The Washington times., 1920-09-05

h to Mahommed"
never able to show her face except to thel
most intimate OF friends.
Whenever strangers did catch a glimpse
OF her face they looked with horror and
disgust upon the grotesque markings, little
knowing the tragedy they represented. |
Friends Of the young victim at last were
sent to DR.. Edgar T. Strickland, a scientist
attached to Sheffield University. in Eng
land, who had joined the Harvard commits
sion in Asia, and who had studied first
hand the processes of tatooing employed
by the Arabs, and who had examined the
faces of many Armenian girls who had
been beautiful, but who had been horribly
was visiting in America.
The scientist at once placed the girl in
charge of a New York institute at No. $50
West Ninety-ffth street, where, under the
personal direction Of Professor Edith
Hansen, lately of the Royal Copenhagen
University, science set about its demon
stration that the branded girl captives OF
the Turks and Arabs may eventually be
restored to their unblemished beauty.
The method employed is one Of absorp-
tion and suppuration. Professor Hansen,
reporting the condition of the young girls
face when she entered into the care Of the
institute, said:
THE penetration of the electric needle
used in modern tatooing is slight. sinking
only into the outer skin. Removal Of
modern tatooing in which the well-known
Chinese colored inks are used, is compar-
atively an easy matter. In the case of
Nargig, however, the Arabs had used
hand needle, which was very thick, and
which was not even sharp. Evidently
they were too cruel to even sharpen their
needle or use thin one. The penetration
was uneven. In many spots it went clear
through into the inner flesh. In branding
the girls nose they jabbed clear through
the two skins and into the cartilage. The
places chosen for marking were the most
tender spots on the face-the temples, the
nose, the brow and the region Of the under
lip.
First It was necessary to pack the girls
face in congresses, medicated with a solu-
tion which softened the skin, enlarged the
pores and increased blood circulation
through the color pigment Of the skin.
After these congresses had been kept in
place, changed at frequent intervals, the
skin was carefully .kneaded to break its
hold on the flesh beneath.
"The congresses were then replaced for
another stretch Of days, removed periodi-
cally that the face might be bathed with
medcaments calculated to further soften
the skin and begin the necessary process
OF absorption.
''Suppuration now set in coincident with
the absorption Almost every hour, day
and night, the flesh and skin was kneaded
until it was indicated that the poisonous
colors which were foreign to the under
flesh had begun to spread and slowly to
dissolve into the flesh. There was con
slant bathing. and soon the bathing cotton
began to be discolored. This was the sign
that the colors were seeping out through
the pores.
htSh bSth poiophSu "
the unknown inks began to dissolve and
suppurate. Tubes were applied through
the congresses and the liquidZed flesh
drawn out The skin which had been
poisoned with the markings dissolved and |
came away also.
"At last there was no trace Of foreign
colors in the little girls face. Then beg
the simple process Of healing. When
new skin had grown over the places VIII
the tattoo marks had been the little
presented the appearance OF having b(
heavily sunburned. This 'sunburn' app
ance will gradually disappear in from
to four weeks. Then Nargig will be
beautiful as ever--more beautiful, perh,
for the little lines and wrinkles that
gathered also as the natural marks OF
sufferings will have disappeared and
fresh bloom Of youth will have beenl
stored"