The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1905-06-01
INCONVENIENCE OF HATS.
Loss of Hair Due to Habit of COVERING
the Head-Two Arguments.

Loss Of Hair Due to Habit of Covering
the Head-Two Arguments.
From an article bearing the above
title, which appears in Cosmos Paris.
we learn that the new fashion of go
ing without a hat is not limited in
this country. According to the writer,
it has everything hygienically in its
favor, and the arguments against 1t
need only be stated to be refused. He
says: 1.-THE mass of hair that covers
the top of the head is feature of the
human race in both sexes. and APP
pears to be one of its most stable phys
ical characteristics. Nevertheless.
long observation is unnecessary to
prove that this characteristic is weak
ening, and that the vigor Of the hair
is decreasing in man. Now a queS-
ton presents itself: Is this due to a
transformation of the species or must
we attribute the act to mans habits
The second solution appears to be cor
rect, which is consoling, since it al.
lows us to hope that the evil may be
checked. This loss of hair that has
become more striking from one gener-
alton to another by heredity is due,
according to some scientists, to the
habit of covering the head.
This habit must affect the hair in
juriously in three ways: 81 By de-
priving it of the life-giving light of
the sun, of free ventilation and of the
movement of the hairs by air currents;
(2) by pressure on the small arteries
of the scalp which bring nourishment
to the hair; (3) finally, because all
head coverings are al excellent cul-
ture medium for microbes, and facili-
tate their development. In fact, the
hat, since it prevents the germicidal
action of the suns rays and the move
ment of the air, and retains on the
head the heat and moisture of the In
closed air, offers all the most favor
able conditions for obtaining a culture
of micro-organisms. Furthermore, II
Is well recognized that the chief
causes of badness are the microbian
affections Of the scalp. which destroy
the sebaceous glands.
I'VE may, then, suppose that it is
the custom Of covering the head that
diminishes. little by little, the vigor
of the hair. Although this is not alb
solutely proved, it is infinitely proba-
bic, and in any case i! would cost
nothing to try a change IN the present
fashion. This change is absolutely de
sirable, especially for men, for with
women, besides the fact that their
hats cover only part of the hair, they
are generally lighter; the preservation
of the hair for the species is due to
the women alone. the men counting for
nothing in the matter. The
promoters of this reform are meeting
at the outset, with certain objections:
~ To uncover the heady may bring
on colds, neuralgia and rheumatism.
They answer that colds, catarrh, etc,
are Of microbian origin and cannot
come from the scalp. (2) AS for neu-
ralgia and rheumatism, they are con-
WINGED that If the habit Of leaving 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.
60 So far as the incontestable danger
of exposing the bare head in the sun
is concerned, there are many ways of
avoiding this without smothering the
scalp. (D The fear that septic bodies
may be deposited on the uncovered
parts, especially in cities, certainly de-
serves consideration; but care in the
toilet will enable us to escape the con-
sequences. Co 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 COW
cred with vigorous hail. Literary
Digest.
Somewhat Different.
"And did she really tell you her
a0oYs asked the woman