St. Paul daily globe., 1895-12-22
ject them to microscopical investiga-

ject them to microscopical investiga-
tion.
| Ir this connection 1t should be stated
that the growth of hair allows. OF
measurement day by day. AT an av'
erage young peoples hair grows at the
rate Of fifteen lines Twelve lines make
one 1incD per month, but there are
exceptions. My young friends hair
according to previous Investigations
grew only at the rate of one-fourth OF
az line per day. Taking this for the
sbasiS of my examination it was easy
Iesdeterrnine on what particular days
certain portions of the hair, which ]
cut from his head, had formed. ]
found that, beginning with the par
Etisles formed on July and terminal
Ing With the formations of July "a the
hair had changed from brown to red
4 dish and light blush tints, increasing
:int intensity until, under the micro
scope it appeared almost yellowish
white.
Tie, young mans diary showed that
during that period he had gambled,
| losing steadily. Consequently his nerv-
'ous excitement grew apace. On the
oath it reached it's height, and then he
found himself vis-a-vis of Nemesis, per-
| sonitied by his superior officer After
that followed a period of quiet resigna-
| ton, during which the hair assumed it's
! 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 and blush
green. The inference is obvious.
A gentleman of my acquaintance re-
ceiVed ON Oct. 16 of last year news that
his only son was suffering from a fa-
tai malady. On Nov. the patient was
declared to be out of danger. Five
days later cut a bunch of hair from
my friends head, and after conduct ting
preliminary Investigations similar to
those in the case of the young soldier
L let the microscope tell the story.
The formations from the root upward.
covering period Of five days, were
entirely normal; those formed between
Oct. 16 and Nov. exhibited the follow
ing tints:
Black blue turned red, red tur1ssd
yellowish brown, ,yellowish brown blood
orange, blood orange a light yellow.
HAIR ON END.
l also discovered another phenome-
non 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 a flaw
in 1t, and at the concave part of that
impression 1 found a number infinites-
1mal corpucleS, apparently parts of the
hair root. This shows the tremendous
force, which the nerves and muscles
exercise over the hair, symptom, by
the way, which the average individual
finds eXemplified in the sensation ts,m-
monty called goose flesh" of goose.
skin. 1t is endured as a consequence 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
culaf fiber cells which arise in the
upper part of the corium. AS each hair
enters the skin obliquely, forming an
acute angle with the surface and as
| the muscle lies i'm the corresponding OBJ
tuse, angle, it's contraction erects the
hafr, that is, makes it stand up.
These goose-skin sensations were
observed in lesser degree in certain
eases where they could not be ac-
counted for as the consequence of sud-
lsden4terror, although the nervous ten
dency predominated
A, medical expert reports that +ha
curly locks of three young girls be-
longing to family predisposed to
nervousness straighten out every time
fhss young women become exhausted
by oyerwork or pleasure. Thus it han
pens that if they go to a ball thew
enter upon the pleasure straight
haired; after dancing few times their
locks begin to form again, and before
the festivity is half over the three
pretty heads are covered with ringlets.
Investigation has proved that the girls
have to work particularly hard ON the
days preceding the balls. They make
thstf own dresses, do their own house.
work, etc. The anticipation of pleas
ure may also have something to do
with increasing their nervous condi-
ticn.
The microscope, in my investiga-
tions, shows that when hair appears
white or grey ais the consequence of
fear, distress or strong mental excite
ment, 1t is not due to degeneration of
the pigment matter, but is occasioned
by air bubbles arising in the shaft of
the hair and completely enveloping the
color particles. How this comes about
science has NJ t yet discovered. It is
an open question whether the air is
admitted from outside or whether the
elastic fluid is the result Of decomposi-
ton in the interior of the hair shaft
or roots.
Though our knowledge of the bar
ometer qualities of the hair is crude
and unfinished, yet it furnishes not
| only direct proofs of the existence of
| mental and physical infirmities, but
also indirectly denotes a PERSONS
healthy condition.
1 know many women who have lived
through all sorts of distress and trou-
bles without hair in their head
changing color, while others likewise
affected turned gray at the sides and
the fore part Of their head at an early
age and in short time
What does it prove? Simply that the
aforementioned parties retained their
equilibrium, their joyous disposition,
while their friends gave way under
the burden. Prof. Pohl, M. D. .
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