The Worthington advance., 1904-09-23
INCONVENIENCE OF HATS.
Coming TO Be Quite Generally Rec
ognized in This Country a
We'll ~ in Europe.

from an article bearing the above
title, which appears in Cosmos. We
learn that the new fashion of going
without q hat is not limited In this
country According to the writer, 1t
has everything, hygienically, In its
favor, and the arguments against 1t
need only be stated to be refuted, says
the Literary Digest. He says:
"The mass of hair that covers the top
Of the head is a feature Of the human
race in both sexes, and appears to be
one of it's most stable physical cNarac-
teristics. Nevertheless, long observa-
tion is unnecessary to prove that this
characteristic is weakening, and that
the vigor of the hair Is decreasing In
man. Now question presents itself:
Is this due to q transformation OF the
species or must we attribute the fact
to mans habits This second solution
appears to be correct, which is con-
soling, since it allows us to hope that
the evil may be checked. This loss OF
hair that has become more striking
from one generation to another by
heredity, 10 due, according to some
scientists, to the habit of covering the
head. -
"This habit must affect the hair in
juriously in three ways: a. BY de-
priving it Of the life-giving light Of tho
sun, of free ventilation, and Of the
movement Of the hairs by air-c arrents;
(2) by pressure on the small arteries
Of the scalp, which bring nourishment
to the hair; (3) finally, because all
head-coverings are an excellent cul-
ture-medium for microbes, and factli-
tate their development. In fact, tho
hat, since 1t prevents the germicidal
action of the suns rays and the move
ment of the air, and retaihs on tho
head the heat and moisture Of the en-
closed aid, offers all the most favorable
conditions for obtaining culture OF
well recognized that the chief causes
Of badness are the microbian affec-
tions of the scalp, which destroy the
sebaceous glands.
We may, then, suppose that 1t Is tho
custom Of covering the head that d.
minishes, little by little, the vigor OF
the hair. Although this is not abeo-
lutely proved, it IL Infinitely probable.
and in any case 1t would ctst nothing
to try change in the present fashion.
This change is absolutely desirable, es-
pecially for men, for with women, be-
sides the fact that their hats cover
only part OF the hair, they are gener-
ally lighter; the preservation Of the
hair for the species is due to the
women alone, the men counting for
nothing in the matter.
T. "The promoters of this reform are
4 meeting, at the outset, with certain OBJ
jections: ~ To uncover the head
may bring on colds, neuralgia, and
rheumatism. They answer that colds.
catarrh, etc., are Of microbian origin
and can not come from the scalp. (2)
! AS for neuralgia and rheumatism, they
are convinced that If the habit Of leav-
ing the head uncovered is adopted In
youth, these troubles will not follow.
In fact, they say, the uncovered parts
of the head are not subject to them
any more than the covered part-less
perhaps. (3) So far as the incontesta-
BILE danger of exposing the bare head
in the sun Is concerned, there are many
ways of avoiding this without smother
ing the scalp. (4) The fear that sep
tic bodies may be deposited on the un-
covered parts, especially in cities, cer-
tainly deserves considerations; but care
In the toilet will enable us to escape
the consequences. (5) Finally, the fear
lest the hair should be injured by sun.
wind, or cold, has no serious basis,
since unprotected parts Of the head are
covered with vigorous hair"