For Safely Curling the Hair

From Fletcher:

"For curling the hair, recourse should be had to the curling-iron only in emergencies, when there is no time for other methods. Its habitual use is very injurious to the hair, drying and ultimately destroying its fibre. There are some methods of treating the hair which will promote waviness by keeping it for a time in a condition between dryness and humidity, so that different parts will be unequally affected and, in consequence, acquire varying degrees of tension. One method is to shampoo the hair with soapy water in which a few grains of carbonate of potash have been dissolved. While the hair is still moist it must be loosely dressed as desired. The effect comes as it dries. Another method is to moisten the hair with strong rosemary-water, black tea, or aromatic vinegar, in which ten or twelve grains of the carbonate of potash to a half-pint of the tonic have been dissolved. Brush this in, and dress the hair before it dries."