THE HYGIENE OF THE HAIR. 553 



(irayness, canities, or poliothrix depends like baldness on defective 

 powers of the skin, and the indications for treatment are exactly the same, 

 — to strengthen the part and at the sanie time strengthen the patient. As 

 means of temporarilj^ staining the hair the lecturer mentioned a weak so- 

 lution of permanganate of potash, a lotion holding in suspension sulphur 

 and acetate of lead, or the so-called eau des fees, consisting of the hj-po- 

 sulphites of lead and soda ; among dyes sulphides of various metals, espe- 

 cially silver, the pyrogallate of iron and ferro cyanide of copper. The hair, 

 as is well known, contains sulphur, and a solution of lead brought into con- 

 tact with sulphur produces a sulphide of lead, w^hich is black in color. Sul- 

 phur and acetate of lead in suspension and solution in water supply both 

 the elements necessary for artificial coloration of the hair, and constitute 

 the popular lotions sold so largely-. 



Actual dyeing of the hair is a more elaborate process : the hair must be 

 washed with soap in the first place, to get rid of grease, which would oth- 

 erwise interfere with the absorption of the fluid by the hairy tissue ; sec- 

 ondl}^, the hair being dried, the metalic solution is to be employed and left 

 to soak into the hair; and thirdly, the mordant fluid is to be brushed upon 

 the part with a view to bring it in contact witli every individual hair. If 

 this operation sufficed for a considerable period, all would be well ; but as 

 the hair grows quickly, the newly-grown part exhibits its original white- 

 ness, and another dyeing soon becomes necessary. The tone of color pro- 

 duced by the first application may -have been perfect, leaving nothing to be 

 desired, but the white roots of the hair cannot be reached without a fresh 

 coloring over the whole, and then the evils become apparent. A sufcession 

 of coats of color renders the hair more intensely black than Xature herself 

 could have accomplished, and the harmonj^ of the features of the individ- 

 ual is disturbed ; the mellowing of the lineaments of the countenance pro- 

 duced by w^iite hair is reversed by the depth of the blackness, and the fea- 

 tures are i-endered harsh and severe. The theory that an appearance of 

 youth is maintained by the color of the hair is not consistent with fact, 

 and there is always the danger that the hair may appear youthful, while 

 the features themselves are expressive of old age. 



As to danger to the health and constitution from dyeing the hair. Pro- 

 fessor Wilson thinks that we cannot reasonably allege the possibility of any 

 serious evils ; for lead, to which are imputed the most dangerous of the 

 qualities of hair dyes, enters into the composition of several of our cooling 

 and astringent and sedative lotions, and even injections; and although un- 

 doubtedly some cases are on record of damage resulting from its internal 

 use, Goulard's lotion is commonl}^ regarded as one of the most harmless of 

 our remedies. Perhaps a distinction may be drawn between its therapeu- 

 tical and its cosmetical use, but it is difficult to distinguish the difference. 

 Reference is made to some of the alleged cases of lead poisoning from the 

 use of hair dyes, but it is suggested that a more careful examination might 

 have found the cause elsewhere, perhaps in the water used for drinking. 



