The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1882-07-27
A PEST FROM POLAND.
Frightful Scalp Diseases Transmitted in
False Hair.
From the Liverpool Courier

From the Liverpool Courier.
A terrible alarm has been created
amongst the ladies by the announce
ment of visitation of the most dread
full kind-nothing less than the arrival
of the horrible disease of the hair,
known asthe plicd 1oolonicd, which has
hitherto been confined to the inhabi-
tants of Poland and the frontiers of
Russia. No medical science has been
able as yet to ascertain the exact cause
of the disease, which renders it's vic
tim most hideous object to behold,
transferring sometimes almost sud-
denly the most beautiful and luxuri-
ant crop of hair into matted, disgust
ing mass of twisted snakelke ropes,
which stand out in horrible confusion
all over the head, through which no
comb can ever be drawn, and which
can never be cut owing to the agglom-
Grafton of the roots into one united
mass, which, as the roots are filled
with blood, would cause the sufferer to
bleed to death were they to he vio-
lently removed.
The doctors here account for the ap-
pearance of the disease In two cases
which have occurred of late to the
Poland-a country hitherto forbidden
to traders in the article of false hair.
ltappears that the ehair-croppings season
having bcrn rather unsuvcessful In the
usual districts to which the trade has
been till now confined, in consequence
of the immese demand made upon the
peasant girls of the Continent for the
last two or three years through the tre-
mendous plants, and "chignons," and
Cascades" and falls" and "frizzes'
that have been worn, heavy enough on
the single head of a lady of fashion to
despoil the poor pates of dozen poor
potato weeders or lace-makers of the
Normandy villages, it has become
necessary to widen the fields of opera
tions; and after ransacking Constants.
nople, Smyrna and Damascus, the
yield has even then fallen short of the
demand.
The traders aftera ruth into G Germany,
have been compelled to make swoop
down upon Poland, in spite of the
point of honor by which they were
bound to avoid all dealings of the kind
with that country. A lot of the most
beautiful hair was imported thence
from great fair held in the environs of
Warsaw toward the end of the month.
Most of the hair was of the finest
and most silky quality-highly pol
ished, clean and evidently well cared
for by its former proprietor; but as
most of it was black it had to he dyed
to suit the fashion of the day, which
commands that every woman that
man delighteth to honor shall have
flaxen, red-gold or orange. colored hair
But nothing is easier to the hair trade
than to change the color, and by the
chemical mixtures manufactured for
the purpose this object is attained in Il
moment.
However, one of these individuals,
residing III Clerkenwell, who had pur-
chased bag of Polish hair of the
finest quality, was Mortified on pre-
ceiving the liquid in which he had
plunged it for dyeing turn gradually of
blood-red color, until the whole
mass had changed to the same
lurd tint. Chemists were called in to
ascertain the cause of the strange oc-
currence. The mixture was submit
ted to analysis, but nothing was dis
covered, until at length the doctors
were summoned, and after examina-
tion by the microscope the bulb of the
plico polOnica was detected in great
proportion of hair which had been
bought by one especial trader who had
attended the fnir. 1t was but the
germ of the disease, but the tube of the
hair was affected, and had it remained
upon the wearer's head would in a
short time have been developed into
the virulent form of the disease.
Other dealers have kept their dis.
covery secret and have sold the hair at
a cheap rate to inferior hairdressers.
Much Of it must have been used to or.
nament the heads of the humble as.
pirants to fashion and distinction who
wait behind the bars of the lower pub
llic-houses, or behind the counters O
the general shops of the East End. L
is certain that two cases of the disease
have been reported-one of them {
very young girl employed as nurse in
bridesmaids family, whose head hac
been lately shaved after an attack o
scarlet fever, and who had bought
"fringe" to render herself "less shock
ing" beneath her cap. The doctor
are of course busily occupied in tn
investigation of the germs, aid under
take to prevent the spread of the dis
ease. They remember the failure ex
perienced by the French and Englisl
medical faculties in their endeavors +
cure the singer Madame Cruvelli, VIII
was compelled to leave the stgge an,
retire from the world, in the midst of
career as brilliant as that of her sister
in consequence of this terrible vista
ton.