i86 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. XVI. No. 400 



In the case reported by Bruley, already referred to, of a 

 woman aged sixty, whose hair, previously white, became jet- 

 black four days before her death, the bulbs of the black hairs 

 are described as being of immense size and engorged with 

 dark pign:ient, while the roots of the white hairs that remained 

 were dried up and two-thirds smaller in size. So, on the 

 other hand, in change from dark to white, the hairis finer in 

 texture, less vigorous in growth, and the hair-bulbs smaller. 



The sudden change in canities, when due to violent emo- 

 tions, can be explained in no other way than through the 

 bulb. It is true that there is no direct vascular or nerve 

 connection between the bulb and its hair after it emerges 

 from the skin, but it is also undoubtedly true that there is 

 communication by osmosis between the cells of the papilla 

 and those of the shaft and different layers of the hair. 



Wilson' ascribes the cause of sudden whitening of hair to 

 insufficient nutritive power of the skin, and also suggests 

 that there may generate a gaseous fluid in the hair in place 

 of its normal constituents. He says, further, that the fluids 

 from the blood-vessels of the skin permeate the hair, and 

 thus change in fluids may alter the color. 



In all of the cases of sudden change to white, where the 

 hair has been examined, the coloring-matter has disappeared, 

 and in its place is found an accumulation of minute air- 

 globules. The same is true of gray hair of advancing age. 

 How the air gets into the capillary structure has never been 

 explained. Two possible explanations are offered: one is, 

 that in the destruction of the coloring-matter a gaseous sub- 

 stance may be developed ; the other is, that air may find en- 

 trance from without, through the sides or end of- the hair. 

 It is possible to suppose a condition of the bulb producing a 

 vacuum in the hair-shaft that shall cause, by suction, a 

 drawing-in of air. The view that the air finds entrance 

 through the end of the hair is supported in the fact that the 

 change of color begins at the extremity. 



Erector pili muscle has an important influence on patho- 

 logical changes which take place in the hair-bulb. This 

 minute muscle has its origin in the true skin, and, passing 

 downwards, is inserted into the base of the hair-bulb; so that 

 when it contracts it lifts the hair outwards, and compresses 

 its papilla. The effect of sudden fright causes the hair to 

 "stand on end" by contracting this muscle. Temperature 

 has its influence with animals and birds. In cold weather 

 (winter) the change is to white; in summer, to black. Cold, 

 we know, contracts the skin, and thus probably causes press- 

 ure on the hair-bulb. That the hair is easily influenced by 

 external causes, as well as those which come through its 

 bulb, is fully demonstrated. The mere fact that it can be so 

 readily dyed and bleached artificially, shows that the agents 

 used for this purpose penetrate its substance. Bleaching- 

 agents, such as chlorine, peroxide of hydrogen, and strong 

 alkalies, act by removing the coloring- matter, and not by 

 adding any whiteness of their own. 



It remains to say a few words upon the subject of chan- 

 ging the color of the hair by substances taken internally. 



1. In the human subject the only agent, as far as I am 

 aware, which has been charged with changing the color of 

 the hair, when taken internally, is jaborandi. 



2. Cayenne-pepper food changes the color of canary-birds 

 to orange. This is a well-known fact to bird-fanciers. I 



Lecture on Skin. 



tried in Washington to get a specimen, but was told it was 

 not the season for them, that they came in the autumn; also 

 that they soon relapsed to their original color unless the 

 cayenne-pepper food was kept up. 



3. The change of color in parrots by the Indians of the 

 Amazon, from green to yellow or red, is produced by feeding 

 the fat of a certain kind of fish (Wallace's Amazon). 



4. The restoration of certain birds to their original bril- 

 liant colors at the Zoological G-arden, Amsterdam, is the re- 

 sult of feeding a kind of shrimp or small crustacean. 



5. As analogous to the above, is the effect of madder in 

 staining the bones of pigs red, and of poke-berries coloring 

 crows' hones purple. 



It might be of interest to study the influence of diet and 

 habit upon the color of hair in different nations of men; as, 

 for instance, why the Saxons have light hair, and the Gauls 

 black hair. It is within the bounds of possibility, also, that 

 discoveries may be made in the future by which the color of 

 the hair in the human race may be modified by judicious 

 treatment of the parents. 



Some colors of hair are not popular, especially with ladies, 

 and it is not likely that cayenne pepper will ever become 

 popular to produce the orange hue ; but if its antithesis should 

 be discovered, and the orange changed to black or blond, 

 then perhaps the gentle maiden with auburn hair will disap- 

 pear, and the white horse be left in melancholy solitude. 



In the Philadelphia Medical Times of July 3, 1881, 1 pub- 

 lished a case entitled "Remarkable Change in the Color of 

 the Hair from Light Blond to Black in a Patient while under 

 Treatment by Pilocarpin, — Report of a Case of Pyelo-Nephri- 

 tis, with unusually Prolonged Anuria." This was a case of 

 a lady twenty-five years of age, and the drug was used to 

 relieve the uragmic symptoms resulting from the anuria, 

 which latter was extreme. On Dec. 16, 1880, treatment of 

 pilocarpin hydrochlorate hypodermically was commenced, 

 the dose given being one centigram (one-sixth of a grain). 

 The effect of this was very prompt; and the sweating and 

 salivation produced, most profuse. The relief to the uraemic 

 symptoms was complete, the patient falling into a quiet sleep 

 as soon as the effect of the drug ceased, and sleeping all 

 night, awakening in the morning bright and refreshed. 

 The pilocarpin was thus used twenty-two times from Dec. 16, 

 1880, to Feb. 23, 1881, requiring thirty-five or forty centi- 

 grams. As the patient became accustomed to the medicine, 

 it was found necessary to give two centigrams at a dose. 

 After Feb. 22 she began to improve, and no more was re- 

 quired. All her life up to November, 1880, the hair was a 

 light blond. Four specimens of the hair weije sent to the 

 editor of the Philadelphia Medical Times, with the report of 

 the case, for his inspection, and were as follows: (1) Novem- 

 ber, 1879; (2) November, 1880 (on this and the preceding date 

 the color was the same, a light blond, with tinge of yellow) ; 

 (3) Jan. 12, 1881, a chestnut-brown; and (4) May 1, 1881, 

 almost a pure black. The growth of hair was also more 

 vigorous, and individual hairs thicker. I believed at the 

 time, and still believe, that this change of color was caused 

 by the pilocarpin. The lady is still, at this date (March 10, 

 1889), under my observation. Her hair is now dark brown, 

 having returned to that color from black. The full report of 

 this case can be found in the Philadelphia Medical Times 

 for July 2, 1881. 



