Here’s another little pearl of medical wisdom from my favourite medical textbook, “Vitalogy” which was still one of the foremost medical authorities at the time it was printed in 1904.
The chapter that caught my eye today is titled “HAIR is INDICATIVE OF CHARACTER”
I’ll paraphrase here.. Apparently black hair and dark skin is associated with a “bilious temperament” which includes strength of character and sensuality. I must tell my wife this. Fine hair and dark skin indicates purity, goodness and strength of mind. Fine, brown locks are associated with exquisite sensibility. Great- I’m mentally unstable. Straight hair that sits flatly on the head indicates a dependable, yet melancholic type. Either that, or you’ve been wearing a cap. Coarse black hair that sticks up means the person is likely to be unsociable, stubborn and sour. Damn- I will avoid these people from now on. Auburn hair brings purity, intensity and a great capacity for either enjoyment or suffering. That’s a bit of a bet each way. Hasty, impetuous, rash people will apparently have crisp and curly hair, whilst hair that sits on the forehead in rings means you are likely to be frank, open and good natured- like Frodo- or umm.. Howard Stern?
I have no idea where these observations came from, or how they managed to make their way into the standard medical text of the time. Keep in mind that in 120 years from now, it’s likely that much of what we consider “medical gospel” today will likely seem just as ridiculous! Now- excuse me, I have to go and delete a few dark, coarse haired friends from my address book and draw on some fake forehead curls. Toodles!
I love old medical books. The dude I shared my room with at the office was a historian whose focus was medical history and my interest started by reading his thesis about a book the chief doctor of ottoman sultan wrote. It is always an eye opening experience to read those old "scientific" texts! Keeps one skeptical about what we deem truth today!
Here’s another little pearl of medical wisdom from my favourite medical textbook, “Vitalogy” which was still one of the foremost medical authorities at the time it was printed in 1904.
The chapter that caught my eye today is titled “HAIR is INDICATIVE OF CHARACTER”
I’ll paraphrase here.. Apparently black hair and dark skin is associated with a “bilious temperament” which includes strength of character and sensuality. I must tell my wife this. Fine hair and dark skin indicates purity, goodness and strength of mind. Fine, brown locks are associated with exquisite sensibility. Great- I’m mentally unstable. Straight hair that sits flatly on the head indicates a dependable, yet melancholic type. Either that, or you’ve been wearing a cap. Coarse black hair that sticks up means the person is likely to be unsociable, stubborn and sour. Damn- I will avoid these people from now on. Auburn hair brings purity, intensity and a great capacity for either enjoyment or suffering. That’s a bit of a bet each way. Hasty, impetuous, rash people will apparently have crisp and curly hair, whilst hair that sits on the forehead in rings means you are likely to be frank, open and good natured- like Frodo- or umm.. Howard Stern?
I have no idea where these observations came from, or how they managed to make their way into the standard medical text of the time. Keep in mind that in 120 years from now, it’s likely that much of what we consider “medical gospel” today will likely seem just as ridiculous! Now- excuse me, I have to go and delete a few dark, coarse haired friends from my address book and draw on some fake forehead curls. Toodles!
Posted via @cloutfeed
I love old medical books. The dude I shared my room with at the office was a historian whose focus was medical history and my interest started by reading his thesis about a book the chief doctor of ottoman sultan wrote. It is always an eye opening experience to read those old "scientific" texts! Keeps one skeptical about what we deem truth today!
i have a buzzcut though
Probably it's terrible for me to say, but the first thing that came to my head when I saw the image for the first time was Pearl Jam. 🙃