Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1893-01-03
Nervousness and Hair.

The New York Herold's European
edition on Sunday published in its
weekly article, what the Doctors
Say" two facts likely to make stir in
the medical world. The first is an eX-
planaiion of a new treatment for nery-
Gus diseases by injecting under the skin
a solution OF phosphate of soda, which
in this way is not modified by passing
through the digestive tract, but is taken
mp in its original form and acts directly
on the nervous system, Il portion oi tht'
organism Cor which it has the greatest
affinity.
n. Albert Robin uses solution OF
five grammcs OF phosphate OF soda IN
one hundred gra,ames OF sterliized DIS
titled water
This entirely new method is remark
able for its simplicity and haimlcssness,
and is worthy Of being brought to the
attention OF the profession. IL is stilia
It's inception, and will probably bc per-
fected later on. 1t has certainly a
bright future before it and marks a
stride forward in the path so brilliantly
opened up by the researches of DR..
Brown-Sequard, and for which he must
some day receive suitable recognition
in official circles.
The second fact is the researches OF
an English physician, Mr.. Mapother,
on the influence of food on badness.
Since hair contains not less than five
per cent of sulphur, and when gray
twenty per cent. of silica and ten per
cent. of iron and manganese, he claims
that two of the forms of food that near
~ every one takes each day-beef and
milll-have by their chemical compo-
sition the effect of annihilating these
primordial elements of hair whitening
1T the roots.
Mr.. Mapother thinks that different
albumenoid foods, starchy substances.
particularly dark colored oats, which
contain twenty-five per cent. of silica,
have powerful effect in making hair
grow. The races of men that have
the finest hair are usually those living
on starchy substances and vegetables.
Two or three years ago the Herald
published series of articles in the
form of interviews and so on about the
discovery OF Dir. Brown-Sequard, who
is referred to in the above Commercial
Cable dispatch. His alleged discovery
was in the natare of sub-cutaneous
injection of composition which had
the virtue, he claimed, of rejuvenatins
man and restoring his lost virility. Oh
course the medical world pooh-poohed
it - it does everything i'll the way OF
novelty. On the other hand, more lib
clal minded men thought the PROBES
sor's composition was not given suili-
cicnt trial and said that the treatment
had in it, il not all that was claimed,
al least a great deal that was useful
and beneficial to invalids. Professor
Brown-Sequad's talents and experience
are unquestioned.
Nervous diseases or affections OF the
nervous system, are either organic or
Newfoundland is, diseases produced
or accompanied by an anatomical al
iteration which can be recognized with
the naked eye or the microscope, and
such rs are caused by morbid states not
accompanied by any such alterations.
The growth of physiological and psy-
Geological knowledge, says DIR. Sc
Guard, in the last few years, has caused
mental affections to be classcd with
ucvyous diseases.
DR.. Mapother, whose researches into
the cause OF badness are also referred
to in the above dispatch, is COMPARE
lively unknown. In the south OF
France tho cultivation and sale of
heads of hair by peasant girls is q com
mon practice, and hawlsers attend fairs
Tor the special purpose of engaging III
this traffic. Hair five and even six feet
long is sometimes obtained. Bleaching
of hair by means OF peroxide of hydro
gen has been extensively practiced
with the view OF obtaining supply OF
golden locks or Of preparing white
hair for mixing to match gray shades,
but in neither case has the result been
very successful.