Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-06-13

Here's Man Who Has Counted the
Hairs of the Human Head.

From the Londcn Graphie.
There are 334,GU hairs on the human
body. Prof. Charles Stewart, who deposed
to this at the Royal Institution recently,
has counted them. He would not, of course,
be particu lar to a hair or two one way OF
the other. but this on the average Is the
result. The skin has, therefore, a very re-
spectacle family of offspTings, for the bi-
ologists can show US beyond all DOUBT that
hairs are after all only special parts of the
skin that nature has modified in this way in
order to better protect and keep warm her
highly important works within. The human
skin is a much more complex sort of fabric
than is popularity ina gined. The true skin
is right underneath. You can make its ac-
Quaintance with the aid Of a file or the sharp
corner OF a door lock- The outer skin or
cuticle is really continually renewed shield
OF horny scales, which are the cast-off dead
cells OF the living layer below. The under
skin is the real business article full of cum
ming little touch nerves." blood vessels,
lAmphatics. sweat glands, fat glands hair
fo!licles and what not.
The follcies are the pits in which the hairs
are grown, something like celery, and ma
lure has expended apparently quite
RIDICULOUS amount OF care on these struc-
lures: Inc hair in each cell is a direct
growth Of the skin. 1t grows at the IA ta
or half an inch 4 month. The coloring mat
Ter, as we know. is apt to fade and leave
us at the mercy of those who compound
nu:ds which are not dyes" Prof Stewart
thinks IT quite possible that sudden fright
may blanch the pigment in a single
night, but how il Is done. siuca this p;r-
ment in most cases is far away from any
Visible nervous control he fails to see Some
people have peculiar sparkling look about
thelr sandy hair. The professor traces this
10 alterations of white and colored growth.
Wnich ne finds CORRESPOND with alternate
periods of twelve hours normal growth.
ne pigment Is, perhaps. not deposited dur
versa. ~ "
Each particular hair stands I'M like
quiils upon the fretfut porcupine'' (which.
oy the way. are also hairs) by virtue of an
efec'or muscle. one end OF which is fastened
TO the bulb Of the hair and the otbar tn tbo
point near the surface of the skin When
the muscle contracts under nervous exc,ta-
mient tne hair is pulled up vertically at
usually lies little slanting-yisel The
pulI on the muscle is also seen at The no;nt
" attac hment In the skin, giving rise to the
Nttle dimples which, in conjunction with tho
e 81 e.. mars, produce the appearance known
Other children of the skin. hut only
twenty In number, are the nails These
arse out Of sharp folds in the skin. and "a
essentially very tough, horny material b,fI.
up rom the living skin cells. much in the
same way as hairs are built up The grow, h
Is at the rate Of about the thirty-secondtb
OF an men a week. The nail is fastened TO
me under skin by peculiar system of lock-
Ias teeth. While talking about the skin
Froi Stewart did not overlook the sweat
sNahos. winch lie buried in the under skin.
extracting from the blood some f1fty ounces
OF Watery waste products a day. These
pass out through corkscrew passa ges in the
outer skin, emerging in the shape of the
MYRIAD iittie pores. which We can Just make
OUT by the aid of an ordinary pocket Iens
Ihere are about 16.oOO of such openings on
the palm OF ores hand. Prof Stewart has
counted them. but again he will not risk his
reputation for strict veracity on the cues
tion OF single pore one way or another.
~ is averages he deals in, feeling, of course.
that the public are not exacting in suc,,
matters. " e'i