The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1889-07-25
CONCERNING THE EARS.
Common Habits which Frequently
Injure Them.
Methods to Pursue When Symptoms OF
Disease Appear-Danger From Picking
the Ears and the Indiscriminate
Use of Favorite Remedies.

Inc cars arc 81 OllOu SupISCb 10 us
ease, especially in early life, that peo-
pie should know more of them than
they now generally do. A little, but
not much, can be said about the care
they need. The real apparatus of hear
ing is, fortunately, SO well constructed,
and SO well protected in its situation,
1t does very well, as a rule, under the
F'let alone treatment.
Anatomists have divided the ear into
three parts. A description of two is
comparatively easy, but the other is
too difficult to undertake. The drum
Of the ear is the dividing line between
the external and the so-called middle
ear. The drum lies about an inch and
aquarter within the passage. Beyond
the drum is the actual hearing appa-
ratus. The outermost part of the ex-
ternal ear is trumpet-shaped so as to
receive and collect sounds from all
quarters. The middle ear, lying back
OF the drum, is a small cavity which
communicates with deep caverns, which
are also part of the hearing appa-
ratus. The middle ear also communi-
Gates with the upper part of the throat
properly the pharynx-by narrow
passage called the eustachian tube.
Hence it will be seen that but for the
drum of the ear there would be one
continuous passage from the outer ear
TO the throat. Patients who have suf-
fered perforation of the drum will very
readily appreciate this fact, for in
blowing the nose the air escapes
through the ear with a whistling sound.
The eustachian tube plays several i'm
portant parts. We're it not for that the
drum. owing to the absence of air on
one side, would not vibrate, and the
hearing power, while not necessarily
wholly destroyed, would be very much
impaired.
Although the drum of the ear lies
an inch and quarter within the pas
sageit is very often injured, and, in fact,
destroyed by the wanton carelessness
in picking the ears. An instrument
quite often used for that purpose is the
hair-pin. In picking the ears possible
injury to the drum is by no means the
only danger to be apprehended. The
lining OF the ear passage is quite SEN
sitive to irritation. 1t requires but
very little rubbing or scratching to in
name 1t, and even if that irritation be
limited to the outermost part of the
passage. as it is where only the finger
Is used, there is a decided tendency
Tor the trouble caused to extend up to
and involve the drum. Many people
must have noticed that after even gen.
sly picking the ear there soon was felt
IN uncomfortable sense of fullness deep
within, giving evidence of an extension
oi the irritation. Picking the ear, even
II limited to the outer part of it, also
gives rise to small abscesses, which
are exceedingly painful and slow to
disappear. There is naturally always
9 small amount of wax in the ears.
feople generally think that they should
remove that from time to time, and for
tne purpose a variety of ear spoons
nave been constructed. 1t is true that
there are occasional cases where the
wax accumulates to such an extent it
threatens to fill up the passage. But
mat condition of things is scarcely
eVer noted in healthy ear. Nature
mas made such provisions that the wax
= properly disposed of if it is not med
aied with. The glands which secrete
is.are on the upper wall of the passage,
which has just sufficient ''pitch'' to let
~ roll out If one knows the fact he
heeo not try to aid nature in
semoving the wax, for in SO doing
le VIII most probably defeat her plans
oy pushing it far within, where the
moor OF the canal slopes in the oppo-
sue !. direction. That done, the wax is
naoie to remain there until picked out,
3 u some other way removed. It is
generally the rule that where one is
OAcetui to keep the ear free of wax, its
secretion is very greatly increased in