The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-09-16
Why the Hair Comes Out.


The following Is part OF paper read by
DIR. @. J. Jackson, before the American
Dermatologicai Association:
In 1892 the subject of loss OF hair was
discussed by this association, following
the reading of a paper upon the subject
by DIR. George T. Elliot, In 1893 l pub
lished In the Medical ana Surgical Bull
letin clinical study of one hundred pri-
vatc cases of loss Of hair. Both DR. Ell
liot and I maintained the same PROPOSE
ton. namely, that disease OF the scalp
variously called seborrhoea piiyraisis.
dandruff. seborrhoeai eczema or dermati-
tbs. was the cause of a great majority OK
the cases. In the present study / have
not endeavored to touch upon any pa
biological or meteorological question, but
have simply tried to find out what my
clinical experience teaches. have chos-
en- the term loss Of hair rather than alo-
pecia, so that IL would be readily under
stood that badness was not present In
every case. Most of the patients who
consult us are losing their hair. and
have not lost II.
or the 800 cases, n study OF which forms
the basis of this paper, 15s occurred In
men and l42 in women.
Occupations-Of the men: Actor. ?. ar
chitect, 81 banker. 4. bookkeeper. !; BOOK
binder. /: broker 3: butcher 2; clergy
man. q: clerk 20; commercial traveller, !;
dentist. 2. electrician, /: eneraver. 2:
farmer. 3; grocer. Il gymnast /: hotel
keeper. 1: lawyer, s; lecturer. /; librarian.
/: manufacturer. 2; mechanic, 4 mer-
chant, 5; musician. 1; physician. 40; print
er, 1; student. -; tailor 1; teacher, 1;
telegrapher. !: waiter. i: not stated, q.
OF the women: Artist, 2. clerk, /. do
nestle. /: dressmaker, l: glover. 4; house,
keeper. So; musician. q nurse. 3; physi-
clan, l. proofreader. 1; reporter, |. stu
dent 1; teacher. 4; not stated. G..
Age at beginning. From ten to twenty
years. twenty-seven men and twenty-four
women. or ffty-one In ALL From twenty
to thirty years. ninety-seven men and
fifty women, or lE in all. From thirty
to forty years. thirsy-one men and thirty
six women. or sxty-seven in all. From
forty to fifty years. three men and sew
enteen women, OF twenty in all. over
fifty years, nineteen women.
The largest number OF cases in any
one year was twenty cases in the twenty
sixth year. The next largest was eighteen
In the twenty-second year. IL Is notable
that twelve cases began under sixteen
years Of age
What differences can DO drawn from
these stRiistscsy
II would seem AZ first glance that loss
Of hair was more common in men than
women. as 10 Is to l42 But feel sure
that the proportion is not altogether cor
rect because IL Is well known that wo-
men value a good head OF hair much
more than do men They will do every
thing IN their power TO save their hair.
Men either regard the loss OF their hair
as inevitable or viii not take the time
or trouble even 10 try TO save their hair.
tits therefore probable that the statistics
represent fairly well the prevalence of
loss OF hair among women. but that they
inadequately represent the prevalence OF
loss 81 hair among men, which is doubt
lees greater than they show. IL can.
thea 10 fairly inferred that loss OF hair
Is much more frequent among men than
among women, which Ia the general Inn
preston without the aid OF statistics.
We now come to the question. What
influence does occupation have in caus-
ing loss OF hair7 Ny statistics show a
great variety Of occupations among those
who are losing their hair. Two facts
como out prominently, namely: Q) The
great majority Of my patients lead in
door lives. The sixty-seven women put
down az having no occupation belong to
the leisure class Of unmarried women
and ars housed most Of the time. q
Nearly all Of my patients belong TO the
intellectual class. That II "a per cent.
OF them are physicians does not ncces-
sarfly mean that physicians are special
~ prone 80 loss o. hair any more than
because Is 20 per cant. o. them are house
keepers means that thai occupation spec
ally tends TO loss OF hair. And yet per
haps II does Ia both cases The ufe OF
the physician and the hoasekesper Is
alike IN that their work IL never done
and Ia thai worry and nerve strain are
constant elements. II no add together
the actors. architects. Bankers. brokers,
housekespcrs. lawyers. manufacturer
merchants. nurses. physicians students.
teachers and tesegEapheFs, all OF which
can fairly be Regarded as occupations In
which tho elements % worry and nerve
strain enter largely, We have Us or moro
than onc-haf 81 our cases subject 70
thcsa Influences. II may then 80 fairly
Inferred that an intellectual indoor life
especially when eoupied with werry ana
reeve strain, II a predisposing II rot a
determining raasc ~ badness
Without doubt my statistics show that
IT, r7rt2rfts ~ ths csses az loss II heir
stE'n esf"os te~ sEirf4.ta year ~ axe,
- yer Cor Fzrtssr. NOR. cases begin
IN tire decad- ea-ween the tser+trta
aad thirtieth years t~an 10 any ether
decade the largest n aner IN any year
oeing y Ia the twsnfy-sixih year. II
would seem then that n one passes the
ihirt,efh year ~ age without showing
signs - fncipicnt badness the chances
for Ssealnx the hair intact are very
Siuch increased THIS would seem 10
apply specially 70 men. though here
agsin comes "a tho fact that married
men care lees about their hair than a1
single men Here again, also fhe tx
Hres In regard 20 the women are probab-
ID mqsi 10 b. depended upon. and We
can infeT THAT loss 81 hAlr occur. win
rapidly decreasing frequency in ths a.
casee after thlrfy years az represented
By n. Il and p
As 10 the cause OF loss OF hair apart
from acute fe3r.i@ diseases causing de-
nuyium cagiliorum. which are not IN
ciuded IN this study. We have predsspas-
INK Aad exciting causes. We find that
out q the 30 cases - have q wen
marked family HISTORY OF f1ss ~ bat~