Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-03-03
HUMAN HAIR.

qHily of Observation-Disclosures Advice
for AL.
The great tyrant, Fashion, has
been as arbitrary and tickle in the
matter of hair as in that of clothes.
The Greeks, the Romans, the Assy-
rians, the Hebrews, and the Cartha-
genians, cultivated their hair to the
utmost, and abhorred nothing more
than badness or bare-facedness. In
tue early part of the reign of Fran
els l., the mobiles of the French
court wore long hair, but that mon
arch, having become the proud pos
SCISSOR of an ugly scar gained in
battle, adopted short hair, in order,
10 show it to advantage, and forth
with abbreviated locks became the
fashion at the Court of France.
This is analogous to the bringing
in of ruilles to hide a royal thick
neck, or of crinoline to cover the
evidences of an empress pros
pective maternity. In the time of
Louis XIII. reaction set in, and
long hair was again worn, together
with curls and wigs. Then came
the reign of hair powders and peri
wigs and perukes of monstrous size.
These were banished by the French
revolution, since which time civil
lied nations have been content with
natural heads Of hair when they had
them, Onl y resorting to the wig
maker when nature failed them.
The natural color Of the hair has
been objected TO in all times and
countries, and art has been brought
into requisition to change it accord
ing to the whims of the moment.
The Roman ladies dyed their natural
hair and sprinkled it with gold dust;
they also used artificial hair, and ar
ranged their tresses, whether natu
raj or artificial, in various fanciful
devices. Boadicea and the early
Britons bleached their hair to pro-
duce a yellow color, and brought
about the same result by the use of
tallow, lime, and vegetable dyes.
The same custom was in vogue in
the time of Queen Elizabeth. Disa-
greeable consequences sometimes
followed these practices then, as
now, unexpected and startling
shades of color being produced.
Hair has ever been the glory and
the grief of mankind. Absalom's
triumphs and tribulations spring
from the superabundance of his
locks. Samson's might and his mis-
cry lay in the integrity of his beard.
The Jewish maidens loved to braid
their plentiful tresses and deck them
with the precious metals and stones,
for which they were soundly berated
by the prophets. At later period
st. Paul reproves the women of the
newly-formed churches for a similar
vanity.
But mankind have by no means
universally regarded hair as a mere
ornamental appendage, but have
utilized it in various ways. Among
the Romans it was solemnly offered
to the gods on occasions of mar
Iiage, victory, escape from danger
and death, and burial of friends.
Achilles assuaged his grief for
Patroclus by buryiRg his hair in his
friends tomb, and many a noble
Roman committed great crimes with
an easy conscience, knowing that
he could expiate them by the sacri-
fee of his superfuous head covering
TO the offended deities. When used
in faith and with the proper cere-
monies it has cured half the ills that
flesh is heir to. As an antidote to
witchcraft it has done most memoir
able service. In the time of William
ii Of England the standing of man
was determined much more by the
character and cut Of his hair than by
the amount of his property. Dur
ing the prevalence of the great civil
war in England, the cut of the hair
served to distinguish the political
and religious parties from each
other. In many ages and countries
poor maidens have sought to in
crease their little stores by selling
their hair to richer ones, and the
necessity for constant supervision
and care of the hair created and
sustains the ancient and honorable
profession of the barber.
One of the most decisive as well
as curious proofs of the value which
mankind set upon the hair, is fur
nished 10y the custom of offering
it in sacrifice by nations which
practiced that rite, and by the fact
that the loss of the hair has very
generally been regarded as humiba
ton and a disgrace, and has been
used on this principle by magis-
trates, as punishment for criminals
and by religious ascetics, as an act
of modification. The custom OF
the Romans, in sacrificing their hail
to the gods, has already been men.
toned, and the significance of the
practice is seen when it is remem
bered that only articles of real Of
fancied value were so sacrificed
The tonsure of the priests in thu
Roman Catholic Church arose from
the ascetic principle, and the practic,
of cropping the heads of prisoner
was begun, and is at least partl,
continued as punishment. Othe
illustrations of the same principl
are found-the closed cut hair of tn
Puntans, TO distinguish them from
the sinful and long haired cavaliers
and in the practice of nations hold
ing slaves requiring the latter t,
wear their hair short 10 distinguish
them from their masters. 1t is o.
similar grounds that plucking on
the hair is regarded as an expressly
token of afiliction.
The present taste il hair is in fs
vor of luXuTiant locks, but, unfoI
tunately, the present tendency c
hair is decidedly 10 thinness; in fac
we are in imminent danger of becon
ing hairless set of beings, unles
a physiological reaction takes plaC
in the race III this respect. The e.
tent of the evil is little suspects
so strong is the repugnance to i
being known and so sedulously is
concealed by various device
osnnciallv by the fairer and lonr