New-York tribune., 1886-11-14
A SINGULAR DISEASE OF THE HAIR.
IS THERE SUCH 4 THING As A HAIR MOTH :
TIE IDEAS OF SOME BARRIERS CoNrRADicrED bf
PHYSICIAN
The following letters We're received at this

PHYSICIAN
The following letters We're received at this
Office:
To the Edrtoro or Tn Tribune
SIR: Byron awoke morning and found hmseI
famous from my couch yesterday 10 nnu my-
.elf-well almost bsldh-afed. Portions OF my u1lr
and there on my bald spots were TO he seeu giving
NE amost luicrous appearance ana nskne me me enI .oI
To-day is Ny friends say that am victim
tnat nniess get thcse bacteria or Whatever they are
killed, my case Is hopeless. Now, MT. Elitor, ao
not appeal to you on my own account a.
nGividuai s0"ysgn perish If The old World continue.
20 10 Settn Cured With the Doctor but doa you
tna IT. as is alleged. such diseases can he cluzht 10
H. II Won do not wish to De generation
wAo will towels instead Of combs aud brushes 10
p'y, Ys,s - 9nrE Nov 4. IssG A-OscE vAs-ABsALOM
20 me EdttOr Of rhe rrtbpne.
new disease has appeared in Brooklyn lately when
promises TO make our rsns eehersov est ~ or how
IL to he cured mystery both TO myself and irehd
rns lsw ont and wbn week nsre wa. bald spot
the back OF my head midway between my ears apou.
spot Is AZ large as palm OF hand while anotner
spot my right ear has Just appeared "een &c, @
nm IN the morning generally have handful or halr on
.ny pillow. have consulted several physiclsns
S n .oms kind friend doe. MOI come my rescne
soon shall be as bald AS billiard bail had romArA
have friend ~hO has spot on his head AMI ahOtner OH
his chin Yours j. X.
Brooklyn. oct %. 1856
p s-some OF my friends think caught this disease
OF whatever it Is iu barb'rsaoP Do you thinS sol
These letters handel to reporter wltn instfuc
tons TO investigate the matter fully. As the BARRIERS
were the assaed persons the the reporter called
on them He visited several Of the most prominent
ton.oral artists las they cal themselves IN THIS
city and Brooklyn. Here some OF the things tha'
were said by them after listening TO the letters:
A ABroaiway barber-It Is a base slanier upon re-
spectabe overwOrked and unierpsi profession those
fellows have been patronizins some cheap shoI. NO
man ever got any harmoths In frst-class establish
ment. Yes I've heard OF nair-mo;hs' Dat doa Ano"
anything about tho animals
The foreman OF Of the large hotel shops-fes I've
seen several cases ike those described IN the last few
years don't no. the disease could be got In
barbershops. a nrst-class places would hariiy out
mans hair who diseased In that way f0ni better
INV bottle Of my hair avlgoraor ana send it to those
felows 1t viii Kill moths. no matter II they are os a'
| An uptown barber-what new complaint is IN 8
against usl Havnt We been abused enough TO
Cne for all alleged loquaconsness Hair moths
Bosh! Ih-ie am t. any ,n,iv S' rova And their
wives have got best OF them They are too s1eep-n
20 admit It and want to throw the blame on US pa
ever Gisease of this Eind On Us. only ntte
while ago stayed too late ~ suit nv irau tne
other night and looked just ike your "Absolum next
one Of Harlem. artistic" hair tersOh yes, rve
seen several case. like those described snd cure many
Of them too Just send those fellows 70 me- As long
| as men patronze cheap shops they Will suffer.
| RrooElvn knight OF the scissors-I scan sew
ehef daY young man in with big bald spo,,
| on his head where the moths had eaten burned
them with caus'ic' as h. E. have ,,rSi 9tisT
Us haIr ia growing splendiv. That the only "a
| XIII them-burn them Out-and ind caustc does the
business It hdrts. tnougn. That young man told me
afterward that he didn't sleep well for three nights tht
causc burned No pain. no cure, toll him. He wa
mai al frs lick me tor burning min but now
he thinks 1t the best thing he could have done
Why know lots OF men bald as turnips just account
Of these moths. rney get in the hlir, ami unless de-
| sfroyed Will eat it all oil by ths roots
az a table while the other SPLENDID growth OF hal
stl remained or course he had II all GU: off, and nov
he sports a wig. don't think the BARRIERS are 10 blame
buJ wouldn't get moth IN nv mead for ticket 10 Er
rope and an opera company attached.
Then the reporter went to one Of the besknovn phy
s.cisns the city ami asked him about the disea4-
l. wrong blame the BARRIERS said the doctor. aud
the BARRIERS any els' all wrong 10 tax aOou
hair-rnoths There such things. kingworn, o
course exists and IA cOntag ous, but this disease ina
vonr have. Is. IN my opnlOn, dsorhe
ma, be Ongs the system Nnst 10 the caus
the work Of minute insect at the roots of the har bu
this exp Ofed Medical science Is now endeaVor
ing mad the real cause whlch. as sala: .
believed TO be In the nervous system why
aides who go near barber
hon arc frequently an cted with sudden faln
ont OF he PAIR. Sometimes whole haldIul viii com
ont while they are cOmbine AMI / have known case
where people have got in the morning ani left nal
their hair lyng pillow. In these instances TN
! lair cells arc found completely atrophied. but n
bacteria OF ans KIND are to he fOunl. Inc technlca
name OF he disease IL iOpecid dred Aiopecid 10 IRON
q Greek word meaning fox, because the disease com
| called the fOr-evil or scurf but the term In mod
cine now means a falling of or the nar from any par
f the body AreGtd indicates the dryness or atrophy
the roots OF the hair 10 referred Can the ais
| ease be cured on yes. rule. with proper Urea
ment Asa general thing 10 Implies that the whole -
tenn particularly the nervous part. IL run down an
needs toninr no There however. nothing contaglou
about II and us is no fault Of the BARRIERS