64 MICROBES, FERMENTS, AND MOULDS. 



the fungi which attack those parts of the skin clothed 

 with hair ; the brush, the comb, or razor which passes 

 successively and on the same day over ^hundreds of 

 heads or chins must necessarily, if only in one case 

 out of ten, carry the spores of the parasite from one 

 person to another. 



The parasitic diseases of the hair are extremely 

 persistent, and precautions as to cleanliness will not 

 always effect a cure. The mixtures sold by hair- 

 dressers under the name of capillary water, lotion to 

 eradicate scurf, etc., should all be rejected. Experience 

 shows that wetting the head often favours the 

 development of the fungus, which may, indeed, remain 

 stationary for two or three days, but which becomes 

 more vigorous as soon as the head is dry. Sulphur 

 and its compounds are successful in such cases, as 

 well as in the parasitic diseases of plants. It would 

 be best to apply this remedy in the form of a dry, 

 impalpable powder, as in the application of sulphur 

 to the vine, but this cannot be done without in- 

 conveniences to which the persons affected do not 

 readily submit; it might, however, be tried by those 

 whose hair is naturally greasy. In other cases, and 

 especially in those in which the hair is dry, as it 

 usually is in persons affected by Pityriasis capitis, 

 pomades must be used, although it has been asserted, 

 but not proved, that fatty substances afford nourish- 

 ment to the fungus. 



However this may be, the pomade for which we 



