The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1886-11-25
The Anatomy OF the Hair.

There is much more in health Of hair
than most people imagine. Simply
speaking, on the one hand, the hair cam
not be in health il the body be net so;
and, on the other, an unhealthy scalp
may positively produce grievous bodily
ailments. at least, I believe so; and /
would adduce only one proof of this.
Think you not, then, that if the skin Of
the head be not wholesome, and every
duct, whether sebaceous or perspiratory,
acting we'll, headaches may occur, or q
dull and hot feeling of the brain7 You
can conceive this to be true readily
enough. Well, the brain acts, for good
or for evil, constantly upon the stomach
and organs of digestion, and on these
latter depends the whole economy of the
system, and the proper nutrition of bone,
muscle, and nerve as well.
Remember when say chair" do not
mean only the visible portion of that ap-
pendage. but its roots as well, and the
glands that lubricate the whole.
1t would take much more space than /
have at my command at present to de-
scribe the anatomy and growth of the
hair. I may, however, state briefly
few facts concerning it.
1. Each hair, then, grows from the
bottom of minute sac or depression in
the three layers of the skin-a kind Of
bottle-shaped cavity.
2. Each hair is composed of three lay
ers, corresponding to those of the skin;
first an outer, made up of scales or cells,
arranged like the tiles on a house, the
free ends being turned toward the point
of the hair, so that the hair is, as all
know, more easily smoothed one way
than another. Secondly, amiddle layer,
called the cortical portion, and this is
the chief substance Of the hair, and it is
this which splits in some ailments. Lastly
and internally is the pith, not present IN
all hairs, though it probably ought to be.
This pith consists simply of rows Of
large cells that line the cortical portion.
5. The color of the hair depends upon
pigment which is found in the middle
or co, tical layer.I This pigment is found,
both fluid and solid in the cells, and the
intensity of color, soy of black and brown
hair, depends upon the amount of this
pigment more than its actual color.
4. The bottle-shaped depression from
the bottom of which the hair grows is
called the hair-sac, and its depth corre-
spends with the length of the hair which
is to grow therefrom; sometimes, there
fore, tAe sac of short hair will be only
through the outer skin layer, while that
of long hair will be quite deep. The
axis of each sac is at an acute angle; thus
the hair is enabled to lie fat. If it were
perpendicular, the hair would stand up.
That it does so under great fear or ex-
citemeht we all know. This is caused by
a nervous Tightening up of the skin. 1t
is constantly seen on the backs of dogs
and cats when they are enraged.
5. The hair grows from--is set on to,
I might say-a little cone called th.
anatrir, and this cone is fed from the
blood, and in its turn feeds the hair and
enables it to grow. ..-
6. The natural gloss Of the hair de-
pends upon a secretion which is poured
into the sac from two little glands called
sebaceous, which secrete an oily juice.
Washing the hair with hard alkaline
soap entirely destroys this secretion and
cannot but injure the hair 0asseUs
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