78 TKICHOLOGIA MAMMALIUM: 



BLACK HAIR NO MARK OF STREN T GTH. Among the last mentioned species it is generally 

 supposed that black hair is indicative of strength ; but the strongest hairs we have found 

 are brown. It took 1,323 grains to break the hair of the head of the Quaker giant who 

 was exhibited in this city in 1848, and 1,373 to break his wife's. The brown hair of Mr. 

 \Villiam Swain, took 1,573 grains to break it. 



OF THE VARIANCE IN COLOR BETWEEN THE HAIR AND EYES OF MAN. Others have 

 supposed that, in the same species, a predisposition to madness is to be found among those 

 who have dark hair, especially if at the same time they have light eyes. Dr. Benjamin 

 Rush, (in Med. Enq. and Observ., upon the Diseases of the Mind,) says, " Mr. Halsam 

 informs us that this was the case in 205 out of 265 patients in the Bethlehem Hospital. 

 He intimates that it was possibly from their consisting chiefly of the natives of England, 

 in whom that color of the hair is general; but the same connection between madness and 

 dark colored hair has been discovered in the maniacs of the Pennsylvania Hospital, who 

 consist of persons from three or four different countries, or" of descendants who inherit 

 their various physical characters. Of nearly 70 patients who were examined at my 

 request, by Dr. Van Dyke, in our Hospital, in the year 1810, with a reference to this fact, 

 all except one had dark colored hair. In the month of April, 1812, I requested Dr. Van 

 Dyke to direct his inquiries more particularly to the color of the eyes in the maniacal 

 department of our Hospital. He executed my request with great care and correctness, 

 and discovered that 56 out of 79 of them had light eyes, of which number but six had 

 fair hair." 



Hoping to obtain some useful information upon this subject, we addressed a circular to 

 the heads of the various Lunatic Asylums in the United States, but we have received but 

 one answer, which we here introduce. 



"WESTERN ASYLUM, Va., June 15, 1850. 

 My Dear Sir : 



Yours, without date, was received some weeks since, and not answered earlier because of my many engagements. I 

 had not considered insanity in its connection with the color of the hair and eyes, and, of course, arn not prepared to express 

 any opinion as to the correctness of the views of Dr. Hush, as contained in the extract furnished by you. In reply to your 

 other queries I have to answer as follows : 



1. Patients now in this Institution, 2G5 



But that you might have a larger number, from whom to derive your inferences, I have, in order to answer your 2d and 

 3d questions, examined our register and find, that since the IGth day of April, 1840, there have been received into the 

 Institution, (patients,) - . - 320 



Of these, dark hair and dark ej'es, - 102 



Dark hair and light eyes, - - 96 



198 



Light hair, - 128 



In haste, and respectfully yours, 



FRANCIS T. STRIBLING. 



OF BROWN PILE. The English word brown, is from the Saxon, "bran," where it 

 generally means the color produced upon the skin of a white man by the action of the 

 sun. The French also call it "brun," and define it to be, " le colour tirans sur le noir." 



