Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-07-22
Hair on the Chin.

THE question of boards has given rise to
considerable discussion In many circles.
| The hair, or beard, differs from the hair on
the head by its greater hardness and its
form According to Cesar, the Germans
thought, and perhaps justly, the large
growth of the beard favorable to the devel.
opment of all the powers. But there are
cases in which the circumstance is an in
/ dication of feebleness. ItfreQuently takes
! place in men of tender constitution. whose
pale color indicates little power. The
! boards of different nations afford an in
teresting study. Some have hardly any,
| others a great profusion. The latter gem
orally consider it as great ornament; the
| former pluck it out, as, for instance, the
American Indians. The character of the
beard differs with that OF the individual;
| and in the case Of nations varies with the
| climate, food, etc. Thus the beard is gem
orally dark, dry, hard and thin in irrita-
BILE persons of full age; the same is the
case with the inhabitants of hot and dry
countries, as the Arabians, Ethiopians,
East Indies, Italians and Spaniards But
persons Of a very mild disposition have a
light-colored, thick and slightly-curling
beard. The same is the case with the in
habitants of cold and humid countries, as
Holland, England Sweden. The differ
ence of circumstances causes all shades of
varieties. The nature of the nourish
ment, likewise, causes great variety in
the beard
Wholesome, nutritious and digestible
food makes the beard soft; but poor, dry
and indigestible food renders it hard and
bristly. In general the beard has been
| considered, with all nations, as. an orna-
| ment, and often as q mark of the sage and
| the priest. Moses forbade the Jews to
shave their boards. With the ancient
Germans the cutting off of another's beard
was high offense; with the East Indians
| 1t is severely punished. Even now the
beard is regarded as a mark of great dig
nifty among many nations in the East, as
the Turks. The custom of shaving is said
to have come in use during the reigns of
Louis XIII. and XIV. of France, both of
whom assembled the throne without a
beard. Courtiers and inhabitants of cities
then began to shave in order to look like
the King, and, as France soon took the lead
IN all matters Of fashion on the continent
Of Europe, shaving became general; but it
is only in the beginning of the
last century that shaving off the
whole beard has become common. Till
then fashion had given divers forms to
mustaches and boards Much could be
said, and has been said, in medical
point OF view, in regard to shaving the
beard. Such discussion would lead us,
however, here too far: 1t is not to be de-
MED that the mouth, one Of the most ex-
presslve parts of the countenance, is shown
to much better advantage in consequence
of shaving, and at the same time old age
appears TO much greater advantage with
& beard, which conceals the loss of the
teeth. Moreover, the eye gains much in
expression by q full beard. Every one
knows the trouble Of shaving; and who
does not remember Byron's computation
Of the amount of this trouble in "Don
Juan % Seume, German author, says
in his journal: "To-day threw my pow
der apparatus out of the window When
will come the blessed day thatI shall send
the shaving apparatus after it," Shaving,
among many ancient nations, was the
mark of mourning; with others it was the
contrary. Plutarch says that Alexander
introduced shaving among the Greeks
by ordering his soldiers to cut off their
boards; but it appears that the custom had
prevailed before among the Macedonians
The Romans began to shave 454 A. o.,
296 B. c., when certain Ticibus Moenas
a barber from Sicily, introduced this
fashion. Scipio Africanus was the first
that shaved every day. The day that
young man first shaved was celebrated
and the first hair cut off was sacrificed to
a deity. Adrian, in order to cover some
large warts on his chin, renewed the fashion
Of long boards; but it did not last long
In mourning, the Romans wore a long
beard, sometimes for years. They used
scissors, razors, tweezers, ETC., to remove
the beard. The public barber-shops ton
strin@) where the lower classes went were
much resorted to; rich people kept shaver
(tonsor) among their aves.-Erchdnge.