Omaha daily bee., 1917-01-10

and is characteristic of Europeans and
of some southern Asiatic peoples-as
the Weddahs and Todas OF Ceylon
and India.
Curly hair grows in rings which
are often not more than a third or
half an inch in diameter. The
Nubians are characterized by this kind
Of hair, and it is also found among
Australian aborigines.
Kinky hair consists of interlaced
spirals like Sleeps wool, and is pos
sessed by negroes, Hottentots,
bushmcn and by the Melanesians, who
inhabit the islands of the central and
western Pacific.
Among Hottentots and bushmen the
hair is apt to form little tufts, sprn-
killed. over the head. But these tufts
are not separated by bare spaces, as
at first sight they seem to be; they
are formed by groups of hairs twining
together and making little crests often
resembling peppercorns.
The cross section of the hair de-
termines its straightness, or degree
of curvature. Perfectly straight hair
is as round as pipestem, and is stiff
fened by central tube filled with a
kind of pitch. Hair of an elliptical
section curls, and hattsh hair frizzes.
Fine, soft hair, small in diameter, is
often said to be indicative Of fine
mental quality in its possessor, but
am not aware that any scientific evil
dence of such a relation exists.
1t is certainly remarkable that so
slight thing as hair, thing so cas-
lily destroyed or lost, should be one
of the surest of all criterions of pur-
ity of race A distinguished anthro-
pologist. DR., Pruner-Bey, has as
serted that "a single hair presenting
the average form characteristic Of
the race might serve to define it." |
have before, called attention to the
fact that, as far as the type OF hair
is concerned, the white races appear
to be nearest to the anthropoid apes,
while the black races stand farthest
away, and the yellow races occupy
an intermediate position.
A very interesting fact mentioned
by DR.. Coupin is that the racial diff
ferences in hair types point to null
tiple origin for man rather than to
his descent from a single, common
ancestor. If study OF the hair could
lead to settlement of this long de-
bated question, that would alone
make it well worth while.
Anthropologists and ethnologists
have never been able to reach a con-
clusion which everyone can accept
concerning the place or places of
mans origin. Persons who take lit
orally the Biblical account of Adam
OF course believe that all men have
descended from him alone. But sci
entihc Investigations have not pointed
to an Adam.
If man sprang from lower order
OF animals related to the apes he may
have originated in different places un-
der slightly varying conditions. The
general resemblance among all races
simply shows that certain type Of
body limbs and organs was essential
for the development of human spe-
cies of animal, but since the races pos
sess persistent differences, such as
those shown by the hair, it seems evil
dent that they could not have been a
single race at the beginning. By
crossing their peculiarities can be
mingled, but there are no known nat
ural conditions under which straight
haired race would develop into a
kinky-haired one.
1t is a singular fact that the aver
age number of hairs on the head va
ries with the type of race concerned
1t is averred, but | have not found
the original authority for the state
ment, that Europeans have, on the av-
erage, l,7S5 hairs per square inch
Japanese, l,S45; Anus. $50.
1t is also averred that blends have
more hairs than brunettes. If we
adopt these estimates or countings as
correct we see that the number of our
hairs is not so incredibly great as
many suppose Assuming that the av-
erage number of square inches COW
cred by the hair on the head is $50
it follows that we have not more than
about 100000 hairs, which shows why
badness makes such rapid strides.