Sexualism and Hair Growth.--The growth or development of the hair
may be accelerated by the state of the organs of generation. This
is peculiarly noticeable in the pubic hairs and the beard, and is
fully exemplified in the section on precocious development
(Chapter VII); however, Moreau de la Sarthe showed a child to the
Medical Faculty of Paris in whom precocious development of the
testicles had influenced that of the hair to such a degree that,
at the age of six, the chest of this boy was as thickly set with
hair as is usually seen in adults. It is well known that eunuchs
often lose a great part of their beards, and after removal of the
ovaries women are seen to develop an extra quantity of hair.
Gerberon tells of an infant with a beard, and Paullini and the
Ephemerides mention similar instances.
Bearded women are not at all infrequent. Hippocrates mentions a
female who grew a beard shortly after menstruation had ceased. It
is a well-recognized fact that after the menopause women become
more hirsute, the same being the case after removal of any of the
functional generative apparatus. Vicat saw a virgin who had a
beard, and Joch speaks of "foeminis barbati." Leblond says that
certain women of Ethiopia and South America have beards and
little or no menstruation.
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