The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-04-29
CAN HAIR TURN WHITE IN
A SINGLE NIGHT?
Or. Wyeth Discusses the Laws OF
Instrumentation and other Things.

Dr. Wyeth Discusses the LAWS VI
Decentralization and other Things.
To THE EDITOR OF THE SuS-Sir: on
the subject OF "the hair turning white
In a single night have had so many |
letters and inquiries that I am tempted |
to make this final communication. First |
OF all. IL can be no more possible TOT
such lightning like degeneration TO
take place in the human hair without |
chemical assistance than 1t would be
possible for water to run up hill
The laws OF nutrition and OF depig- |
mentation are as memorable as the law
of gravtatlon. Natural deterioration
of the hair IT, Of necessity, a slow and
gradual process. due to diminished nu-
triton and the retarded or arrested con-
vcyance along the fiaments OF pigment |
or coloring matter to replace the atoms
that are constantly perishing and dis |
appearing The law of supply and de-
mand is asserting itself here as every |
where AS VIC grow older the supply !
Ia not equal to the demand and death |
begins. The natural death OF tissue In
this slower process of what might he
termed living death is by a kind Of
drying up process called In scientific
parlsnce granular mctamorphosls" or
crumhlng into very small atoms, which
are absorbed This could not take place
as rapidly as In n single night or sew
eral dozen nights. although I do not
doubt that many persons honestly be-
I'lleve to the contrary.
We doctors. who spend our lives In
intimate association with our fellow
mortals. and who learn to read not only
in the lines but between the lines know
what a fallacious Instrument Ia the
human brain and what strange pranks
pluN4 nj fiDlps with lie The
evidence OF the senses Is always entitled
TO critical analysis before acceptance.
The prestidigitator does his slecht OF
hand feats 80 nimbly before our eyes
that our brain and retina play us false
and we think We see what our reason
tells us it absurdly impossible. Silver
dollars glide through the unbroken
crowns OF derby hats as we gaze. and
surprisingly pop out OF the performers
trouser leg where no hole exists.
What n world Of troublous speculation
would be spared us II we were n start
out In life with the working hypothesis
TINT nothing can possibly occur in con-
tradiction OF the natural law"
When am told that the law OF gravi-
tatlon has been or can he suspended
feel n certain sympathy for the honest
state Of mind which asserts Il, but do
not respect that mind as n conveyer OF
scientific fact. had a very dear friend.
otherwise mentally reliable. who moro
than once assured me his mothers hair
grew several inches after her death. A.
impossible ms was this growth, | at no
time. by word or look. permitted him 70
believe that doubted the statement
There was no use In trying TO do away
with a conviction that had indelibty
crystallzed itself in his brain cells. by
Mantle. or Christian Science. or Lourdes
/ or some powerful stirring up Of the emo
lions might have done II, but reason IN
argument never. There is common
belief that the hair upon The freshly
/ shaven face and the nails also grow az
| ter death. This seeming growth IL due
+ 70 the retraction Of the elastic rubber
/ Ike ibres Of the skin and the shrinking
due 20 the emptying Of the small blood
vessels.
\ not irfrequent source OF unconscious
sc,c-decepton Is due 70 the unequal de-
veiopment Of the two halves OF the
brain In all right handed persons the
left half OF the brain Is better nour-
shed, - heavier, not only In general
weight. hut IN the snerin' gravity of
the gray matter, which Is the source OF
thought ard muscular impulse. Tho re-
suit Of this is that the two halves ~
the brain do not always work actively
In harmony 10 produce the full compile.
meut Of brain efficiency. In moments
of more or ,css complete mental inertia.
which not iufroqucutlv occurs when the
blood Is busy with tho digestive proc
essos soon after eating. certain visual
imnrcss ions will he received by tho moro
alert half. the left before the right half
gets the registration. While only an
irnnitcsiwa' fraction OF time may have
'rans1ircd between partial and complete
a.. 4
and double image The fact has led
persons who are ovcrspirituallv inclined
or supcrstitlous TO believe that they
have witnessed tho same scene or oc-
currencc, under exactly the same con-
ditlous. some other time. perhaps IN
some other existence. Had both halves
~ the brain been acting together this
could not have occurred.
These two halves Of the brain may he
compared to the two horses of n team :
II well matched and trained they move
~ together and pull smoothly and salts
factorily, II one is drowsy or n laggard
tho other gets away first and his fellow
follows In ierkv and clumsy effort to
catch M. What We know az train
ing the mind" is intended 70 devotion
those two halves Of our brain to work
together IN n well broken team That
we often fail 10 use both sides ~ our
brain as We develop is proved beyond
doubt by numerous cases OF aphasia.
which Is the loss OF tho mower Of franz
ing or expressing thoughts in words
Post norton examination has shown
that this Is caused by hemorrhagc N
certain couvo'utlon on the left side
on tho right side the same convolutlor
exists and thoro is NO hcmo~rhnro q,
disease thcrc. and vet that side has not
been cultivated and is therefore useless
from non-developmcnt
IoHN A WYETN
New York. April 2S