and then wiped with a
soft, thick towel, which should be done with care, to avoid entangling
it. After laying it straight, first with the coarse end of the
dressing comb and then with the finer portion, it may be finally
dressed.

In ordinary cases once every two or three weeks is often enough to
wash the hair and head. The extreme length of ladies' hair will
sometimes render the process of washing it very troublesome and
inconvenient. In such cases the patient and assiduous use of a clean,
good hairbrush, followed by washing the partings and the crown of the
head with soap and water, may be substituted.

The occasional washing of the head is absolutely necessary to preserve
the health of the scalp and the luxuriance and beauty of the hair when
much oil, pomatum or other greasy substance is used in dressing it.

Medical writers have frequently pointed out the ill effects of the
free or excessive use of oily or greasy articles for the hair; but
their warnings appear to be unheeded by the mass of mankind. Some
object to their use altogether. There are, however, exceptions to
every rule, and some of these exceptions are noticed elsewhere in this
volume. The ill effects referred to chiefly occur from their being
used when not required, and in excess, and are aggravated by the
neglect of thorough cleanliness.

To improve the growth and luxuriance of the hair, when languid or
defective, the only natural and perfectly safe method that can be
adopted is to promote the healthy action of the scalp by increasing
the vigor of the circulation of the blood through its minute channels.
For this purpose nothing is so simple and effective as gentle
excitation of the skin by frequent continued friction with the
hairbrush, which has the convenience of ease of application and
inexpensiveness. The same object may be further promoted by the
application of any simple cosmetic wash or other preparation that
will gently excite or stimulate the skin or exercise a tonic action on
it without clogging its pores. Strong rosemary water or rosemary tea,
and a weak solution of the essential oil of either rosemary or garden
thyme, are popular articles of this kind. They may be rendered more
stimulating by the addition of a little ammonia or a little spirit, or
both of them. The skin of the head should be moistened with these on
each occasion of dressing the hair, and their diffusion and action
promoted by the use of a clean hairbrush. Aromatized w