, 1873-06-15
HYGIENE OF THE EAR.
Univ Children's Ears Should Never Be
Boxed,
The Ear Often Impaired by the Attempt
to Clean It.

Whist, then, can be more likely to injure this
membrane than sudden and forcibls compress
sion Of the air in front OF it ? It aay one de-
sgned to break or oVerstretch the membrane. he
could scarcely devise q more effective meaps
than to bring the hand suddenly and forcibly
down upon the passage OF the ear, thus driving
the air violently before it, with no possibility fol
it's escape but by the membrane giving way And
far too often it does give way, especially il
from any previous disease it has been weak
ened-. Many children are made deaf BY boxes on
=. the ear In this way. Nor is this the only way
II there is one thing which does the nerve OF
hearing more harm than another, it is sudden
jar or shock. Children and grown persons alike
may be entirely deafened BY falls or heavy blows
upon the head. And boxing the ears produces =
similar effect, though more slowly and in less
degree. It tends to dull the sensib11ity Of tbs
nerve, even II it does not hurt the membrane.
Imew pitifu case once, Of poor youth who
died from terrible disease OF the ear. he had
had discharge from it since he was . child. OF
course his hearing had been dull: and what had
hannened was that his father had often
hoxed lis ear for inattentlon! Most
likely that boxing on the ear disc aaed as it was,
had much to do with bis dying. And this brings
me to the second point. Children shou1d never
be blamed for being inAttenhvs, until it has
been found out whether they are not little
deaf. This ia easily done BY placing them Ut q
few yards distance, and trying whether they can
understand what is said to them in rather low
tone Of voice. Each ear should be tried, while
the other is stopped By the finger, I do not say
that children are never guilty Of inattention,
especially to that which they do not particularly
msny @ children arc blamed and punished
for inattention when they really do not hear.
And there is nothing at once more cruel and
more hu1ttul to the character OF children than
to be found fau1t with for what is really their
bered here: l. That slight degrees of deafness,
often lasting. only for 3 time, are very common
among children, especially during or after colds.
2. That slight deafness, which does not pre-
yent person fom heaing i Tnen r.; ne Is s1
to what he is not expecting; and, g. That there
Is q kind Of deafness in which . person can hear
pretty well while listening, but is really very
bard Of herring when not listening.
unfortunately be reckoned bathing. Not that
This most healthful and important pleasure need,
therefore, be in the least discouraged; but it
should be- wisely regulated. Staying too long in
the water certainly tends to produce deafness as
veil rs other evils; and it ia practice against
which young personB of both sexes should be
carefully on their guard But Independently Of
this, swimming and floating are attended With q
certain danger from the difficulty OF preventing
the entrance Of water into the ear in these
positions. Now, no cold fluid should ever enter
the ear cold water is always more or lees lf1~
tating, and, it used for syringlng rapidly pro-
duces giddinegs. In the case OF warm water Its
entrance into the ear is lcss objectionable, but
even this is not free from disadvantage. Often
the water lodges in the aars and produces an M
comfortable sensation till it is removed; this
should always be taken as 9 sign OF danger,
That the risk to hearing from unWlse bathng 10
= 1.+.% %1,.< <n1& ~ jtHYy
lovers Of dogs, that those animals, in the habit
Of Jumping or being thrown into the Tater. 40
their heads are covered, frequently become deal.
knowledge Of the danger ia sufficient guard.
70 be safe it is only necessary to keep e
this cannot be accomplished otherwise, the head
may be c,rered. It should be added, however,
thAt wet hair, whether from bathing or wash
ing, may be cause Of DEAFNESS, II It pc saneraa
to dry by ITSELF Whenever wetted, tho hair
should be wiped till it is fairly dry Nor ought
the practice OF moisteniug the hair NTH water to
make it curl, to pass without remonBtrance. To
81 ,dhg haiz thsm n fhs washing Il
dren, too, care should be- taken that al tho little
folds OF the outer ear are carefully and gently
dried with q soft towel
Probably the most frequent way in which
the ear is impaired is by the attempt to clean it.:
It ought to be understood that tile passage OF
the ear does not require cleaning By u.s.. Natnre
undertakes that task, and, IN the healthy state,
au4s4As ~ Pei tAoeA5. - -.la. =. -
tie ear Is he nax, fernaps me M aeaues naT
never wondered what becomes OF Ire M aa1os
F1 tel HIM araoa up 1n9o LIN tha Ie
40 these pee on onG ~ q9e orca1tbe sa iear,
Of the passage and 1a1i on1 imPescePouy: ieas s.s
tng behind them perfectly a!ean ~ sm0o.n sur
fsce u health me pasaage q sne ea1 !; nfa neIGt
arty put, u ne a..emPt ~ na slsan ~ W. "s - dna.
ny make 30: Ae,e-oy y;,s hnsar sarA b.s y, no
doubt deep Justice At the bottommthe best os3
people. those who love cleannnees, snnes moSs, ,;a
sna goo1 ana cate1oi nutSSa 9Ws,,;nr ~ ~ as-
eme1 negngent ones avoad, tIaazs ~ ~ xes4 U.-
out WITH soap ana We u $50 acaIy .a ~
moist wnen II ougnt " na r3sHas a + aHsorh
G.eases 'ts ananttty u1u a.a - na siua1s ahonnda
ne aast WIN wntcn .aG th;na a. i; ;mt,dncine the
u1 Inc ~ fs tss tn%ti acrewsd M and twisting it
~ & tne s 1'sr- y, r. e.rs thsn iii
nhna tn1s aoes *aaather 9a1 nA Il drives down the
sueI rInH ~ snr.na mch It gets
= tpo4 sne naa 4r1,a donhts th;s nste
So it, Lt any one VINO GoTp's xth sba cryes
1hcl e liz - aas lat Him nit thin mem
hr.na - pusssn5d1 d a1near ta inner snrfaea With
pnhst,n ~ od @ tha and then trv to get
T. ~ ..:tI tow.1i Rnt {his Man doea much