The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1903-05-23
eHInEsE MAEIegRINa wLYs.
How the Women Of the Orient Have
Thetr Finser Nails Treated
~ American Artists,


Lovely woman has the same weak
nesscs in Peking and Canton as in New
York and Chicago. The coiheur, mill
liner, dressmaker and bootmaker are
as Important to her as to her Ameri-
can sister, according to the New York
Times. Like the latter, she dotes upon
~manicuring, but on account Of social
conditions there are no professional
manicures to employ twice or thrice
a,week. Either she attends to her own
nails or else she depends upon a junior
wife, a servant or a slave to do the
work for her. The wives of wealthy
Chinese merchants in New York's Chi
natown usually hire the barber" to
look after their tapering fingers.
Her ideal f%ngernail is o that of
the occident, at least so far as shape
is concerned. Where the western
makes as a standard a simple oval
which IS almost parallel to the curva-
ture of the finger, a Chinese lady of
fashion wants hers to extend well be-
yond the f~nger-tips, so as to form an
ellipse whose major axis is at least
twice the minor. The flesh at the base
Is pushed back as far as possible, so as
to increase the lunette, or moon, while
at the side it is encouraged to overlap
the nail.
The ends should be at least a half
inch in length beyond the line where
they separate from the skin. The
reason Of this last requirement is that
the length shows that the owner does
not work. Yet, as every Chinese wom-
an does work, she keeps up the fiction
by several odd expedients. One is to
wear finger-caps wnen working and
when asleep. These are often bought
by Summing parties in PeIl street for
souvenirs. Another is to use gloves
or mittens, or even stockings upon the
hands when engaged upon household
labor.
In a manicure equipment there are,
first, toilet soap, and, second, soap
wood; The latter being also employed
for shampooing. There is also a jar
of ungucnt. which corresponds to
American cold cream. For polishing
powder they use pUlverized cUttletish
bone mixed with sandalwood, sawdust
or dried tea flowers. For applying the
powder. they have a small brush look
ing very much like the western tooth
brush. or a fine silk towel. For improv-
ing the color of the nail many washes
have been invented. Nearly all seem
manufactured upon 4 general formula
Of an alcoholic base tinted pink and
containing a solution of some gum
lacquer. which when dried remains
moderately elastic,
The ~nail-scissors are small, like those
of the west, so far as The blades are con
cerned, but the loops are altogether
different. The thumb loop is of nor
NAL size, while its mate is large
enough for two and even three or four
fingers. This construction gives a firm
er grip and stronger and more accurate
cutting quality. Curious implements
are the cutting tweezers. These have
straight or convex edges and are EN-
plOyed to remove calloug or dead skin,
trim nails and to correct the growth
of tissue on the tip of the finger be.
low the nail. For polishing the under
side of the nail, especially near the
quick, little sticks ofhard, elastic wood
are used. These are cut with varying
heads, Some come to a point, other.
to chisel-like edges, while a third are
cut into brush-like ends which will
carry a large amount of polishing pow
der. Many Chinese women, instead o.
cutting the sticks, chew the ends into
little brushes.