West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1886-07-02
sELF.oevouRlNe cAnnleALs S.
Persons Who Are Addicted to the Per
nlcious Habit OF Nail Biting.

Persons who Are Addicted to the Fer
nlcious Habit OF Nail biting.
"Few habits are moro disgusting
than biting the fihgcr-uails," said "A
wcll-known doctor, vet there are few
moro common. The habit is not only
Slovenly but downright vulgar. The
nails which are kept trimmed with the
teeth arc in themselves an indication Of
shiftlessncSs. They are always cropped
clear down to the quick, and the finger
tips present n spongy. shapeleSs ap-
pearance that Is enough To spoil ono's =
appetite and make the nail-b bitter an OBJ
iect OF contempt forever
But, unsightly as are nails so mu-
iilated, and unpleasant as are the
thoughts To which they give rise in
those of clcanly and careful personal
habits. there are infinitely more dis
guSting features i'm the practice.
The person who bites his or her
hnger-nails Is nothing less than self
devouring cannibal
Have the school-msses that smell
of bread -and-butter and are SO prone
To this habit ever thought of thatP Has
II ever occurred to the puttv-patcd
dudes that nip at their fingcr-cnds in
public places as ailcctionatey as they
suck their canc-hcadsP
Particles OF flesh are necessarily
bit of and chcwed with the pieces Of
nail, which are turned over like succu-
lent tid-bitS in the mouth Of the nail
bitter; and the process presents the
spectacle of p human creature actually
feeding on minute morsels OF its own
anatomy. This is the revolving fact.
What sight more sickening To sense
of dclicacy or the vaguest pretension
TO rciinCmcntP
There is another side TO this filthy
practice. The nails are recoptaoies for
dirt of every sort. This dirt is taken
into the mouth with the fragments of
nail and pieces of flesh. The frag-
ments of nail while revolved between
the teeth are so thoroughly cleansed
by the action of the saliva that when
spat out they are as white as snow
What becomes of the pasty dirt that
accumulates under the nailsp IL is
swallowed!
watch any doctor when perform
ing his everyday ablutions. He never
washes his face in the same water that
has been used TO wash his hands II
all convenienceS are not 20 be had he
cleanscs his hands and allows his face
to wait for its bath; or he bathes
both hands and face i'm "A running
stream from the faucet No matter
what the circumstances, he always
thoroughly washes and dries his hands
before he permits them to apply the
water To his face He goes through
this operation with the utmost care un-
der the fn0st ordinary circumstances
WhyP Because he knows that the
hands, which are the most exposed
portions of the body, come i'm contact
with the greatest number of surfaces.
and contract in a few hours different
kinds of dirt in endless variety. He
knows, too, that poisons can be trans
mitted under the iinger-nails, and his
professional experience has taught him
that virus of the most deadly kind Is
frequently transmitted by the simple
custom Of hand. shaking. He has too
much respect for his face To allow his
hands TO commune with il i'm the most
casual way unless they are absolutely
clean.
"The thought OF swallowing the ac-
cumulated filth that lodges under fin
ger-nails-an actual daily performance
with the nail bitter viii almost turn
the stomach of doctor who has lived
half his life in dissecting rooms, and
performed an amputation every day
for twenty years. VI Detroit Tribune.