Wichita eagle., 1889-10-18
Curious Fact. Abou. the Finger Nails.

Curious Facts About the Finger Nails.
Medical Classics is authority for the follow
ing curious and interesting statements in re-
gard to the growth of the finger nails. They
viii be new TO most readers:
The average rate OF growth of the finger
nails has been estimated at one millimeter,
Dr. two-ffths Of line per week; rate quad
ripple that of the toe nails, which require four
weeks to grow toe same length This growth
continues with little variation, even during
disease, but the portion of the nail then
formed is thinner and deficient in strength
In sudden and acute diseases, and in those
accompanied with extreme debility, this
attenuation is sufficient to mark the nails
with deep, transverse grooves, the upper sur
face of which is abrupt and clearly marked.
In scrofulous subjects these marks together
with peculiar vaFiegations, are very COM
monty observable. Extreme anxiety and
mental depression have the same effect on the
nails as physical disease
1t is interesting to watch the history of a
case of disease as recorded upon the finger
nails. When we look at the patients nails
we see on each of them distinct ridge, show
ing that the portion of the nail which has
grown since the acute attack is much thinned
out.
| Take, for instance, man ia whom an
acute double pneumonia occurred few
weeks ago. You will see on his finger nails
the ridge showing the acuteness of the at
tack. This is quite distinct, and is seen on
all OF the nails. These marks are very inter
esting and tell us perfectly straight story
They will remain for at least two years. If
a person tells you that he has broken his
oirhf ill ~
ridges On the nails of the hand of the affected
side, while they will be absent on those of the
other side If you are told that a patient
has had typhoid fever, look at his nails, and
if the statement is correct, you will find toe
ridges. The more acute the illness the
sharper will be the ridge
When the illness comes on, the nutrition Of
the body, including that of the nail, ceases
We all know about the hair falling out after
disease like typhoid fever It only begins
to fall after the growth has recommended
and the hair is coming up out of the follicle
The nail is a much more enduring evidence
of disease If there has been an acute rheu-
matism coming on within few hours, with
temperature of 104 or 105 dogs, the nail
will be cut down sharply. The nails look as
though they had been cut across In typhoid
fever, when the disease comes on gradually,
there is no such sharp cutting out of the nail.
There will rather be an area of thinning,
which will not be seen until the nail grows
beyond the white mark at its base. ..
Greenland Seals.
Young seals are brought forth on large
floating fields of ice in March The baby
seals are born with white hair, which soon
changes to soft, silky brown fur, and they
nestle on their frozen beds Of ice as long as
they are sucked by their mothers. When
from TO years old they can exist in water.
Then they begin to follow their mothers
about, much after the fashion of human ha-
bies for their attention and the food of fish,
which they most dutifully provide. During
this period the mother seal is an alert and
hardy fisher She viii attack the most active
fish Of these waters, save the shark and we
had the testimony Of Capt. Deschamps that
instances have been known where battles
between the food hunting mother seals and
these rapacious ruffians of the deep resulted
in the defeat and death of the latter. They
IRE powerful animals, and will force them
selves up the most rugged salmon leaps to
attack the largest salmon. When the young
seals are to months old they are left to
shift for themselves. Nor are they given up
gradually.
Of a sudden the mother seems to determine
that sufficient time and energy have been ex-
pended upon them. Instantly she is stranger
TO the cub and any further attempts at init
macy are resented in the most savage manner.
the Gulf of ST. Lawrence and the Newfound-
land coves begin to I'LL with great herds of
Greenland seals in November. During the
entire winter these break up into lesser herds
in search Of icebergs upon which to live
Here they remain until after the breeding
time is past, struggling along the coast until
May or June, when they disappear into the |
Allan ic and head for Rudson's and Baffin's /
bays. Their migrations are as regular as
those Of birds, and incomparably more GER
tain than those Of the herring and mackerel |
The harbor seals tphoca vitulina) are found |
along these coasts at all seasons Of the year,
ard as our schooner threads the mazes of |
coastwise islands, or glides past reef and ledge |
of jutting head and, they are constantly seen
in their seemingly hfeless baskings in the sun
upon shelving rocks, occasionally turning and |
tapping their shining fiippers as if for easier
position in their sieSta, or Swimming through
shallow water and surfs, while turning their |
almost human heads from side to side, like
bevy of surprised and questioning mermaids,
astonished at our approach and untimely in
Cor. New Orleans Plea
yune