Among the pre-disposing causes of baldness, excessive indulgence in sensual gratifications, and particularly in wine and spirits, is perhaps the principal; though old age usually causes the loss of hair even in the most regular livers. In ancient Rome, the term calvus, or bald-pate, was frequently used by way of reproach for this deficiency, which then was in great disrepute.
In modern times, divers arts are practised to conceal a bald head, and a variety of preparations are offered to the credulous, in the daily prints, with the solemn promise that they are infallibly calculated to make the hair grow again. As these advertisers are, comparatively speaking, harmless chemical compounders, we do not wish to treat them with severity, so long as they confine their medicines to external applications.
In our opinion, baldness is incurable, when it arises from general debility, or an asthenic state of the system; but where it takes place in consequence of acute diseases, or during a tedious recovery from malignant fevers, the growth of the hair has frequently been accelerated by the following liniment: take of the expressed juice of burdock-root, virgin-honey, and proof-spirits, of each one ounce, mix them together, and anoint the barren part of the head several times a day—at the same time taking care to cover it with soft flannel, in order to promote perspiration.
BALL, in a general sense, is a round or spherical body, whether formed by nature or art. Thus the terraqueous globe which we inhabit, appears to have assumed that form, in consequence of the revolutions round its own axis, not unlike a mass of clay, when turned in a circular direction.
But as the term "Ball" is used in a great variety of significations, we can here introduce only those few, where it is applied to economical purposes: hence we shall take no notice of fire-balls, light-balls, smoke-balls, stink-balls, sky-balls, water-bails, land-balls, &c.
BALLS, in the polished circles of society, are those nocturnal assemblies devoted chiefly to the entertainment of dancing. Whether public or private, the institution of balls appears to have been originally intended for the conjoint purposes of promoting health, by the exercise there mingled with mirth and social conversation, as well as for the refinement of manners, or what is more properly termed good breeding.—(See that article.)
In large and populous cities, however, these excellent purposes are often in a great measure defeated; partly by a deviation from the genuine principle on which balls were first introduced, under the sanction of wise governments, and partly by connecting this amusement with collateral objects, such as suppers, masquerades, card-parties, &c.
Consistently with our plan, we beg leave to observe only, that morality and health would be better consulted, if all public balls and masquerades were limitted to a certain number of visitors—excluding every female who ventures to appear without a proper friend or relation; and, upon the whole, by adopting those excellent regulations which already subsist in the city of Bath, where decorum or good breeding is the "order of the night."
Horse-balls, among farriers, are given only for the purpose of con-
