalned law"
A writer in the London ReCicO discusses the
whole subject Of chignons-inquiring, at the
outset, "Why do ladies wear chignons? Dc
men fall in love with chignons? Do an Ish
gOnian and COckney share in this extra
ordinary sentiment, and both lay their hearts
at the back of their respective Juliet's headF
and citing Du Chaillu's new book to SHOW
that the bellies of equatorial Africa wear CHG
mons not at all unlike what may be seen an,
day in Regent street. The difference, how
ever, between the Ishago and the English lad
is that the former manufactures the chignol
out of her own hair and head, while the latte
buys it ready-made in the shops"
Then the writer quotes the story we hav
copied above, and derides it, remarllng thus
'The eregarines are possibly not animals q
though disgusting vegetable formation. The
are not eplZoa,' and they never develop int
pediculi in fact, pedicuh are never found T.
dead hair. Then, again, artificial hair TOR th
most part comes from France and Germaul
and not from the filthy BuraSes.' HoWeyel
we need not dwell on this part OF the subieC
What the ladies will say on the matter II Is nc
easy to conjecture. 1t is not improbable tbs
they will stick to the chignOns through goo
and evil report. They are not deferred b
trihes from what they have once taken tanc
to, and If you want to confirm woman in he
attachment to anything you have only to abu
it, if she only had slight regard for 1T before
she Will then love it with a positive enthusiast
which might be mistaken for obstinacy bu
which is simply touch OF genuine tema
nature.
English ladies are glorious martyrs to Gus
tom, and have often before stood boldly Il
against the innovations of science. If they one
take It into their heads that chignons VIII az
them in procuring husbands, the imaginar
gregarines will be regarded as nothing. Chs
mons are classic and Partisan. ChignOns ar
borrowed directly from French danes, who's
patrons are in the jockey clubs. Chiguons CT
rive certain charm OF innocent naughtne'
from their very origin. Chlgnons enable ladiP
to appear on an equality with each other, WhethC
Nature has been scanty or prOtuse to then
The chignon is another weapon added to tn
captivating armory. Between dyes aud chs
non, pads and pulls. the figure and face will b
irresistibly prepared for conquest.
''lf those embellishments are multiple
further, we shall arrive at situation not dh
similar to that which is prophesed as the resu
of continued advances in tue science of wa
A time must come when nothing more can b
done; when Art shall be satisfied with her wor
uTon the female model, and exoress her iul
bility to improve it by single addition
cushion. Then we shalllhaVe the millennium
fashion, and perhaps a return to primltiy
simplicity. When the force of attraction az
on all sides equal, competition must ceas
Chgnons and contours, when universal, mu
defeat their own object, just like long-shootn
cannon and Greek fire. Some other novel
may then OF cnnrse be started: but there ms