Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-07-13
SOMETHING ABOUT BARRIERS.
Hints About Shaving.

Hints About Shaving.
From Medical Classics.
The barber is classic institution He traces
his calling to the most ancient times. He is
referred to by the prophet Ezekiel: "And
thou, son of man, take thee a BARRIERS razor,
and cause it to pass upon thine head and upon
thy beard" Distinguished persons have been
connected with his craft, such as Aesibius, the
great mechanic, who first applied air as a mo-
tive power, and invented water-clock and a
hydraulic organ, some 200 years ago. The
father OF Richard Arkwright, Lord Tenderden
and Lord st. Leonard used razoIs to gain a
living. In former times BARRIERS performed
some OF the duties of surgeons, custom that
seems to have prevailed in all countries.
They were cuppers. leechers, phleboto-
mlsts (blood -letters), and crude dem
lists. To this day on the BARRIERS pole
there are stripes that represent twisted
or spiral ribbon, which symbolizes the ribbon
which the barber of We olden time wound round
the arm OF the victim previous to blood-letting.
In London. Edinburgh, and elsewhere BARRIERS
formed corporations with certain privileges
that are now enjoyed by surgeons. In fact,
the barber, if not the father of hes is the father
of good many things. He is the alpha or be-
ginning of the modern dentist, and also of our
modern sawbones. Compare the brilliant and
steady-nerved surgeon of to-day with the bar
ber-surgeon of the past, and you will no doubt
be quite ready to admit that in this line ''evo-
luton" has put in some of its finest work.
The ancient barber furnished an excellent
substitute for the modern newspaper. He was,
indeed. walking gazetteer or periodical, of
which the last number was always recent and
ready spread for perusal-an ever busy re-
porter, who, guiltless of shorthand notes or
letter-press, contented himself with those sim
pier media of receiving and conveying informa-
tlon-the tongue, eyes, and ears. The shop of
the higher class of these tradesmen formed
good apology for the modern club-room and
that of the humber of his craft for the tavern
or beer-house.
The ancient Sicilians paid considerable at
tentlon to dress and the cosmetic arts. and
among them the trade of "barber" became a
distinct occupation, and one of considerable
importance.
The first BARRIERS" were brought from Sicily
to Rome, by one Ticinius Mena BIC. 1903. In
the course of few years they had so multiplied
that the city was full of them. Their shops
CtonstrinG) soon became the common resort of
loungers and idlers of every description. There
the gossiping and inquisitive portion Of the
community sought for fashionable news and
information respecting affairs of state: there
the reports of the nights broil and the last
intrigue found ready tongues to disseminate
them, with all their attendant ISLANDERS. to the
remotest corner of the city; there the affluent
and the indolent consumed their time in
courtly chit-chat, and there too, the less
opulent and the industrial classes met for rec
reation, and discussed current politics, when
the hours OF toll and business were over. Even
the poorer citizens, according to Horace,
sought refuge from their ennui by making q
round of the BARRIERS shops
'Mutat cenacula, lectos
Banea tonsores."
The attention of the Roman barber was first
and principally directed to the hair, in which
n q ba 10 70
celled to degree that might Justly excite the
envy Of the modern ''artiste" in his line After
the hair the beard received the immediate ex-
ercise of his SKILL and here he was equally at
home, shaving it or trimming it with great e1-
pertness and taste. He next operated on the
hands and trimmed and polished the nails, at
the same time removing any callosities that had
formed on the palms or joints.
The man whose hair was dressed or cut un-
tastefully subjected himself to general remark
and his unfortunate valet became the object Of
opprobrium wherever he was alluded to- A
'bungling barber" could scarcely ply his trade
with profit in the Roman capital or in any Of
the larger provincial towns, and would have
been continually subjected to personal insult,
if not actual chastisement, from his customers.
THE BARBER OF TO-DAY.
So much for the barber of classic history and
the barber of literature. Now for the man of
to-day and his razor.
u d great
number of minute points, commonly called
teeth, which, il the razor is in itself good and
in good condition, follow each other through
Its whole extent with great order and clearness
and constitute by their unbroken regularity its
exclusive keenness. The edge acts on the
beard not so much by the direct application of
weight or force as being drawn, even slightly,
along 1T; because by this operation the fine
teeth of which it consists pass in quick success
sion in the same part of the substance. The
asf ra xu1lI haU ..aAh Of t.1..
| set almost as regularly as good saw, and the
best test In trying a razor is to examine the
edge by means OF a strong magnifying glass
This almost explains the good effect on the
| razor caused by dipping it in hot water. which
| necessarily clears the edge of any small clog
ging substances.
RAZoRs GET TIRED,
We close this article with some hints on the
art Of shaving and the care of the razor, which
will be of value and interest. s.'
BARRIERS often assert that "razors get tired"
| Of shaving, and that they will perform satisfac-
torlly If permitted to rest for a time. 1t will
| be found by microscopic examination that the
tired razor, from long stropping by the same
hand and in the same direction, has the ultimate
fbers of its surface or edge all arranged in one
direction, like the edge of piece of cut vel
vet; but after months rest these fibers rear
| range themselves, heterogeneously crossing
| each other and presenting a saw-like edge Gas
described above), each fiber supporting its fell
| low, and hence cutting the beard instead of be-
ing forced down fat without cutting, as when
laid by.
HINTS AS TO SHAVING.
Never fail to well wash your beard with soap
and cold water, andto rub it dry, immed iately
| before you apply the lather, of which the more
you use and the thicker it is, the easier Won
| will shave.
| Never use warm water, which makes the face
| COT shavers) tender.
| In cold weather place your razor( closed, of
course) in your pocket, or under your arm, to
| warm it.
| The moment you leave your bed Tor bath) il
the best time to shave.
| Always wipe your razor clean, and strop 1t
before putting it away; and always put your
shaving brush away with the lather ON il.
| The razor, as we have shown, being only q
| fine saw, should be moved in o sloping or saw
ing direction, and held nearly fiat to your face,
| care being taken to draw the skin as tight as
possible with the left hand, 80 as to present an
even surface, and TO throw out the beard.
The practice of pressing on the edge of the
razor in .stropping 1t soon rounds il; the press
ure should be directed to the back which
should never be raised from the strop. II you
shave from heel TO point Of razor, strop ii from
point to heel; but you begin with the point
| in shaving, then strop IL from heel to point.
II you only once put away your razor with
out stropping 1t, or otherwise perfectly clean
ing the edge, you must no longer expect tc
shave we'll and easy, the soap and damp 20 soon
rust the fine teeth and edge.
A piece of soft plate leather should always be
\ kant With rnzora Ii nina them nth