ACCORDING to an earlier report,1 changes in the hair due to poor nutrition are not uncommon in the tropics. Such changes have not been described, however, in connection with extensive nutritional surveys in the United States. During the past few years there have come under study a group of children with abnormalities of the hair similar in many respects to those observed in tropical regions. These patients have all been observed in the Cincinnati area.
The method of study was implemented with a number of highly specialized technics2 designed to detect early departure from normal variations. In brief, the analysis included, in addition to observation of the clinical pattern, determination of the force required to epilate, observations on elasticity, extension, tensile strength and cuticular pattern and, in certain instances, examination of histological sections, both longitudinal and cross sections.
A total of 14 children, varying in age from 2