SULPHUR CONTENT OF HAIR AND OF NAILS IN ABNORMAL STATES

Abstract

In a previous communication¹we reported the results of a study of the sulphur content of hair in conditions associated with the loss of hair, the use of solubilized keratin administered orally in the form of hydrolyzed wool to man and to rabbits in order to promote the growth of hair, and a correlation of the sulphur content of hair before and after the administration of hydrolyzed wool. The following considerations suggested this study: Keratin, a simple protein of albuminoid nature, is the chief constituent of hair, indeed of all epidermal tissue— nails, feathers, horns and hoofs. Keratin is peculiar in that it has a high sulphur content, the sulphur being present almost entirely in the form of the amino-acid cystine. It would appear, therefore, that the metabolism of sulphur probably plays an important rôle in the development and growth of these tissues. We are now reporting the results