Morning journal and courier., 1884-10-31
A Remarkable war Relfc,

That hair grows upon the human body after death has been a theory held by many prominent physicians, but discredited by the profession generally. Experts who follow the melancholy pursuit of laying out and dressing the dead hold in some contempt this profes sional opinion and declare that cases of hair growth after death are frequent, and often so palpable that even Q novice would not fail to detect them.
 A very curious relic in the possession of a Pottsville bookkeeper, @ veteran of the late war, was examined by several Philadelphia doctors recently, and appears to furnish con elusive proof that death does not always put an end to the growth of hair upon portions of the human body, even after lapse of years Henry Matthews was good soldier
 during the war, and was at the front of some of the hottest engagements of that great
 4truooIe As & member of Company H, of
 the Forty-eighth Pennsylvania volunteers, he
 was in the fight at Cold Harbor. On May 26,
 1884, he was struck down by bullet, which
 entered the back part of the head. The ball
 passed through portion of the brain, and
 was taken out above the forhead. The opera ton was performed by Dr. w. R. D. Black
 wood, then surgeon-general of the division, who now lives at No. 246 North Twentieth street in this city. During the progress of the operation mass of the brain, weighing about an ounce and half and as long as an egg, escaped. The bullet, to which some ot the brain matter and portion of the scale adhered, was preserved, and upon h1s de- parture from the hospital was given to the wounded man. who, to the aStonlshment of the surgeon, recovered He has suffered no mental inconvenience, and now occupies responsible clerical position in the Reading railroad office at Pottsville. When the bull
 let was presented to him twenty years ago at the hospita1 door the brain matter and the patch of scalp had dried up, but few short hairs could be seen sticking out from the latter. 1 The bullet had been considerably fattened and somewhat resembled the shape of 8 min l iature clam shell.
 As time elapsed Mr. Matthews, who great 1 1v prized this relic, noticed an astonishing l fact. The hairs. which at first were scarcely I prominent enough to be noticed, were grow l ing. Other hairs grew out also until thick ! black bunch appeared at the back end of the ! bullet. At first his friends refused to credit l the story. although be showed the precious l relic in proof Once or twice he cut off the ] ends of the growing hair. It continued to l grow. About year ago MT. Matthews came i to Philadelphia and sought out Dr. Black i wood, to whom he exhibited the bullet with 1 it's ounce of apparently healthy hair. The surgeon, in the presence of professional wit | l that which remained, boxed and sealed up 1 the bullet, and placed it in trusty hands for safe-keeping Recently the package was open | ed. A careful measurement showed that the
 hair had grown over an inch since the ball had been last seen, and. Dr. Blackwood said yesterday: ssThe fact is beyond dispute Ap, I parently without nutrition, upon the dried | up particle of scalp and brain, this hair has ] been and is now growing as surely, IT not 1 SO luxuriantly, as it grew upon Matthews head when he was shot, recoilect the 1 wonnd. ~ the operation, and the presentation
 of the relic to the injured man after his re- markable recovery. It seems to me to settle beyond doubt that hair can and does grow l upon dead bodies. The fact has steadily
 been denied by medical journals and medical men generally, but the men who have charge
 of the medical college subjects, those mysterious fellows who have every oppor- I tunity to know, nearly all declare that they
 continually witness the proof of it."
 That hair can be transplanted and will
 contract organic adhesion is a recognized fact
 and the American Cyclopedia says: "Hairs will grow after death and will live for centu l ries. But no such remarkable instance a
 the hair growing on MT. Matthews bullet il on record,