The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-08-08
Hair and it's Uses.

The Dublin University Magazine, in
a discourse upon human hair, says:
1t is not the less useful because it
is ornamental. It is a bad conductor of
heat, and keeps the head warm in win
ter and cold In summer. 1t wards off
the effct of the sun and we find negroes
exposing themselves without head COW
ing to its burning rays in tropical eli
mates, without the slightest injury, and
some tribes of wild Arabs, who wear
neither tarboosh nor turban, are said to
rely solely on their bushy heads of hair
as protection against sunstroke. The
mustache is a natural respirator, de-
Tending the lungs against the inhala-
ton of cold and dust. It is a protec-
ton of the face and throat against cold,
and is equally in warm climates, safe
guard for those parts against excessive
heat. The mustache of blacksmiths
show by their color the dust which they
stopped as a natural respirator, and
which, if inhaled would have been inju-
riOus. The mustache is beneficial to
those who follow the trades of millers,
bakers, masons, to workers in metals,
and even to travellers into Egypt and
Africa, when they are exposed to the
burning sands of the desert, Full
bearJs are said to be defence against
bronchitis and sore threats. It is as
serted that the sappers and miners of
the French army, who are noted for the
size and beauty of their boards, enjoy a
special immunity from affections of this
nature. The growth of hair has been
recommended to persons liable to take
cold easily. It is stated that Walter
Savage Lander was a sufferer from sore
throat for many years. and that he lost
the morbid disposition by allowing his
beard to grow, according to the advice
of the surgeon to the grand duke of
Tuscany. The writer adopted the same
course for the very identical reason, and
with fair success. But he is bound to
state that he has seen individuals with
long, flowing boards, whom those orna-
ments did not save from attacks of bron-
chial and laryngeal disorders. The
curling nature of the hair is attributed
to large proportion of oily substance,
which prevents the absorption of water.
The effect of dampness in destroying
the curl of the hair is well known, but
it is not so well known that the state of
The hair participates in the state of the
general health. In many cases strong
curly hair becomes straight if the pos
SCISSORS be out of health, and the condi-
of the hair with them is as great test
as the condition of the tongue. The
state of the hair depends much on that
of the general health. In perfecthealth
the hair is full, glossy, and rich in its
hues, in consequence of the absorption
from the blood of a nutritive juice, con-
tanning its proper proportion of oily
and albuminous elements. In persons
out of health it may lose its brillliancy
of hue, and become lank and straight,
from the presence of imperfect Juices;
in others, again, there may be total
absence of such nutritive elements, and
the hair constantly looks faded and
dead. Climate exercises great influence
on the curliness of the hair, as may be
illustrated in the difference in the re-
spect between the natives of the north
and of the south, the long, lanky hair of
the former, as compared with the frizzy
hair of the natives of Africa. Even Eu-
ropeans, whose boards were soft and
silken at home, on reaching Africa,
found them to grow temporarily crisp,
strong and coarse, resembling horse
hair. This effect which could only be
ascribed to the extreme dryness of the
climate, ceased ON the travellers return
ing to their own country. No doubt |
this is the cause which, operating |
through thousands of years, has changed |
the negroes hair into coarse wool.