The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-12-29

in the German army, had been discov-
cred in the act of hazard playing by his
chief. He feared dishonorable dismiss
sal, and spent twenty days in dreadful
anticipation. When, finally, his case
was passed on, his colonel decided not
to punish the young fellow on ccndi-
ton that he promised never again to
touch card. After it WAS all over l
cut bunch of hairs from the culprit's
head to subject them to microscopical
investigation.
In this connection it should be stated
that the growth of hair allows Of meas
urement day by day. At an average
young peoples hair grows at the rate
of fifteen lines Twelve lines make one
inch) per month, but there are excep-
lions. My young friends hair, accord
ing to previous Investigations, grew
only at the rate of one-fourth of line
per day. Taking this for the basis Of
my examination, it WAS easy to deter
mine on what particular days certain
portions of the hair, which cut from
his head, had formed. found that,
beginning with the particles formed on
| July 5, and terminating with the form
ations OF July "a, the hair had changed
/ from bro wn to reddish and light blush
tints, increasing in intensity until, I'M
| der the microscope, 1t appeared almost
yellowish white.
The young mans diary showed that
! during that period he had gambled,
losing steadily. Consequently his nerv-
Gus excitement grew apaGe. On the
oath it reached its height, aid then he
found himself vis-a-vis of Nemesis, per-
sonified by bis superior officer. After
! that followed period Of quiet resigna-
| ton, during which the hair resumed its
| natural color, but as the day of judg-
| ment grew near. in the second week of
, August, the tint changed again from
| brown to brown yellow aud blush
green. The Inference is obvious.
A gentleman of my acquaintance re-
ceiverd on Octobe l6 of last year news
that his only son was suffering from
fatal malady. On November the
patient was declared to be out of dan
ger. Five days later [ cut a bunch of
hair from my friends head, and after
conducting preliminary Investigations
similar to those in the case Of the
young soldier let the microscope tell
the story. The formations from the
root upward, covering period Of five
days, were entirely normal; those
formed between October 16 and Nov
ember 4 exhibited the following tints:
Black blue turned red, red turned
yellowish brown, yellowish brown
blood orange, blood orange light yell
low.
HAIR STANDING ON END.
I also discovered another phenom.
enon in connection with this case. The
particle of hair grown on the day when
the man experienced sudden shock
seemed to be bent SO as to make flaw
in it, and at the concave part of thai
compression found number of in
f1nitesimal corpuscles, apparently parts
of the hair root. This shows the ire
mendous force which the nerves and
muscles exercise over the hair, symp
tom, by the Way, which the average in
dividual finds exemplitied in the sen
sation commonly called ''goose flesh
or goose skin. 1t is endured rs a con
sequence of sudden fright or terror
The skin of the head for the moment
loses it's smoothness, the hair roots
elevate, the hair itself becomes rigid
the color of the skin is pale.
: Medical science explains it as fol
lows: The hair contains certain mus
, cuIar fibre cells which arise in the up
per part of the corium. AS each hail
| enters the skin obliquely, forming al
acute angle with the surface, and al
l the muscle lies in the corresponding
obtuse angle, its contraction erects tn
: hair, that is, makes it stand up.
These goose-skin sensations we're Oh
served in a lesser degree in celtail
, cases where they could not be account
| ed for as the consequence of suddel
terror, although the nervous tendenc
predominated.
l A medical expert reports that tn
: curly locks of three young girls be
longing to family predisposed t.
nervousness strengthen out every tim
the young women become exhauste
by overwork or pleasure. Thus it hap
pens that if they go to a ball they ente
upon the pleasure straight haired; ate
r dancing few times their locks begin
l to form again, and before the festivit
: is half over the three pretty heads ar
covered with ringlets. Investigation
has proved that the girls have to wor
= particularly hard on the days proceed
} ing the balls. They make their owl
. dresses, do their own housewOrk, etc
The anticipation of pleasure may ais
= have something to do with increasing
l their nervous condition.
The microscope, in my investlga
3 tions, shows that when the hair appear
white or gray as the consequence o
o f ar, distress or strong mental excite
2; ment, it is not due to degeneration @
+ the pigment matter.o out Is occasione'
r by air bubbles arising in the shaft o
+ the hair and completely envelopin
the color particles. How this come
about science has not yet discovere-
g 1t is an open question whether the al