Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1881-07-07
WHY PERSONS sNoRE.


1t may not be generally known that
it is the vibration of the pelu,n pendu-
lam palati which causes snoring, but
it is no less q matter of interest to q
great many people who either snore
themselves or are annoyed by snorers.
DR.. Lewis II. Sayre of Fifth ave.
nue. was asked why people snore.
because they don't shut their
mouths" he said.
"What is snoring?" "-1- nj.
swell, it's common enough?" said
DR.. Ssyre; and in an offhand fashion
he explained that snoring is q noise
made in the posterior part of the
mouth and nasal fossae during the
moments of inspiration. 1t is due to
q relaxation of the levator pala.i mol
us and the circunf f1erus paldti in
sleep, by which the velun pendulum
palati is left free to vibrate or flap in
the two currents of the air which en-
ter at the same time through the nos
trils and the mouth. Besides the vi
bration of the velum pendulum, pdlatt
or soft palate, there is also q ylbra-
ton of the column Of air itself. Thus
produced the rasping, snoring noise
so well known and SO unpleasant to
every one within earshot of the placid
snorer himself. .....
DR.. Sayre was asked what caused
snoring.
"When a man is fatigued," he
saia, ''and his self-control is unusu-
ally relaxed in sleep. he is apt to let
his lower jaw drop down. Ne man
was ever seen or heard TO snore with
his mouth shut. The moral is obvi-
GUS. The soft palate flops like a
sheet in the wind, and the near neigh
bors of the snorting sleeper are cor
respondingly disturbed. Now, the
Indians never snore. They think it
a disgrace. An Indian believes that
If he snores when he is young he will
grow up to be even less handsome at
maturity than nature original intend
ed. His vanity, therefore, is enough
to make a savage sleep in proper
position"
A we'll known physician up town,
who practice has been largely in
cases of affectation of respiratory sys-
TEN, was asked whether snoring is
disease.
'Not so much o disease as bad
habit" he said "but / am frequent
ly called upon to prescribe for its
care"
"Can it be cured?"
Easily"
"Why do elderly or corpuIent peo-
pie commonly snore?'' -4-
"Because their systems are gener-
ally more relaxed in in sleep, and
then their mouths then fall open.
Any one will be likely to snore if he
sleeps with his mouth open, and no
one will if he shuts it,"
"Hcw can the habit be cured?"
"First, you must give a person a
chance to breathe through the nose,
and then make him do 50. If there
is any obstruction in the nasal pas
sage, that must be removed by treat
ment. Then il snorer can't keep
his mouth shut by force of his will,
his jaw must be tied up. A harness
for the lower jaw is sometimes EN-
ployed in bad cases Of snoring. A
skull cap worn upon the head serves
to hold a system of straps under the
chin, and keep the mouth shut until
the patient can form the habit of
, sleeping on his side, or with his head
sufficiently elevated to hold his jaw"
"Is it an easy matter to hold ones $
jaw when asleep?"
"Hardly more so than when
awake" .......
'Why is snoring, then, so conn.,
mon if it is so easily cured?"
"Because catarrhal troubles are So
common, which prevent free inspira-
ton through the nostrils. In sleep
. ing cars and in hotels one frequently
hears the resonant snorc, because
J people in those places usually go to
. sleep tired out. An old doctor used
to advocate sleeping on the face to
guard against the possibility of snor-
ing"