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    THE LEADER. 281 ,

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    romance—tie romance of reality—comes upo...

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    Hair, Fat, And Nails. The Constitution O...

    al ' a just representation of them . Leaving this fluid altogether out «^ ° J ^ ^' the brain presents itself as a large nervous mass , extremely rich in blood , but pos-S ^ T no odious outlet for the residue of its wide range of vital processes ; or superfluous agents which are invariably the consequence of vital action . We need not many sentences to point out the initial error of this hypothecs The brain has an outlet for the residue of its vital processes , and that outlet is the same as the muscles possess , they also being the ^ eatof chemical changes without producing any « palpable secretion : fe out is the venous absorbtion of the waste matter which is subsequently expelled through the " various excretory passages If Dr Holland ' s Wl £ » *& beenlamed in defiance of anatomy , it has also been framed in defiance of oSFnary observation ; for , if hair is the product of nervous activity , which has no other outlet , then ought the most active intellect to manifest itself ? n the hairiest gentlemen , and the bald philosopher should ** regarded aj > a monstrosity . In accounting for the local distribution of Hair , Dr . Holland

    follows this rule : — The head possesses a greater affluence of hair than any other part of the body . Wbat are the organic conditions by which it is distinguished ? The brain , exquisite in structure , and one of the most active organs of the animal system , fills the capacious cavity of the cranium . Its faculties are maintained in vigorous exercise at the expense of blood and nervous power ; and according to the energy with which they act ! * n relation to constitutional endotoments , is the amount of useless elements to be thrown off . The quantity , necessitating an issue , is greater here than in any ottter ocality , and as a consequence the growth of hair is proportionately more abundant , j But how is it that the hairy bear , and hirsute buffalo are ^ so inferior to man in nervous activity ? The hypothesis is every way inadmissible . It rests upon an anatomical oversight , it misconceives the physiological process o erowth , and it is in . defiance of ordinary observation . When Dr . Holland ¦ ¦

    * - * . ¦¦ ¦ .- ¦ .. . . ¦ ¦ I Crt'KTQ ^»™ . . . . ... If we closely examine the subject , we shall find that , on whatever part of the body these particular growths appear , it is iu association with a . copiousness of nervous matter , energetic in its functions , which has no outlet for the residue of its vital processes , except in the creation of external appendages ^ In answer to the question , what Nation , asTcause and effect , exists between ^ he activity- of ? f t ^ ^^' e o ? Se hair of the head , we reply that the materials which enter into the structure of the latter , are elements which the brain ejects as useless ; , consequentl y their escape to this extent , is a relief to , * be nervous mass the seat of the mental faculties . The kidneys , the lungs , and the skin , perform a similar office in reference to the body I

    generally— . .. . he is misled by a mistaken notion of the brain as a secreting organ , whiclv ! t ffiSel ^ Vl ^ MSrt an S & tf physical constitution , it is S iHd * ' ¦ ¦ ' . '¦ ¦ ¦ The state of the hair on the head tends to elucidate the character of the constitution . If strong and thick , it implies considerable tone or energy of the vital powers . If ! on the other hand , it is thin , soft , or silky-prone to grow in length rather than in strength , the animal system is alm ost invariably weak and the deposition of the individual is not infrequently mild , easy , and destitute of enterprise , rarely displaying qualities which indicate force of intellect . ¦ . _ . _ We may , further , remark , as the result of careful observation , that the curliness of the hair , not merely in infancy , but in after-life , is evidence of unusual constitutional vigour , though not necessarily conjoined with a well-developed muscular frame . The vital properties which , throw out the external appendage tliick and abundant , in harmony with the requirements of the system , are the cause , from the affluence and activity by which they are characterised , of this being not only strong , but curly . We have no hesitation in the expression of this opinion ; nor will its accuracy be questioned by those who have given attention to the mutter . One is tempted to ask whether the curly hair of the Negro implies a greater constitutional vigour than the lank hair of his master ; and it so , ¦ whether this vigour is greater in the nervous direction ? . . . Dr Holland opposes the universal opinion that the hair is inorganic , and in doing so he exhibits a strange oversight for a physiologist of his merit : — On what ground the shaft is regarded as inorganic , it is difficult to imagine . In our opinion , it is beautifully and exquisitely organized . Can anything which draws its life and being from the body , and maintains a living connexion with it , be philosophically viewed in that light ? Because we do not perceive those obvious endowments and phenomena wbich ordinarily indicate vitality , and under circumstances which exhibit the utility of structures , we unjustly look upon the hair as inorganic , and as subservient to no particular end in the animal economy . No part of the body i i ,

    is , in fact , more wonderfully organized than the hair . There is no difficulty at all in imagining why the hair is called inorganic : it is demarcated from nil organic substances by the initial fact of its not being the seat of changes . Hair remains unaltered for . thousands ot years , like a Hint . ! No organic substance remains unaltered for a ( lay , unless artificially prepared . After this we need not proceed to enumerate the otner uillcrcnccs

    . . . . . ,. , Although we have been forced to combat the hypothesis which links together the various facts in this volume , we must conclude by again saying that the facts are interesting and well presented . On many details we dissent—notably on the analogy of hair and fat—but the book is so suggestive that we recommend it to our readers .

    The Leader. 281 ,

    THE LEADER . 281 ,

    Mabch 21 , 1857 . ]

    Romance—Tie Romance Of Reality—Comes Upo...

    romance—tie romance of reality—comes upon us with especial , freshness at the present moment . We like to hear over again the events of that stirring period , and we are ready to listen to and talk with an eye-witness who has anything to say upon the subject . Mr . Borthwick was one of those persons whose love of adventure—at least we presume so , as no other reason is assigned for his taking the long and perilous journey—induced him to visit t ixvTidtimaihtde of the American Union . We take no notice of ^ casual digging enterprises or portrait-taking amongst the . miners , as they both seem to iTavi been the accident of an amateur taste , and he does not himself dwell upon them . It was evident that he was not « prospecting . " a « claim ; ' that he understood " rich dirt" and « poor dirt" only theoretically , and was not nfuch experienced in " stripping off" « to > dirt" or washing Pg- ^ ma " Ion" torn . " Still he has written an amusing , and , we heheye , by no means nn- Pxairoerated Dictate of the state of things existing during his rambles

    ° £ ? I ^ K >^ ^ . state of transition when A * . ^^*™& there . Few vestiges of the original village remained , whilst most ^ of the modern houses presented a make-shift and temporary appearance , bein & m . fact , only mere tents with perhaps a wooden front strong enough to support the sign of the occupant , or a wooden framework lined with ^ e ets of z , nc , together with a few corrugated iron houses imported whole , and here and there a Chinese cottage . Towards the sea , however , another class ot . vSLt ~ . The abruptness of the hills and their proximity to diu

    the water not allowing extension inland , houses had already been « . piles for a considerable distance beyond the high water + mil ^ , which were I subsequently banked round with the earth dug out of the lulls , so that at the p ? esent day the whole of the business part of the city stands on solid ground where a f « w years ago large ships rode at anchor But the moat extraordinary thing , and that which shows most completely the ingenuity of the Yankees , occurred in ' 54 , when , to give a uniform level to the streets , whole houses were raised to the desired height . The mode of operation , according to Mr . Borthwick , was as follows : — " Excavations were made , and under the foundation walls of the houses were inserted a number of ™ lmfWs aVmnt two feet in height , so that the building rested entirely on

    tne heads of the pistons . The cylinders were all connected by pipes , ca force-pump worked by a couple of men , who in this way could pump up a five-story brick building three or four inches an the course of the day . As the house grew up , props were inserted in case of accidents ; and when it nad been raised aJfar as the length of the pistons would alow the whole apparatus was readjusted , and the operation was repeated till the required height was obtained . I went to witness the process when it washing applied to a large corner brick building , five stories high , with ^ about sixty feet frontage eUcb . wav . The flagged side-walk was being raised along with it ; but there was no " interruption of the business going on m the premises , or anything whatever to indicate to the passer-by that the ground ^ growing under his feet . On going down under the house , one saw that the building was detached from the surrounding ground , and rested on a number of cylinders ; but the only appearance of work being done was by two men quietly working a pump amid a ramification of small iron pipes . The apparatus had , of course , to be of an immense strength to withstand the pressure to which it was subjected , and the utmost nicety was required in its adjustment to avoid straining and cracking the walls ; but numbers of lar- 'e buildings were raised most successfully in this way without receiving the ° slichtest injury . " Other ingenious mechanical contrivances are described by Mr . Borthwick , all of which were applied to rearing , enlarging , and improvin" this titanic city . These , however , we cannot notice , nor can we conduct the reader into the exciting scenes of the . gambling-rooms , tho theatres , the masquerades , the balls , the bars , and the thousand other brilliant accessories that belong to the vivid tableau of life in San Irancisco . Having steamed up the river to Sacramento city , Mr . Borthwick turned off for the mines . From the posting-house at Sacramento , four-and-twenty four-horse coaches—glorious reminiscences of old English staging--8 tarted together for the plains . When , however , outside the town , they all branched . oft in different directions , some to Caloma , some to Nevada , and some , amon gst which number was the author , to the less euphoniously named village of Hangtown . This last-mentioned place is an outpost ot ' the northern mines , and derives its suggestive title from the number ot «™ n ,, (; rm « wl . ioli took i » lace there durinir the first period of digging , in

    pursuance of the orders of Judge Lynch . We should , however , observe that in the statutory books of the government , this town is known as riaccrvillc . It would be impossible for us to give an account of tho impressions and experiences of Mr . Borthwick at the " diggings . Sumce _ it to sav that he visited the principal towns , such as Caloma , Nevada city , Downievillc , mounted the Yuba river , penetrated the mountains far up beyond the mines , occasionally joined a company in purchasing a ' claim sometimes turned his hand to sketching and portruit-talung , now travelled with a caravan of Mcx ban mules , now lost his way in following anlndmn trail , now put up with coarse fare and rude accomodation at some wayside ranch , now watched the reckless play at a monte or faro table in a gorgeous saloon which would have been splendid at Paris , and whose magmheent ot those ire

    mirrors contrasted . strangely with the wild aspects wuo quenteu the room , with the rough ill-fashioned huts that surrounded it , and especially with the "nuid and savage character of the hills wliich looked down upon it . After a year spent in exploring this district , Mr . Borthwick returned to Sacramento , and diverged towards the southern district , and visited Jacksonville , Moquelunine Hill , San Andres , Stanislaus Kiver , svnd Sonora . These latter mines nre worked by a very different class of people . The northern mines are nearly exclusively occupied by Americans , and members of the Teutonic family ; the southern district by Frenchmen , Mexicans , Chilians , Chinamen , & c . Mr . Borlhwielc concludes his work with some appropriate observations on the probable consequences to the rest of tho

    world of gold in California . We note , by way of conclusion , the following for tho benefit of the travellers of all nations . It will be seen how even il California inay becomu a " polito educator . " Remarking on the humanizing effects of lite at tho " diggings" Mr . Borthwick observes : —

    LIFE IN CALIFORNIA . Three Years in California . By J . D . Borthwick . Edinburgh : Blaclcwood and Sons . Much ut one time was written and published about California . The fabulous fortunes made at the "diggings" created si feverish enthusiasm in its favour and sent the world searching after information about ita golden mountains . From every quarter of the world , and from every class of society , rushed thousands of adventurous Argonauts _ to reap the harvest of those auriferous regions . Modornly , however—for in California events anterior to ' 50 belong to the far past—there has been a lull in the public interest with regard to that distant State . Australia and its gold-fields have absorbed the general attention—at least of Englishmen ; and California and its magnificent mines have lain little noticed . A work , therefore , reviving tho story of the labours and the dangers , the successes and tho disappointments , of the first gold-seekers—describing their frank and picturesque life , alive with excitement and rapid change , rich too with the colouring of

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), March 21, 1857, page 17, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_21031857/page/17/