If the thinning of the hair has progressed to a more
advanced stage, other measures will have to be adopted.
The most useful application wliich I know of to restore
growth is the following. lb is a formula given by
88 THE ART OF LIVING IN AUSTRALIA.
Messrs. Squire, the well-known chemists of London, and has
had an immense sale extending over many years.
Cantharidino (the best) . . 1 grain.
Acetic ether .... 6 drachms.
These are to be dissolved together ; then add,
Rectified spirit . . .3 ounces.
Castor oil .... 1 ounce.
As with the pomade, this is best perfumed by the addi-
tion of about 20 or 30 drops of oil of bergamot, oil of
lavender, oil of orange flower, or oil of rosemary, as fancy
dictates. The bottle should be kept tightly corked, and a
little of the preparation rubbed well into the hair-roots daily.
If it create any irritation after two or three days' use, it is
best to wash the scalp with a little warm water and soap.
The pomade which has been recommended may be after-
wards employed for two or thi-ee days till the irritation has
subsided, when the application may be renewed. A better
plan still is, from the first, to use the hair restorer on one
day, and the pomade on the next, alternately. This fore-
going application is of course not infallible, but it will be
found to do more good in a greater number of cases than
any known preparation.
THE NAILS.
From the fact that the nails are in reality appendages
of the skin, they are naturally entitled to some brief con-
sideration. Beneath the nail is the matrix, that part of
the true skin from which the nail is formed. The matrix
has not a perfectly smooth surface, but is arranged in a
series of parallel ridges with alternating grooves. The nail
is of a rosy pink colour, because it is transparent enough
to let the blood, circulating beneath, be seen through it.
Near the root is a little crescentric-shaped white portion
called the lunula. The growth of the nail takes place from
ABLUTION- THE SKIN AND THE BATH. 39
below. It cannot grow backwards, since it is confined in a
groove. But as the fresh cells form they gradually thrast
the whole nail forward, till at last it requires paring. As a
matter of fact, however, the nails really require more atten-
tion than they usually receive. The finger nails should be
trimmed into a bow shape, and the corners rounded ofiF,
while the skin near the root of the nail, which tends to grow
over the lunula, should be repressed into position by means
of any suitable appliance. On the contrary, those of the
feet should be cut squarish in shape, with a hollowed-out
centitr, so as to prevent the nail from ingrowing.
THE TEETH.
Page 36
Presented as published in 1893. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
If the thinning of the hair has progressed to a more advanced stage, other measures will have to be adopted. The most useful application which I know of to restore growth is the following. lb is a formula given by
Messrs. Squire, the well-known chemists of London, and has had an immense sale extending over many years.
Cantharidino (the best) . . 1 grain. Acetic ether .... 6 drachms.
These are to be dissolved together ; then add,
Rectified spirit . . .3 ounces. Castor oil .... 1 ounce.
As with the pomade, this is best perfumed by the addition of about 20 or 30 drops of oil of bergamot, oil of lavender, oil of orange flower, or oil of rosemary, as fancy dictates. The bottle should be kept tightly corked, and a little of the preparation rubbed well into the hair-roots daily. If it create any irritation after two or three days' use, it is best to wash the scalp with a little warm water and soap. The pomade which has been recommended may be afterwards employed for two or three days till the irritation has subsided, when the application may be renewed. A better plan still is, from the first, to use the hair restorer on one day, and the pomade on the next, alternately. This foregoing application is of course not infallible, but it will be found to do more good in a greater number of cases than any known preparation.
THE NAILS.
From the fact that the nails are in reality appendages of the skin, they are naturally entitled to some brief consideration. Beneath the nail is the matrix, that part of the true skin from which the nail is formed. The matrix has not a perfectly smooth surface, but is arranged in a series of parallel ridges with alternating grooves. The nail is of a rosy pink colour, because it is transparent enough to let the blood, circulating beneath, be seen through it. Near the root is a little crescentric-shaped white portion called the lunula. The growth of the nail takes place from
below. It cannot grow backwards, since it is confined in a groove. But as the fresh cells form they gradually thrast the whole nail forward, till at last it requires paring. As a matter of fact, however, the nails really require more attention than they usually receive. The finger nails should be trimmed into a bow shape, and the corners rounded ofiF, while the skin near the root of the nail, which tends to grow over the lunula, should be repressed into position by means of any suitable appliance. On the contrary, those of the feet should be cut squarish in shape, with a hollowed-out centitr, so as to prevent the nail from ingrowing.
THE TEETH.