A lecture delivered to the Hairdressers' Guild, in St. James's Hall, March, 1885, on diseases of the skin of the head affecting the hair, and diseases of the hair : with remarks as to brushing, cutting and dressing the hair / by James Startin.

  • Startin, James, 1851-1910.
Date:
[1885]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A lecture delivered to the Hairdressers' Guild, in St. James's Hall, March, 1885, on diseases of the skin of the head affecting the hair, and diseases of the hair : with remarks as to brushing, cutting and dressing the hair / by James Startin. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    colour and becoming suddenly white, the change being rendered complete in a few hours. This can only take place through strong mental emotion, and I believe it to be caused by an acid which permeates the substance of the hair, and thus destroys the colour- ing matter. Instances of hereditary whiteness of hair are not often met with ; I mean by this albinos. I have seen one or two instances. The change of colour of hair, and the way it is brought about, is mere speculation at present. It may be the result of electrical action ; it may be the result of chemical decomposition. This brings me to the chemical composition of the hair. The hair consists in a great part of sulphur, which is soluble in alkaloids, giving off ammonia, but insoluble in acetic acid, on boiling which distinguishes it from horn. It may be reduced by ultimate analysis to ashes, containing oxide of iron and manganese; in white hair to phosphate of magnesia and sulphate of alumina. Climatic Influence.—It is a well known fact that hair is in- fluenced by a Mioist or dry state of the atmosphere, and elongates or shortens according to one or other of these conditions. Heat and cold also influence it as to its colour, cold producing blanching and heat darkening it. This brings me to the subject of greyness. There is much diversity of opinion as to the time of the appearance of the first grey hair, and it depends upon a variety of causes. In most instances grey hairs make their appearance singly, and the blanching begins at the roots, and when the hair is cut this is always the more evident. How is this ? We know that the colouring matter is carried up the shaft of the hair from the papilla at its root. The outer layers of the hair then must undergo changes, instead of the light being i*e- fle(!ted they penetrate the coverings and we have the frosted appearance. The loss of colour is then due to absence of colour- ing matter, commencing from its papilla, which takes place as the process of decay takes place in the papilla, and so we have greyness and baldness taking place side by side. This greyness generally begins at the temples or sides of the head, spreading gradually over the whole scalp. Men do not become grey usually until they are forty. We see sometimes grey patches in hair or beard; these are due generally to some local cause, neuralgia or parasitic diseases. As I have said before, sudden greyness usually takes place from sudden fright. Numerous instances we read of. I have seen several instances of this. It is well known that the hair has an electrical property. Hence we have opportunity of observing sparkles or electric crackling in the brushing of some hair, especially under the influence of neuralgia. In some instances this is so marked that each hair will stand out by itself in this condition. Of Baldness and its cause— I have already related to you its causes. The natural fall in age cannot be rectified, but sometimes the fall takes place in the young ; it becomes then a serious evil, and if in the female a grave misfortune, a “ wig but ill
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