36 



TRICHOLOGIA MAMMALIUM; 



They are also scarce in our collection of the hairs of lunatics, as will appear by the 

 following Table : 



From the above exposition, we feel warranted in concluding that dichophy is not one of 

 the effects of madness upon the hair. 



The hairs of the lower animals are seldom found furcated. The bristles of the hog are, 

 however, notable exceptions; they are always furcated. 



Of the cause of Dichophy. Some writers attribute the furcation of pile to disease, of 

 either the animal or of the integument. The hairs of lepers are said always to be furcated. 

 (Diet, de Sci. Med., v. 43, p. 489 ; and see Lib. of Useful Knowledge, of 1S41, p. 55.) 



Furcation may be owing, sometimes, to a deficiency of nutriment to support hair allowed 

 to grow very long. According to the French physicians, pile is nourished and increased 

 in length by a portion, only, of the fluid that enters into the stalk, the residue being con- 

 stantly thrown off. (See Nou. Treat, sur la laine par lotemps and Fabry.) This would 

 account for the hair of the Chinese and of some American Indians, being furcated ; for I 

 have Chinese hair four feet long, and several specimens of American Indians that measure 

 two feet in length, all furcated. Bichat notices the occasional splitting of hairs, but is 

 silent as to the cause. And Bakewell, whose experience in regard to fleece was great, 

 speaks of wool sometimes bi-furcating, but does not say why it does so. 



Far be it from us to discourage cleanliness; but we cannot help thinking that too 

 frequent washing the hair of the head, especially if soap is used, will make it harsh, and 

 cause its ends to furcate. Perhaps it would be as well, after bathing, to substitute a small 

 quantity of castor oil for the natural fatty matter of the hair, which the soap decomposes. 



OF BRANCHED PILE. A medical friend residing in the interior of this state, sent us 

 some (so called) "branched hair." As it is as fair a specimen of this variety of pile as we 

 ever expect to possess, we procured the following drawing to be made. (See fig. 40.) 

 "o." represents the posterior extremity, where " J" and "c" appear to be two separate 

 shafts, emerging from one common button ; " J," a branch from "Z;" and " e," a branch 

 from "c." We placed the specimen in tepid water, when it separated into four distinct 

 shafts, and explained the phenomenon. 



Of the Cortex of Pile. There is a squamose or paved covering upon each filament of 

 of pile, called the cortex. The scales of the squamose varying very much in number, 

 shape, size and degree of adhesion to the fibrous portion of the shaft, and often exercising 

 a very great influence upon the integument. 



