Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1905-02-15
Home Health
Club
By DAVID n. REEDER. Ph. D.. MD.
La Porte, Ind.


Hair grows upon the body of animals.
As well as upon man, somewhat after the
manner that plants grow upon the earth.
upon certain portions of the body of
mankind. as the scalp of both men and
women and the faces of men, it should be
suXurlant and beautiful, an ornament
as Well as protection. 1t seems to be
law of nature that, whenever thing
outilves its usefulness, it inevitably de-
Gays. This is illustrated in the Biblical
parable OF the fig tree, for it withered
and died almost Immediately after being
tolo that 1t should bear no more fruit.
whenever We find the hair used, as ma
ture evidently intended it should be
useo, Tor protection, it is usually abun-
uant and rarely falls out. What, then
snail we not wear hats? To discard them
would not only be foolish. but would SUBJ
1ect one to the ridicule of his fellows.
civilized men must follow the fashion,
ana men are no more exempt from her
memorable demands than are women,
and, In the matter of hats, he is even
more of a slave than She.
Therefore, as we have, by adopting an
artlhcial covering for the head. relieved
the hair OF the responsibility of protect
ing us from the elements, and reduced
ITS use to that of ornament only, it finds
nothing to resist and grows weak from
non-use, from confinement, from lack of
proper care, and from having the blood
supply cut off by the hard, stiff brim
OF nat, or, in the case of women, by be-
Ing drawn into tight coil over the head
or being burned to death by hot irons,
a horrible death. The scalp becomes
dry and hard, is not flexible, and the
skin of the head adheres to the bones of
the skull, frequently causing headaches
and an irritable itching Presently the
hair begins to fall out, and the tonics of
all the BARRIERS in Christendom cannot
stop it.
II the hair is to be retained as an Or
nament, 1t is necessary to treat it with
great care. If the hostlers of some of
our wealthy baldheaded gentlemen did
not keep the hair of the horses in bet
ter condition than the rich man keeps
his own, they would be discharged as
unit to properly care for a horse; and
yet 1T is not an unusual sight to see one
of these wealthy bald heads critically
examining the glossy hair of his we'll
groomed horse, and finding fault with
the least speck of dust or dirt, while the
collar OF his own coat is covered with a
. filthy mass of white scales and loose hair
from his own neglected head
The scalp must be kept loose and flex-
ible or the roots of the hair vegetable will
not be properly nourished, and it will first
die and then fall out. A comb is all right
with which to straighten the hair pre-
paratory to brushing, but the brush must
be used vigorously and daily. Not only
must the brush be used in order to keep
healthy scalp in condition, but where
the hair has already begun to fall on
the following radical treatment must be
kept up for some weeks. or even months.
II it is the desire to retain the beautiful
ornament with which nature has
adorned u.s.
First. the scalp must be relaxed and
softened so that nutrition may reach
every hair follicle without let or him
drance, and our treatment will be a COM
bination of hydropathic and osteo-
pathic methods of cure which are both
successful in most cases. but by combin-
ing the two there need be no failures.
Before retiring at night is about the
only time this method can be- used By
most people. Procure from e reliable
druggist or manufacturer soap that is
made of the finest olive oil and potash.
A skillful druggist can make it for you
If he does not keep it in stock 1t is
really, o. should be. a soft soap. The
hard soaps are invariably made of soda
instead of potash. and, although most
excellent for the skin under ordinary cir
cumstances. are not so good for the pur-
pose now on hand.
This fine potash soap does not so read
lily make a good lather as the hard SOAP
does, but it is sufficient with which TO
thoroughly saturate the hair and skin
OF the head with fine, soft soothing
substance. AS We keep kneading it into
the scalp We find that l. has a tendency
to dry. which does not feel so COM
Portable. Without removing any of il
we now take the finest almond oil and
rub 1t into the scalp thoroughly This
brings the skin into a soft flexible state
all over the head, and the scalp is in first
rate condition. Now cover it all over
nicely with close-ftting skull cap. or
other covering that will not come off
during sleep, and go to bed
Upon arising in the morning the scalp
should be well washed in warm soft or
rain water containing just enough per-
manganate Of potassium to make if
slightly pink in color, or enough clear
white vinegar to make it slightly acid
to the taste. Either of these substances
If used in the bath makes the head or any
other portion Of the body chemically
clean. After washing out the oil and
soap, rinse the head thoroughly in cold
water and dry very carefully. Unless
this matter of drying the hair and scaln