As some plants die from dryness for want of sap, and some from the sap
being unsuitable to them, so it happens, in like manner, with the hairs;
for baldness is occasioned by want of the natural juices, and alopecia
and ophiasis by the badness of them. These complaints differ only in
figure; for, in the latter, the affected part has the appearance of a
serpent; and alopecia derives its appellation from the circumstance
of foxes being frequently subject to the affection. Judging of the
prevailing humour, then, from the colour of the skin, we are first to
evacuate it by purging, and then to have recourse to local applications.
If, therefore, the colour incline to black or white, we purge with the
medicine called hiera, which evacuates both phlegm and the melancholic
humour; but if it is palish, we give pills of aloes. An account of these
medicines will be found in that part of our work which treats of Compound
Medicines. After general depletion, we are to use masticatories composed
of vinegar, mustard, and honey, and not once only, but frequently. It
will be better, too, if marjoram, pennyroyal, thyme, or hyssop be infused
in the vinegar. In all the other complaints of the head, the same method
is to be observed, first evacuating the prevailing humour, either by
purging, or by phlebotomy if there be also a fulness of blood, and then
proceeding to the topical treatment.
_On alopecia._ Having first cleansed the part with nitre (_soda_), and
scrubbed it with a rough cloth, more particularly a woollen cloth, and
continued the friction until it become red, anoint it with vervain
pounded with vinegar in the sun. Or, rub in the roughest alcyonium burnt
and pounded with lamp-oil. Or, burn the root of the club-rush, or the
rind of the bitter almond, and rub them in with oil or bears’ grease.
These are moderate remedies. But stronger applications may be prepared
from euphorbium, thapsia, and adarce, pounded with oil of bays, or liquid
pitch.—_Another_: Having burnt the shells of sea-urchins, mix them with
bears’ grease, and anoint with them, having first cleansed the part with
nitre.—_Another_: Of pepper, of dried sheep’s dung, of hedge mustard, of
rocket seeds, of each dr. iv; of white hellebore, dr. iij; of mouse-dung,
dr. j: add to the gall of a bull, of a goat, or of a hog.—_Another tried
remedy for alopecia_: Of the root of mandragora, of birthwort, of the
root of wake-robin, of wax, of liquid pitch, oz. viij; of swine’s seam
not salted, of the heart or inner part of the herb nerium a little: boil
the seam and the nerium until the herb be softened; then strain and throw
away the herb, and add to the axunge the other ingredients, and boil. Add
the wax and the liquid pitch, and use boldly in the sun. When the ulcers
are cicatrized, burn the head of a fox, take alcyonium, the leaves of
the black alkanet, and, having pounded all together, sprinkle upon the
ointment, in order to promote the growth of the hair.—_Another_: Of a
mouse’s head burnt, one part; of the shells of the sea-urchin, one part;
boil in a pot with swine’s seam, and use. They may also be sprinkled in
powder.
_A medicament from Thapsia, for all chronic affections._ Of euphorbium,
of thapsia, of bay-berries, of each, oz. j; of native sulphur, oz. ss.;
of hellebore, oz. ss; of wax, oz. viij; of oil of bays, or old castor
oil, q. s. When stronger applications are required, add of cardamom, oz.
j; of burnt alcyonium, oz. j; and it will be applicable not only for
alopecia, but for all cases of chronic coldness. But in every case of
alopecia have recourse in the first place to the process of cleansing
with nitre, then friction, and frequent shaving. I have seen many have
their hair reproduced by friction alone, and frequent shaving.
_For baldness, and to promote the growth of the hair, from Crito._ Take
the dried stomachs of five hares, roast carefully in an earthen vessel,
add to them the third part of myrtle tops, of the fruit of acacia, of the
juice of acacia, of sweetbriar, an equal part, of maiden hair, oz. iij;
pound all these things together, and sift through a small sieve. Then
adding of bears’ grease, lb. iv, of that of a seal the same quantity,
pound and preserve in a leaden vessel. At the time of using add to any
fragrant ointment.
_Preservatives of the hair._ Of maiden-hair, one part; of ladanum,
two parts; add to wine and myrtle oil, and use.—_Another_: Pound the
flower of anemone, and rub it in with oil. The same will blacken the
hair.—_Another_: Pound the straight vervain dried with its roots, sift
through a narrow sieve, and, having mixed with oil, so as to have the
thickness of the bath-sordes, lay it up in a copper vessel, and, when
softened, use instead of oil in like manner.
_A watery infusion for increasing the growth of the hairs, and for
blackening them._ Of rain water, six sextarii; of Alexandrian sumach,
three sextarii; of maiden-hair, oz. iv; of savin, oz. iv; of ladanum, oz.
j; of dried gourd, oz. j; of myrtle, oz. j; allow to macerate in a glass
vessel for twenty days, stirring it twice a day with a pine spatula. On
the following day plunge the comb into the infusion, and use once a day.
And the seed of marshmallows, when rubbed in while in a bath, preserves
the hair and promotes its growth. And, in like manner, oil may be rubbed
in that has had the seed of marsh-mallows boiled in it, or added to it.
_For thinning the hair._ Of the leaves of the fig-tree, of the rind
of the white wild vine, of pumice-stone, of the shells of buccinæ, of
Cimolian earth, of each one mina. Put them into a new crude pot, and
having covered it with clay, burn in a furnace, and pound, adding of
aphronitrum half a mina, of the galls called omphacitæ thirty in number,
pulverize and use.—_Another_: Of aphronitrum, half a mina; of roasted
pumice-stone, four minæ; of fissile alum (_alumen scissile_), of dried
iris, of the black wild myrtle, of gum, of the root of bryony, of each
dr. iv; of unripe lupines pounded, the fourth part of a gallon; use
without tallow.
_For falling out of the hair._ Rub in aloes, with black austere wine; or,
the cover of the purpura boiled with oil; or, myrrh and ladanum, with
wine and myrtle oil; or, pound burnt sheep’s dung on a shell, and rub it
in with oil, having first shaved the head.
* * * * *
COMMENTARY. See Galen (de Med. sec. Loc. i, Parat. Facil., and Meth. Med.
xiv, 18); Celsus (vi, 4); Aëtius (vi, 65); Alexander (1); Pliny (H. N.
xxviii, 46); Octavius Horatianus (i, 7); Marcellus (de Med.); Isidorus
(Orig. iv, 8); Oribasius (Synops. viii, 22, and Meth. Med. iv, 5); Nonnus
(8); Heliodorus (ap. Nicetam); Incertus auctor. (Frag. ap. Moschionem in
Gynæc. 21); Pollux (Onomast.); Myrepsus (38); Actuarius (Meth. Med. ii,
5); Psellus (op. Med.); Serapion (i, 1); Mesue (ii, 1); Avicenna (iv,
7, 1); Avenzoar (i, 1, 3); Haly Abbas (Theor. viii, 8, Pract. iv, 12);
Alsaharavius (Pract. i, 2); Rhases (ad Mansor. vi, 1, Contin. xxxvi.)
See also Callimachus (Hymn. ad Dianam, l. 79); with the learned Notes of
Tytler and Spanheim.
Our author copies closely from Galen, who explains at considerable
length his principles of treatment; which consists of purging with
warm cathartics, shaving the part frequently, rubbing it, and using
calefacient applications. He says that the disease is occasioned either
by the deficiency or depravity of the nutritive juices. Drs. Willan
and Bateman describe this complaint by the name of porrigo decalvans.
Bateman justly remarks, that, “all that can be prescribed respecting
the treatment of this affection has been expressed by Celsus with his
usual terseness: “Quidam hæc genera arearum scalpello exasperant;
quidam illinunt adurentia ex oleo, maximèque chartam combustam; quidam
resinam terebinthinam cum thapsia inducunt. Sed nihil melius est quam
novaculâ quotidie radere, quia, cum paulatim summa pellicula excisa
est, adaperiuntur pilorum radiculæ. Neque ante oportet desistere, quam
frequentem pilum nasci apparuerit. Id autem quod subinde raditur, illini
atramento sutorio satis est.”
The modes of treatment recommended by the other authorities are in
principle the same as our author’s and that of Celsus. Octavius
Horatianus, after directing pills containing colocynth, aloes, scammony,
and wormwood, recommends nearly the same external treatment as Celsus:
“Omnes confectiones quæ mediocriter calefacere possunt, mediocribus et
delicatioribus corporibus adhibendæ sunt. Prius ergo loca linteolo usque
ad ruborem ante curam confricentur mediocriter, ne vulnerentur. Quæ si
vulnerabuntur, oleo roseo, vel adipibus anserinis recuranda sunt.”
Dioscorides recommends tar-water and other preparations of pitch for
alopecia.
In a Fragment of an anonymous author, published along with ‘Moschion’
in the ‘Gynæcia,’ very sensible rules of treatment are given; namely,
to shave the part frequently, to rub it with compositions containing
mustard, adarce, wormwood, alcyonium, &c., and to purge with aloes,
scammony, colocynth, and the like. Similar directions are given by
Heliodorus. Even Alexander, who in general controverts freely the
opinions of Galen, does not differ from him at all in this case. He lays
down the treatment of baldness very systematically, according as the
falling off of the hairs arises from preternatural dryness of the part,
or from contraction or expansion of the pores, or whether it proceed from
the purging of the system from depraved humours. In the first of these
cases he recommends baths, and a moistening diet, but forbids the use of
astringent applications. For preternatural openness or relaxation of the
pores he recommends applications of an astringent and bracing nature,
and strongly nourishing food. For preternatural contraction of the pores
he advises the opposite class of remedies. When the hairs fall out owing
to the cleansing of the system from depraved humours, as happens after
diseases, he cautions against a too meddlesome interference with the
process of nature. Aëtius and Oribasius are the servile copyists of
Galen. Marcellus gives a long list of compound medicines for the cure of
alopecia. Pliny recommends bull’s gall with Egyptian nitre. The ancients
were in the practice of using nitre for cleaning linen, as is remarked by
Bernard (ad Nonnum, u. s.) On the ancient practice of scrubbing the head
with nitre or soda, see Salmasius (ad Tertull. de Pallio, 432.)
The Pseudo-Dioscorides recommends shaving, rubbing with nitre, and
stimulant applications containing arsenic. (Euporist.)
The Arabians treat the disease exactly as the Greeks. Avenzoar recommends
purging, a regulated diet, and friction with oil of nuts and cherva.
Haly Abbas approves of general evacuants, friction, and stimulant
applications containing cantharides, nitre, &c. Alsaharavius recommends
emetics after food, purging with hiera picra, friction with compositions
containing mustard, euphorbium, pellitory, nettle-seed, with oil of
sesame, or with liquid pitch. Ophiasis, he says, is to be treated upon
the same principles. Among the ingredients of Mesue’s compositions,
we remark cantharides, musk, and amber. Serapion, like Galen and some
of the others, makes mention of red arsenic as an ingredient in these
applications. Rhases, in his ‘Continens,’ collects the opinions of all
preceding authorities on the nature and treatment of these diseases.
Most of the local applications recommended by them are stimulants and
rubefacients, such as mastich, euphorbium, cantharides, ladanum, St.
John’s-wort, &c. which are to be rubbed in with oil or pitch. He mentions
that the celebrated Antyllus recommended scarifications, cupping, and
leeching. Servitor directs a depilatory, prepared by mixing two parts
of quicklime with one of arsenic in a crucible or mortar, and adding
a little water to them. Pliny, Samonicus, Marcellus Empericus, and
other ancient authorities speak highly of bear’s grease for the cure of
baldness.
For the cure of ophiasis the earlier modern surgeons recommended
depilatories containing arsenic, quicklime, vitriol, hellebore, and the
like. One described by Rolandus consists of quicklime and arsenic boiled
in water. (i, 14.) A similar one is described by Plempius.