Barbers' Manual (part 1)

Part 1

PART FIRST Barbers' Manual PART SECOND Text Book on Taxidermy

By T. J. McConnaughay

PRICE, $1.25

Copyrighted and all rights reserved by author. Chicago, Ill., 1898.

Preface.

By way of explaining the dual character of this little book, we here indulge a few brief introductory remarks.

Part First is designed simply as a manual of instruction for barbers, and we hope it will, in a valuable measure, supply a long felt need. It will prove especially beneficial to the younger and less experienced members of our craft.

The best artisans and artists admit they owe much to the accumulated knowledge and experience of both their predecessors and their contemporaries. Indeed, to assert any claim to advanced knowledge and skill, without due acknowledgements for the help received from others would savor of an inexcusable egotism. The man who professes to be a self-made man is always notorious for worshiping his maker.

We should, of course, always put our own impress upon all our work. Our observations on the methods of others should supplement but not supplant our own originality and our own reason. A noted artist when asked how he mixed his paints to achieve such wonderful results, replied: “I mix them with brains.”

So must we use our own brains as well as the brains of others, if we would succeed in this day of rapid improvements and sharp competition.

The information given in this book is not guess work, but the result of long years of study and practice. Thirty-one years have I conducted a shop of my own. During these years every recipe here given has been thoroughly tested. We know they are all good.

Part Second is devoted to taxidermy, which for twenty-three years I have connected with my other shop work. I have preserved and sold hundreds of specimens, and this work has proven a source of much pleasure and profit, enabling me to turn many otherwise idle moments into money.

On this line I have not confined myself to taxidermic work alone, but have also connected the tanning of hides with the hair on, which I have manufactured into mats, rugs, etc.

Hence this little book, under a twofold title, practically includes three trades.

We offer it as a money saving and money making investment. The recipes and other information contained herein will enable any barber to make all his own preparations, and to manufacture them for sale. He may also connect taxidermy and tanning if it suit his pleasure and business.

Historic Sketch.

The word barber is derived from the Latin word “barba,” which means beard, and hence is applied to one whose occupation is to shave and trim beards and cut hair. The barber's craft is a very ancient one. The practice of shaving was common among the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans; and was even mentioned by the prophet Ezekiel, chapter v, 1st verse. Among the ancient Israelites the removal of the beard by shaving or plucking was a sign of mourning. It would seem that the origin of our trade was prehistoric.

In early times barbering was conjoined with surgery, and the barber also served the public in the capacity of surgeon. In France the barber-chirurgeons, or barber-surgeons, were separated from the perruquiers, or wig-makers, and were incorporated as a distinct body in the latter part of the 17th century. In England barbers were incorporated with special privileges in 1461, and were afterwards united to the society of surgeons, but were confined to the minor operations of blood letting and drawing teeth. In 1745 an act was passed, the preamble of which declared the trade of the barber and the profession of surgery are foreign to and independent of each other.

This act practically divorced surgery from the barber's chair. However, quite recently the surgeons of the Swedish navy were also barbers for the crew. In former times, not far remote, it was customary to keep a lute or a violin for the entertainment of patrons, which made the shop a favorite resort for idle persons. In China and some other oriental countries, barbers not only shave the face, but they also shave the whole or a part of the head.

BARBER'S SIGN.

Though barbering is now entirely separated from surgery, yet a monument of their former union may be still seen in the striped pole and basin so often projecting from the front of barber shops.

The fillet, or spiral strip around the pole symbolizes the winding of a ribbon round the arm previous to letting blood, and its red color symbolizes the blood. The basin, yet sometimes seen at the base, represents a vessel prepared to catch the blood.

Barber's poles in this country are tri-colored. The white symbolizes the arm, the red represents the shed blood, while Americans have added the blue to complete our national colors.

Recipes, Formulas, Etc.

GERMAN HAIR DYE.

The process here given comprehends a double formula, and to insure satisfactory results, the directions subjoined should be carefully followed.

No. 1.

Nitrate of Silver 3 drachms Stronger Water of Ammonia ½ ounce Distilled or Rain Water ½ ounce

Part 2

No 2.

Pyrogallic Acid 3 drachms Alcohol ½ ounce Distilled or Rain Water 6 ounces

DIRECTIONS.—Formula No. 1, and formula No. 2, should each be put up in a separate bottle.

In compounding, each of the first two ingredients should be combined and reduced to a solution and the water then added.

Before using these preparations the beard or hair should first be thoroughly washed and dried.

Then apply No. 1 with the fingers, and when partly dried apply No. 2 with a tooth brush and a comb, being careful to get the dye down to the skin. If convenient let the party go out into the open air for an hour. Otherwise the hair should be thoroughly dried with a fan, and washed with soap and soft water. This formula was brought from Germany by a St. Louis barber and sold to the author in 1869. Properly put up it is not only first-class, but I have never found any other preparation equal to it.

BROWN HAIR DYE.

Take four pounds of green walnut hulls. Put them in 1½ gallons soft water and boil down to three pints. Strain off through cloth until clear of sediment. To one quart of this add one quart of alcohol, and 3 ounces of glycerine. Use as other restorers, once a day until the desired shade is obtained. The hulls should be gathered in August.

QUININE HAIR TONIC AND SEA FOAM.

The strong point in favor of this preparation as a sea-foam is that it acts at the same time as a tonic for the hair.

FORMULA.

Alcohol 1 pint Glycerine ½ ounce Tincture of Cantharides ½ ounce Aqua Ammonia ½ ounce Sulphate of Quinine 30 grains Oil of Cloves 1 drachm Rock salt (or table salt) ¼ ounce Distilled or rain water 1 pint

DIRECTIONS.—When using as a sea-foam, wet the hair and rub briskly with finger ends until the foam has disappeared. Then take a towel and rub partly dry.

When using as a dandruff cure, sea-foam twice a week, dampen the hair twice a day for two weeks, after which use once a week as a sea-foam. This will keep the scalp in fine condition.

After you have tried it you will use no other.

CREAM FOR CHAPPED HANDS AND FACE.

This recipe was given me by a druggist whom I have known for years. Its reliable and competent source is a sufficient guarantee:

FORMULA.

Quince seed ¼ ounce Distilled extract witch hazel 1 pint Glycerine ¼ pint Alcohol ¼ pint Powdered Boracic Acid 160 grains Carbolic Acid 32 drops Perfume to suit.

DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING.—First put quince seed in witch hazel and let stand twenty-four hours. Then strain through cheese cloth and add the other ingredients. I know this to be good for the face after shaving.

PYTHIAN CREAM.

This is another preparation for the face and hands.

FORMULA.

Gum Tragacanth (in flake) ½ ounce Glycerine 4 ounces Distilled or rain water ½ gallon

DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING.—Put gum tragacanth in water and let stand till thoroughly dissolved, and strain through a cheese cloth. Then add the glycerine and a sufficient amount of Pythian bouquet to perfume. Color pink with powdered carmine. It should be about the consistency of cream. If too thick add more water. There should be a half-gallon water to the four ounces of glycerine when finished.

BAY CREAM.

The only difference between this and Pythian Cream is in the perfume. Some like the bay rum better.

DIRECTIONS.—Use the formula of the preceding and then add perfume with the genuine oil of bay.

Part 3

COLD CREAM.

The only difference between this and the two preceding creams is that instead of perfume a compound of alcohol and menthol is used.

DIRECTIONS.—Use the same body as for Pythian Cream, and then add alcohol and menthol as follows:

Put 6 drachms of menthol crystals into an ounce of alcohol. When the menthol is thoroughly dissolved add this combination to ½ gallon of the cream. The presence of the menthol gives this preparation a very pleasant cooling effect. Hence it is well named. This cream may, of course, be perfumed if desirable.

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