March 2,1872.] THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 719 
information is, however, to be found in the hook, the 
nature of which only can he indicated in this notice. 
In the chapter on the anatomy and physiology of the 
hair, an interesting account is given of its growth and 
structure. The chemistry of hair is described as fol¬ 
lows :— 
“ The chemical composition of hair is allied to other 
horny tissues, such as the nails of the fingers and toes, 
the horns and the hoofs of mammals, and the whale- 
hone of commerce. All contain a large amount of animal 
matter and sulphur. Hair consists of— 
Carbon.49‘9 
Hydrogen.6-4 
Nitrogen.17T 
Oxygen.21’6 
Sulphur.5* 
“ The chief constituent is a nitrogenous substance con¬ 
taining sulphur, which is the cause of the unpleasant 
odour given out when hair is burnt. This material is 
soluble in alkalies, with the development of ammonia. 
It is insoluble in boiling acetic acid, which thus distin¬ 
guishes it from horn and epidermis, from albumen and 
fibrine. It is quite soluble in strong sulphuric acid and 
in liquor potassae. 
“ There are various coloured oily matters in different 
kinds of hair. lied hair contains a reddish oil, a large 
proportion of sulphur, and a small quantity of iron. 
Black possesses a large proportion of oxygen and sulphur, 
but less hydrogen and carbon. White has a white oil 
with phosphate of magnesia, and in the aged, phosphate 
of lime exists in abundance. Fair has the most oxygen 
and sulphur, but less carbon and hydrogen than hair of 
any other colour. Brown yields the largest proportion 
of carbon, with smaller of hydrogen, oxygen, and sul¬ 
phur. 
“ When hair is burnt, the ash yields oxide of iron, 
oxide of manganese and silica. WRite hair yields sul¬ 
phate of alumina. The action of hair dyes depends 
upon the chemical changes between the sulphur in the 
cranial covering and the metallic material used. 
“ Thus the salts of silver and manganese blacken the 
hair by forming sulphurets of the metals, and chlorine 
and its salts decolorize it. Alkalies, such as potash and 
soda, partially bleach it. Peroxide of hydrogen lightens 
dark hair imperfectly, and therefore fails as a dye. Bi¬ 
chloride of mercury with a mordant of sulphide of am¬ 
monium produces a red tint.” 
Here is a pleasant method by which an economic stu¬ 
dent having lady friends may obtain a cheap charge of 
electricity. 
“ If a lady stand upon an insulated stool and have her 
hair combed quickly, enough electricity will be gene¬ 
rated to send forth sparks from her body.” 
The following are the results of some experiments 
made by the author to test the elasticity and strength of 
various coloured hairs:— 
• 
CO 
tfl 
a Measured. 
Cl> 
o O 
*-» 
o 
tx 
-*-> 
t n 
in. 
Contracted 
to 
g Suspended. 
1 
Dark Brown . 
24 
31 
36 
34 
4 
2 
25 
36 
46 
40 
3 
3 
Red .... 
24 
12 
16 
— 
3 
4 
Light Brown. 
6 
13 
17 
— 
H 
5 
Dark . . . 
38 
Ilf 
14* 
— 
3 
6 
• 
17 
27| 
34 
— 
2i 
7 
Light Brown. 
80 
7 
9 
lj 
8 
Blonde. . . 
25 
16 
— 
2j 
9 
• • 
10 
111 
— 
— 
4 
“ Case 7 was ^hat of an elderly gentleman who had 
never used any oil or pomatum to his hair. Case 4 was 
that of a child whose hair bad never been cut.” 
While speaking of colour it is curious to notice that 
the present preference for what Dr. Godfrey would call 
‘ golden tresses,’ or ‘ auricomous locks,’ is one of very old 
date. Indeed, we are inclined to think their possessors 
get more than a fair share of favour. Compared with 
others, they are blessed with a larger number of hairs, 
the pigment granules of which form a beautiful object 
under the microscope ; according to published statistics 
they are less liable to disease, whilst even the lightning 
has been known to spare the red hairs in the coat of a 
pied bullock! 
Considering the prevalence of baldness, it is rather 
suggestiye of the depravity of the human race to be told 
that “ vice of all kinds, from anger to syphilis, has some¬ 
thing to do in producing this morbid phenomenon.” It 
is quite a relief to learn that a little “vice” may go a 
long way, as “ bald people are usually very prolific,” and 
transmit their peculiarity to their male descendants, each 
generation developing the baldness at an earlier age than 
the preceding one. Whilst, however, it is thus the lot 
of many to be deficient in their ‘ comate covering,’ there 
are some persons who have more than they well know 
what to do with. Several instances of this curious affec¬ 
tion are given, including a description of the celebrated 
Burmese family. But is it not rather unfair to the head 
of this household, considering the origin of the woi*d, to 
say that he did not arrive at puberty until he was twenty, 
although he was covered with hair from head to foot 
before he had reached his teens ? 
The affections of the hair system are discussed sepa¬ 
rately, and treatment is laid down in each case. In jus¬ 
tice to the author, however, and with a proper horror of 
“counter prescribing,” we abstain from quoting these 
remedies, save in one or two instances, where rather 
docile patients would be a sine qua non. For the treat¬ 
ment of dandriff we are told— 
“ The Arabians, especially Serapion, ordered the pa¬ 
tient to be bled, blistered, and purged; and if these 
remedies did not kill the disease or the patient, Galen 
directed arsenic to be'well applied to the eruption.” 
For the treatment of eyelashes that grow inwards, 
Celsus “coolly” recommends— 
“An iron needle, thin and broad, like a spatha,* must 
be put into the fire, and when it is red-hot the eyelid 
being lifted up in such a manner that the offending 
lashes are in view of the operator, it must be passed 
from the angle close to the roots of the hair, till it move 
over the third part of the eyelid; then it must be applied 
a second and' third time as far as the other angle. The 
consequence of which is, that all the roots of the hairs 
being burnt, die awa) r .” 
We can but hint at a non-oflficinal remedy in the shape 
of an animal that once furnished Burns with a subject 
for some verses, which the author knows to have been 
taken in jam for a diseased liver by an elderly gentle¬ 
man, at the recommendation of a nautical friend. 
The formulae of hair dyes, hair restorers, washes and 
pomades, are next treated of. A rough analysis of the 
most noted ‘ restorers’ is given, and the result of an ex¬ 
amination of some pomades, from which we learn that 
as a rule they contain nothing “harmful.” Indeed, the 
author’s admiration of pomades and similar preparations 
is rather a negative one, for he says that oleaginous sub¬ 
stances are “ not detrimental to the growth ef the hair, 
and are only injurious when they cover in dirt.” He 
has evidently more faith in the effect of frequent clean¬ 
ing. 
We can but just allude to the last chapter, in which 
the author propounds one or two theories as to the ori¬ 
gin, presence or absence, and use of the beard. Its pre¬ 
sence upon the chin and not upon the toes he believes is 
* Spatha was a knife ending in an acute point and double 
edged. 
