Those of my readers who possess red hair will be cheered by the announcement of a famous scientist. "Red-haired people, as a general rule," he says, "are possessed of well-balanced minds. Systematic inquiries at mental institutions have produced practically no records of red-haired people with mental disease. They are easily roused to anger, but usually display a great deal of power in curbing this passion."
These words should come as balm to the men and women who, from their youth, have been subjected to the undignified nickname of "ginger." The scientist, in giving an explanation of the cause of red hair, produced many technical reasons: but none so amusing as that of the boy who, when asked why his hair was red, replied: "Well, you see, when I was small my mother forgot to bring me in out of the rain - and I got rusted."
The Irish Times, March 5th, 1931.