The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-03-24

inns WOulQ De OH tUo or the
evil of badness and the benefcence of its
cure. Being only layman l am not sure
that it is an evil, but being layman who
for some years past has realized that sooner
or later he will probably become entirely
bald, and seeing how absurd bald-headed
men appear and the many discomforts
which they suffer from their condition, l
choose to regard badness in my case as an
evil.
1t is not consoling to me to reflect that
the Prince of Wales has spent an enormous
fortune in trying all the remedies that have
ever been concocted by quacks, recon-
mended by grandams or prescribed by
physicians. He remains hopelessly, ludi-
crousiy bald.
Before entering upon common-sense
non-technical discussion of the treatment
of the hair and scalp, l shalf glance at some
peculiar things. They are best set out con-
spicuously, thus:
The lower animals, whether wild or do
mesticated, are free from badness.
The lower races of men are practically
exempt from it.
Badness occurs among the higher races
and is practically confined to men.
Badness in any of the higher races is
commoner among the most highly devel-
Op6u VI lAAS A~AON eA4etii GINNING Viz
lowest.
There appears to be a smaller proportion
of baldheaded men among lunatics and
criminals than among well-balanced and
orderly citizens.
Badness seems to be as common, pro-
portionately, among men of correct lives as
among those who are dlsslpated.
These postulates are drawn from my per-
sonal observation, which, for scientific pur-
poses, may be inadequate and unreliable,
but it is well that every one of them be
pondered and tested nevertheless. Assum-
ing them to be correct, we may ask some
strange questions. For instance:
We may suppose that nature, as she
evolves US higher and higher, is Kidding
us of our natural head-covering for suffi-
Gent reasons. But if so, why is it that
men, and not women, are so affectedP Is
it possible to imagine one line of evolution
for men and another for women born of
the same circumstances and conditions
This opens up a vast and complex ques-
ton and brings US upon battlefield in
which laymen need not yet bear arms. But
still it is an important question.
Again, if it IS natures purpose that we
should have hair on the head, is it right
that we should combat baldness2 The
physicians and the theologians may fight
that out if they will For my part L want
hair on my head.
IL Is easy enough W SdN IudU nature, QlS-
gusted with the fact that we ignore the
manifest purposes for which she covered
our heads with hair, is depriving us of it
because we no longer use it as she intended
we should. In support of this assertion we
can easily say that, according to the scien-
lists she has rid US OF many other things
which in a lower state we used and which
we lost after abandoning the use. For in
stance, we are covered all over with hair
that is now short and useless, but that
once served US in place OF clothes; it be-
came what it is when VIC grew vain and
took to clothes. Similarly, in our tree
climbing state we had a tail, which we
carry about now under the name of coccyx
it is prolongation of the spine, now
wholly Embedded in the flesh, and though
jointed in infancy becomes ossifed
throughout in later years. Other instances
of our possession OF rudimentary organs
appendices and functions showing atrophy
or nearly total extinction from lack of
exercise might be cited. Whatever the
controversy on this subject it is univer-
sally admitted that change of environ
ment and conditions effects material
changes in allliving things from the lowest
to the highest; and this is an important
phase of our case.
Clearly nature furnished us with hair on
the head for these reasons: The brain is
the central and controlling force of the or
SdulSIH, anu Uel1lS OI du exceedingly DELL
cate and complex structure it needs all
possible protection. Thus, to protect it
from blows and punctures it is Enclosed in
wonderfully efficient hollow globe of
bone; but it needs protection from heat
and cold also, and hair is the best con-
ceivable.
But this hair grows much longer than is
necessary to protect the brain Some of
the vital organs, particularly the heart and
the lungs, are fixed in the upper part of
the body, and for their protection against
violence we see the ribs, as ingeniouslv
eontrived in their way as is the skull in its.
But they also need protection from heat
and cold. 1t seems a reasonably safe as
sumption that the hair of the head was in
tended partly to envelop the thorax. This
may be far-fetched, and a number of OBJ
stacles at once suggest themselves. As
! they are not strictly pertinent, we NAV
dismiss them.
have known doctors to recommend the
shaving of the head or the close cropping
of the hair to arrest calling" and badness
and induce thicker growth In nv opin-
ion nothing more irrational or illogical
could be imagined. 1t seems to me to be
carrying to an extreme one of the yery
causes which induce badness. OF course,
a distinction must be made between the
comparatively sudden shedding of the
hair, which is due to some illness that
AFFECTS the WnOle system ana which ceases
when health is recovered, and that true
badness, which is slow in advancement
and permanent when established. 1t is
only with true badness that am dealing.
Let US glance rapidly at the way in
which hair grows, for that will put us on
firmer ground. First, there is a nerve run
ming to little artery in the scalp. This
artery, supplemented by the capillaries,
brings to the follicle (the sac in which the
root of the hair is planted) blood supply.
from which the follicle takes what it
needs. This substance it compacts and
adds to the inner end of the hair, which is
thus pushed steadily ont as it grows by
accumulation at the root. When the nerve
degenerates or the artery becomes afro
phied or the follicle relaxes its function
the hair ceases to grow and then disap-
pears. 1t is very complex operation.
Now, the energies of all these minute ac-
tivities are very delicate and sensitive.
They need an exact balance between slim
illus and protection, or they will perish.
This exactness of balance is established
by nature. If we cut the hair
close or shave the scalp it is
evident that these sensitive functions
are deprived of the very protection with
which they have furnished themselves,