304 VARIAXroiJ IN THE 8TATB OF THE ni»* 



dtingatten- the attentiort of others toward it; particularly of those t^ho 

 tjon loasub-. j^^.,y have more extensive opportunities, as well as more ca- 

 pacity for accurate observation than myself. In confor* 

 mity with this view of the subject, I request your insertion of 

 the following observations. 

 STmpat1i> be- The sympathies between theskin and tjvestmnach have been 

 ^TduomLt'" frequently adverted to by physiologists ; the skin hafr lieeii 

 found to be alternately hot and dry, hot andmoisty cold and dry, 

 and cold and moist \ and thest' vaiietiet- have been attributed 

 to variations in the»state of the stomach, between ^*hich and 

 the skin a very direct sympathy is believed to exist. But 

 the variations in the appearances of the hair do not appear 

 to be duly noticed. , 



Variations in ^ \\iS.ve remarked, that people of what is usually called ner* 

 the appearance yous and susceptible constitutions appear at times to have but 

 half the quantity f>fjiai r on their heads, that they have at others. 

 Causes of ap- though they have assured me none had been cut or combed off. 



parent m- q^^ minute examination I have found, that the apparent in- 

 crease of quan- ^ ^ 

 tity. crease in quantity at certain times was occasioned by the fol- 

 lowing circumstances: the shafts themstlves were found to be 

 The body of specifically larger, and more tense or elastic, at the same 

 br^wi!'^^"* time that they did not lie in such close contact. The ap- 

 parent diminution in quatitity, at other times, I found to 

 res^ilt from a specific decrease in the size of the shafts^ 

 which also lay in closer contact than ordinnry, and were 

 more flaccid, and g««era{ly more dry, ConBidering the 

 considerable influence which the atmosphere" exercises on 

 our bodies, I was once induced to attribute the closet con- 

 tact of the shafts to a diminution in their electricity^ by 

 which they would become less mutually repulsive \ this hcw- 

 evtr does not seem calculated to account fot their increase 

 What is the in size. May the shaft be considered to be organized 

 Museoftbis? tbroj^fjhoiit, arvd itt<- eulargem.eut to be ca«s\;d by an in- 

 creased action of its vessels ? or. Is tHere an aeriform pers- 

 piration into the cavity of the shaft, on an increase of which 

 it becomes distcirded ?;or may the increased tension and 

 size of the shaft be considered as resulting from the coope- 

 ration of these two causes ? 

 Apparently T^^* strength and tension of the hair appear* generally Ui 

 eoiJaected accGmiwmy beftlth, -while the weakness, close contact, and 



flaccidity 



K.~. 



