Hair Dyes

Among the Greeks, auburn, the color of Aphrodite's tre es, was considered most beautiful, and drugs were used in which the hair was dipped and exposed to the sun and thus acquired the coveted hue. The ladies of Rome, Byzantium and Venice used similar arts to produce the Titian tint, but metallic dyes are comparatively modern. For blonde hair peroxide of hydrogen is used and pyrogallic acid for brown. For black hair the best proce is a bath of sulphide of pota ium, followed by one of nitrate of silver. Various salts of bismuth, lead and mercury are also used, though all are more or le injurious.