a defect of hair, chiefly on the face. It differs from alopecia, area, ophiasis, and tinea, as these all arise from some vice in the nutritious humour; baldness, from the defect of it. When the eyelids shed their hair, it is called a pilosis. Among the causes of baldness, immoderate venery is reputed one of the chief; old age usually brings it on of course. Some will have the proximate cause of baldness to be the dryness of the brain, and its shrinking from the cranium; it having been observed, that in bald persons there is always a vacancy or empty space between the skull and the brain.—Calvus, bald-pate, was a frequent term of reproach among the Romans; among whom this defect was in great disrepute. Hence divers arts to conceal it, as false hair, a galericula contrived on purpose. The later Romans, however, seem to have been reconciled to baldness; for we find among them a kind of officers, or servants, called glabrates or glabriarii, whose business was to take off the hair from all parts, even from the head. In an ancient inscription, there is mention of one Diophantus, TI. CAESARIS, ORNATOR GLABR., that is, Ornator Glabriarius.