As the beard makes its appearance simultaneously with one of the most important natural changes in the constitution of man, in all ages it has been considered the insignia of manhood. All the major races of men, both from hot and cold climates, who left their mark on history - Egyptians, Indians, Jews, Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Arabs, Greeks, Romans, Celts, Turks, Scandinavians, Slavs - were provided with abundant growth of this natural coat. As a result, his companies were distinguished by a commensurate vigor and audacity. It is also indisputable that his greatest efforts were contemporaneous with the existence of his beards; and careful investigation would show that the rise and fall of this natural trait has had more influence on the progress and decline of nations than has hitherto been suspected.