Evening star., 1937-12-09
STARS, MEN AND ATOMS
Notebook of Science Progress in Field.
Laboratory and Study.
BY THOMAS p uENpv
BY THOMAS r. HENRY

This article concerns the scientific
aspects of pogonotomy.
The Mellon InsSsute for Industrial
Research has just completed four-year
research on the finer aspects of this
ancient art. 1t is, the report of the
study points out, very ancient. It was
practiced in ancient Egypt and was one
OF the minor vices of wicked Babylon.
The Bible contains laws regulating it.
1t was introduced into Rome as daily
procedure by Scipio the Younger.
But all this time pogonotomy has been
sort of hit or miss procedure Hun
dreds of billions have practiced it with
out giving a thought to the physics,
chemistry or mathematics of the subject.
But the Mellon Institute scientists, Drs.
Lester Hollander and Elbridge j. Cassel-
man, have now laid the foundations for
truly scientific pogonotomy.
1t is, like all other 'tomies," a special
lied branch of surgery-in fact, the most
elemental branch since up to few cen
turles ago all surgeons were bascally
pogonotomlsts, or cutters off of the
pogono. From this the more complicated
branches OF surgery have arisen.
Pogonotomy is, in case any reader may
have not encountered the term previ-
ously, shaving.
The Mellon Institute shaving clinic
was established in 1891. The results of
its studies to date have just been pub
lished in the Journal of the American
Medical Association. The clinic con-
sisted at various times of from ten to
fifteen experimental shavers, all scien-
lists, who shaved daily under the direc-
tlon OF DR.. CasSelman, followed direc-
tions implicitly, and reported effects
accurately.
Inc entire experimental group, the
two doctors report, consisted of thirty
one men, twenty blonds and eleven bru-
nettes, some with light boards, some
with heavy boards, some with slow-grow-
ing boards and some with fast-growing
boards. They shaved with sharp razors
and dull razorS, with soap fathers and
shaving creams, without any lather at
all, regularly and at irregular intervals.
All sorts of delicate experiments were
made. Here is just one experimental
procedure in scientific pogonotomy. 1t
was desired to find out the rate at which
an aqueous solution" soap lather for
all practical purposes-softened hair for
the razor. Hairs from the scalps of the
subjects were suspended so that they
were totally immersed in the liquid and
weights suspended from them. Then
the amounts they stretched were meas
ured at regular intervals, the stretching
being considered measure of softness.
The proper angle between the razor
blade and the skin require some fine
measurements, and some definite find
lngs are reported in the trigonometry of
pogonotomy. Among the subjects given
scientific consideration were:
The relative amount of effort required
to obtain clean shave.
The relative discomfort associated with
pulling effects during the passage of the
razor.
The relative amount of stinging fol-
lowing the use of an after-shaving lotion
containing SO per cent ethyl alcohol.
Detailed information was kept regard
ing the kind of soap used, the water
temperature, the time consumed in lath-
ering the face, the effective shaving
angle of the razor, the initial and final
sharpness of the blade, which were
determined by specially devised instru-
ment; the metallographic structure Of
the razor blade, the razor edge conforma-
tion, and the degree of injury sustained
by the shavers.
AS result of the study the following
directions are given for satisfactory
shave: