West-Jersey pioneer., 1868-06-26
THE HAIR.

1.-THE of the persons who in early life show
the bald spot on the top of the head which
gradually increases until only little firing,
is found around the lower part of the head OF
level with the ears. 1t is more common t,
men than to women, but still even the gentle,
sex do not escape and very many of our ladie,
are compelled to apply to the resources Of ar
in order to conceal the fact that the "glory Of
woman" which the highest authority ha,
assured us is her hair, has depart ted. In othel
lands but few people are bald even in aftel
life, and young man or woman who was de-
fcient in this prime article of natures adorn-
ing is considered to be very much such an
object of pity as is q cripple in our land
Probably the nervous temperament Of the
people has something to do with the case, our
habits of dyspeptic living, great deal more
our still worse customs of lateness in retiring
more still. and the fevered heat of the brain
involved in our everlasting hurry to reach
| something higher than we now occupy, does
more to produce this end than all the other
causes combined. Our mode of clothing the
head which generally consists Of covering
from which free ventilation is impossible, no
doubt is also among the greatest among the
causes which ha I've not inappropriately earned
for us the title of ''bald headed people,
long years ago we can gather from the ancient
prophets in the story of the persons who gath
cred together to boot at the prophet "go up
thou bald head, CO." That it was to be consid.
cred a misfortune and not crime is also evil
dent from that same scripture story which
declares that these reckless persons were des-
| troyed by bears as punishment for that deed.
Possibly this may have been the reason why
some enterprising individual made his fortune
years ago by advertising sbears grease" as a
sovereign specific for badness, use to which
by no possibility could it contribute, but on
the contrary could only ipjure any unfortunate
scalp to which it might be applied.
The fact that SO many of the people are bald
has given rise to an almost innumer able num-
Der of combined chemical agencies for the pur-
pose of restoring the lost covering, some of
these are entirely worthless, some are worse
than worthless, while others really possess
some merit in the direction they possess,
though we suppose that in the general there
are none that can do more than delay the pro-
cess of destruction except in those cases where
the evil is occasioned by temporary disease
instead of decay. Thus far they undoubtedly
IL nd "a ~ <ha nf he
of the hair restorers that they openly say moth
ing can be done without the free use Of brush
ing, cleaning and similar appliances; appli.
ances which if used in time would largely have
prevented the badness altogether. so long as
the bulbs in which the hair is rooted are
simply weakened there is hope of help, but
when their vitality is once exhausted, all the
''restorers' in the land, and their name is
little hair remains an added beauty and assist
| in its retention. We know of one prominent
hair restorer which was pledged to cure every
imaginable case, whose mere advertising cost
thousands of dollars yearly, and whose pro-
prietor was as bald as it was possible to be,
and who did not attempt to practice the use
of his own specific. Around the bottles of
this remedy may still be found the certificate
of an eminent clergyman, who testifes that its
use produced most luxuriant head of hair
upon his bald Uranium, and yet the clergyman
has had no hair on the top of his head in the
place where the hair ought to grow for the
last twenty years, and all efforts to get the
mortifying certificate suppressed have been
unavailing. for the proprietors have his letter
and signature, and know perfectly well that
he will never bring himself into public ridi-
cule by any legal process. The clergyman
was losing his hair, bottle Of specific was
recommended and used, a luxuriant furze
overspread his crown, and in the fullness of his
joy he at once furnished his certificate But
the furze was like the short grass of summer,
that disappeared in few weeks, and he is
compelled to 60 on reading his certificate to
the fact that he possesses full head of hair,
while he is compelled to see each morning at
his toilet, shiny, glossy head piece, almost
entirely denuded of its natural covering. Still,
as we said, many of them are good, and are
worth the money they cost, in preserving
what Of covering our living or habits have
left US. The business done in this way is i'm
mense. The proprietors of one single specific
paid last year over $4,000 for advertising,
while their profits were over 100000. This
was probably the largest, but many others
also do o large business, and make great
deal of money. Probably that made by
brewster" of our city, is as good as any that
is in circulation, and is, no doubt, free from
those deletereous ingredients which make it
somewhat of risk to buy those which are SO
pretentiously advertised.
Quite large business is done for the ladies
in supplying them with hair taken from the
heads of other persons. When a lady is bald
we can see no special harm in this, but on the
principle that it is woman's duty to look as
neatly as possible, positive benefit. This
hair is mostly imported from abroad, and sew
eral firms do a large business in this article
alone. 1t is professedly taken from the heads
| R@SSA
beyond the words Of those who deal in the ar
ticle, the fact is at least extremely problem.
atical. The most of it is taken from the heads
of the poorer portions Of our humanity, and
generally from the more vicious among that
class, and few ladies can be sure when wear
! ing their braids that they are not covered with
| the cast off tresses of some nymph of the nave
| The different colors are carefully kept to-
gether, and under the manipulations of the
artists who prepare it for market, it assumes
often richly beautiful appearance. The
price of s'braid" varies with the quality and
length, ranging from twenty-five dollars down
to the merest trihe. We have said that fol
those ladies who had lost their hair, the wear
ing of that of other people was proper, but WI
! confess we cannot see the good taste of lady
who has plenty Of hair of her own, descending