Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-09-29
Ny Story of Tattooinq.

| The "aneient and fantastic habit of
tattooing is common to all races of men.
1t is coextensive with the limits of the
world and coeval with human history.
From the Polar regions to the farthest
islands of the South the practice has pre-
vailed, and from the first recorded epoch
1t fiourishes still in strands far and
remote; 1t exists to lesser extent in
all European countries and America, but
it is nowhere quite extinct. There are
constant references to the subject in
classic writings.
Slaves and captives taken in war We're
tattooed with marks or pictorial emblems
on various parts of the body; soldiers, |
sailors, certain workmen and criminals !
We're similarly treated and the follow
ers of several divinities habtually tat
tooed themselves.
Religion and fetishism have influenced
the practice in many countries and
among peoples differing from one an
other in most other practices. Moses for
babe it expressly to the Hebrews: "lel
shall not make any cuttings in your
flesh for the dead, nor print any marks
upon you"
Mohammed seems to forbid it in the
tattooer, and his art is in great honor
among the kabyles of the desert
These and the Mohammedan negroes
who follow the usage say that before
| entering paradise they undergo purifi-
cation by fire, which cleanses them of all
| terrestrial and idolatrous marks.
| l might say here that the removal of
tattoo marks is practically impossible
l I H.
| logical Society, has proposed process as
follows: The tattooed parts are first
| dampened with a concentrated solution
of tannin, and then with set of tattoo
| ing needles the skin is punctured all over
| the colored portions to the depth usually
| adopted by professional tattooers.
| All the parts tattooed with tannin are
| then rubbed over with Il crayon of nj
| trate of silver until the needle picks have
| turned black now allow matters to tahe
| their own course The whole surface
| treated will soon turn black.
The pain, which is quite moderate dur
ing the operation. continues to be slight
Flor the first two days. and is attended
| with some local Inflammation After II
to Is days the eschar will fall off and
leave. instead of the tattoo marks, a red
dish superficial cieatrix, which will grad
ualy turn pale, and after two months
will almost disappear.
l have on several occasions personally
witnessed the foregoing in an attempt to
remove tattooing, and in all instances
it has been failure.
The Grand Duke Nicholas of Russia is
| said to have had his arms tattooed at
Jerusalem. Pilgrims who visit the sane
tuary of Loretto, in Italy, are tattooed
there. Tattooing was a religious usage
among the ancient Egyptians, for pointed
Instruments recognized as belonging to
the tattooer, have been found in the old
est est tombs.
Tattoong is the process by which GER
tain coIoring matters are introduced be-
meath the skin, at various depths. for the
purpose of producing a coored design
The word tattoo is from the Tahitian
verb, Tatau, and contains the idea of
the sound-that, tat, tat, given out by the
tattooer's needles. 4Ht
Tattooing is carried on extensively by
the inhabitants of Oceania.! by cutting or
incision, and by puncture or picking.
In some of the Asiatc and also South
Sea Islands the operation is done by
4
is heated red hot
| Modern tattooing is carried on by plae-
ing ordinary needles in a row slightly
beveed, between two pieces of wood, in
punches from five to 50. The electric tat.
tooing machine has been extensively
used of late years. being worked by the
! needles passing through hollow tube
and being vibrated with small coils, SINH.
lar to those employed on an electric bell
| and being operated by three to five cells
of dry batteries
In either case the design to be tattooed
is etched on a transparent piece of cellu.
loid and a fine powder of charcoal dust
ed into the etching. The skin is pre-
pared by applying small amount OF
, vaseline,. then the etched celluloid OF
} stencil is pressed on the part that has
) been vaselined When removed a per
feet imprint Of the design is found to bs