Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1892-09-02
BADNESS CONSIDERED.
Why Does a Mans Head Become Like q
Billiard Ball I?

The subject of badness is one that
breaks out in the newspapers at more
or less frequent intervals, in the course
of which a great many theories, and al
legged facts to support them, are given.
These are in turn disputed and Won
dered over, or ridiculed and thrown
aside as valueless.
The latest idea in this line comes to
US from medical author in Vienna,
who flies directly in the face of most of
the accepted theories, and puts out
belief of his own, offering what he
seems to think are very strong corrobo-
rative proofs of his statements.
In the course of his argument DR..
Lessner declares that badness, al
though most common in the centers Of
civilization, is not symptom Of
strong or active brain. He calls atten-
ton to such heads as those of Schiller,
List, Mackart and others who are re-
markable for long and bushy hair, and
also mentions the fact that farm-la-
borers, gypsies and the like, who rarely
have their hair cut, are seldom afflicted
with badness. His theory is that fire.
quent cutting of the hair saps its vi
tality, and the air coming in through
the cut ends and striking the roots,
kills it
This might do very well were we not
confronted with the fact that there are
thousands, possibly millions Of men
who shave every day, and many mill
ions who shave at least once week;
but for all that, while the beard is cut
much closer than the hair, who
ever heard of man becoming bald of
chin, If one might use such an express
sion? It is, therefore, clearly evident
that hair is not at all like brushwood,
killed by frequent cutting, else all hair
would suffer alike, and many young
and middle-aged man would with sor-
row see the glory of his luxuriant side
whiskers departing in the wake of his
ambrosial locks.
Certain individuals have from their
own experience satisfied themselves
that it is to some as yet uninvestigated
microbe which infests the barber-shops
that much of the badness Of men is
due. Women who habitually employ
hair-dressers sometimes lose their hair,
but as this is worn long, there is less
chance for destruction, as there is more
TO feed upon.
One theory, and tolerably plausible
one, is that the marrow or pith or lin
ing of the hair is the objective point OF
the destructive parasite. The hair Is
more tender and delicate in the
portions next to the head, and
it Is upon this toothsome dainty that
the insect works. Cutting through to
the interior he greedily eats 1t all up,
thereby exhausting the strength and
vitality of the hair by consuming the
substance of itoas fast as it appears
The more delicate the growth, the more
quickly it falls victim to the little de-
stroyer. 1t would be quite worth whilo
for some scientist to make an ex-
haustive study Of this subject, and SEQ
II 1t is not to some parasite Of the bar
ber-shops that humanity owes its bald
pates-
The statement that certain men of
brilliant minds have long hair proves
nothing, as far as DR.. Lessners
theory is concerned, except that
as they do not have their hair
cut, they have no need OF BARRIERS,
and therefore do not come in contract
with the parasites. The same is true
of peasants and laborers. Indeed, it
may be said, also that men of eccentric
minds, extremists, enthusiasts and ex-
ceptionally gifted men in some specially
almost always have long or abundant
hair.
It is the business man, the banker,
the merchant, the broker, the financier
or the mathematical man who is most
likely to be bald. We might, therefore,
naturally inquire whether there is any
connection between business and bald
ness, and if, in order to keep his head
covering intact, man must be poetP
IN. Y. Ledger.