The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-05-29
COSMETICS ron THE HAIR.
An EnElishman's IDEA of DyeIur

An EnElishman's Idea OF DyeInS.--
How to Grow Your Hair.
The May number of the BeLSrdUid
has long article on Cosmetics for the
Hair" from which a few extracts are
made for the benefit OF our readers.
The physician who writes the article
says:
In countries where the use of nitrate
of silver prevails for any purpose,
whether fused and solid as In surgery,
or in solution, as mRrking-ink, or for
photography, the idea must speedily
have been suggested OF its employment
as a haiF-dye. Not only solution of
nitrate of silver, indeed, but every
preparation of silver, blackens when
exposed to air and light; accordingly
the number of silver preparations
which from first to last have been enl-
ployed as indellible inks and as hair
dyes Is very great.
THE LEAD PASTE.
Il was found that a mixture of
litharge, or oxide of lead and lime,
made into a paste with water, furnished
a convenient means OF effectiug the
dyeing rapidly. 1t was seen that II hair
were daubed with the paste over iSht,
and secured In an oIlskin bag to re-
tain the blabkening gas, then next
morning, on brushing away the pow
der and pomading, the hair would be
found to be black. / am told that the
discovery of this mode OF treatment
was made by some British military
horse doctor, whose name has merged
and been lost in the eff1ux of time.
This is pity, seeing that the discovery
is ingenious and does him credit. 1
am informed that many of the horses on
which our household troops are mount
ed, Notwithstanding the immaculate
beauty of their lustrous black coats, are
very prone TO have tails of less unim-
peachable jet. Wherefore again, am
told, the practice still prevails OF
daubing these defective tails with
the leAdpaste above described, and
skin bags, but In green cabbage
leaves. Whether applied to skin of
horse, or man or woman, any lead COM
pound is objectionable because of its
poisonous nature; Objectionable in the
highest degree, however, in proper
ton as the seat of its application Is
nearer to the brain. When this lead
whatever modification OF the process,
what are its advantages and what Its
defects, to pronounce in artistic sense?
They are many. The blackness is not
of that special tint which belongs to
any naturally black hair. 1t is heavy,
udEbn 6OEL Vi DldCkueSSt uelIueF DeReL-
ting "reminiscences OF the past nor har-
monizing with the skin tints evolved
by age. The result is a violation of
nature, hateful and odious. The drS
celdre drtem, that glorious canon, not
being within the artists reach, he has
missed 1t. What he has accomplished
leaves the poor candidates for youthful
appearances mere disguised old man
or woman, a phenomenon to be stared
at u butt to be Laughed at
If the problem of dyeing the hair
black involves the simplest case, and
If its accomplishment be so difficult,
what have we to say about brown and
chestnut in all their delicate varieties?
Only that tho task is more difficult
still the result more incomplete. To
the visual appreciation OF such people
who are content with sort of smoth-
cred black as the sufficient representa-
lions of browns in all their varieties,
the effect OF ordinary lead dyes used in
the particular manner may suffice. We
generally find II specified in the direc-
tons for using black hair dyes that
may be caused to impart a brown tint
by a little modification of practice.