The Washington weekly post., 1899-06-13
Why Some Have Straight and
Others kinky Locks.
ONLY THE FINEST HAIR CURLS
The "weoi' of the Coiored Man Is Really
Hsir-A Muscle Causes the FeIIieIe TO
stasd Erect, but If the shaft IL Too Rib
Pr, ure, aHd Curly Hair Is the Result.
New York June 9.

New York, June 9.
Why should the hair OF one man or
waman curl naturally. while that of an
other Is as straight as the proverbial
string? IL sounds simple question, and
one not possessing very Eeighty import
ance 10 the body polite. Yet it has puz-
zled scientists for ages and no more in
dustrious effort was ever made to force the
disclosure OF a hidden secret Of nature
than has been put forth I'm the search for
the reason Of this popularity OF the hir-
suite part OF the human makeup. The
cause and meaning Of the difference in
the head covering o. one person from that
Of another have at last been discovered,
and science can now divert the energy
that has been expended in the direction
Of a solution of this problem to that Of
some other channel of research.
The gentleman who can claim the honor
OF discovering Why the human hair curls
is Arthur Thomson, NJ. A, and his expla-
nation of the matter. diVested Of the COM
plex terms and scientific targon with
which he rendered his meaning OCCASION
ally hidden one 10 the laymen who in
terviewed him. is as follows:
H"w the Hair Stands
Of the manner of production OF the
straight and curly varieties of the hair
has long been matter Of conjecture. and
hitherto no satisfactory explanation has
been forthcoming In speaking for the
benefit of the public. / want to explain
first that each hair follicle is provided
with a gland and muscle. The size of
the gland varies considerably in different
oh
appears larger and better developed In
the negro races. The muscle, / may state,
has an influence on the position OF the
hair. causing its erection by pulling for
ward the root Of the hair, thus converting
the shaft into lever. To illustrate the
action Of these muscles. / would remind
you OF the tail of the enraged cat, on
which the hair stands erect.
Before explaining the action Of the
muscle on the appearance of the hair II Is
as wei to consider the structure Of the
hair follicle. The structure of the skin
consists Of the dermis, or true skin, and
the epidermis, scarf skin or cuticle. which
overlies il; the latter is further sub-divid-
ed into two strata. superficial horny lay
er and a deeper, juicy layer: between
these there is an intermediate folium II
you CdH COHCtlNt THESE Two SUPERFICIAL
layers as pushed downward around some
solid cylinder into the substance Of the
true skin or even onward into the sub
jacent tissue. you will be able to form
some idea OF the manner in which the
sheath Of the hair is formed
Straight Hair Is Thicker.
'In pursuing my Investigations. / dis
covered that straight hair is always cir
cular in section and is usually thicker
than curly hair, which is ribbon-like and
fire, the finest human hair being that
net with in the Bush and Andaman races.
These facts have a most important bear
ing on the subject In order that the
muscle that have described to you may
act as an erector of the hair, it is neces-
sary that the hair must be sufficiently
strong to resist the tendency TO bend. If
the hair is so weak as 10 bend before the
action of the muscle the lever-like tend
ency is nullified. When the hair is fine
and ribbon-like, the action of the muscle
bends it into a curve, and this is the rea-
son why the hair assumes the curly form
of the Bush scalp. The hair is bent from
the action of this muscle, and, each in
dividual hair being forced in the same
shape, gives the negro his curly pate. The
curly hair of the colored man is not there
fore coarse hair. as is popularity supposed,
but the finest hair, so fine, indeed, that it
bends. as has been explained, 20 the ac-
ton of it's own muscle, while the straight