Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1889-03-09
CUM AND EYE-sloHT.
| A Sad state of Affairs That Is GROWING
More Prevalent Every Day.

A Sad state of Affairs That is GROWING
More Prevalent Every Day.
A prominent physician-name not
piven-has been interviewed on the
subject of chewing gum; and it seems
that the pernicious habit is hurrying
a great many of us to untimely ana
unwished-for graves. The penny cud
of gum, it appears, partakes largely
of the character of the well-known
upas tree. To chew gum and climb a
upas tree looking for vampires nests
are about equally hazarlol'.
The pursuit of happiness via the
gum route produces chronic dyspepsia
and wrinkles. The doctor merely
mentions this in passing. These things
are nothing. 1t also has tendency to
encourage the idle habits OF a
natural too easy-going liver; but this
is far from being the worst. 1t ruins
the eye-sight-that's what gum-chew-
inc does SAYS the doctor:
The muscles OF the jaw connect with the
spine. and from the SPINE there are little
librous tissues running in all d rections.
number OF these extend to the eyes and are
called the optic nerves. Now, If you VIII
watch person eating you will notice palpl-
tation of tie temples when the lower jaw
moves up and down in the process OF mastica-
zion. This IS caused by the working of the
optic nerves, which keep the inner part OF the
eye in motion and eXerc 5 the nerves as much
as is needed TO keep them IN a healthy cen
dition. These nerves are more tender and sem
sit We to a d9gr-e than you would imagine.
When they are overworked they become
shrunllen and enfeebled and then the process
of detcriorat on in the eye-sight beg rs OF
course the shrinking of the nerve draws the
eve back into the socket. and as 1t is connected
by slender threads Of tissue TO the pupil of the
eve this also becomes affected. The conse-
quence is that the eye becomes weak and
loses lis color; it becomes unnaturdl-looS-
ing gray. and the sion is so much impa red
by ttnat eyeglasses must be resorted to-"
This is really considerably worse
than great many persons had sup
posed. Some of us had thought to toy
with the gum habit and retain our
oye-5ight. We had fondly supposed
that we could chew spruce gum and,
though our stOmachs fell by the way
side and our livers contracted habits
of idlene5s, that we coulC hope to keep
our eyes. 1t seems, however, that the
doctor had arranged it otherwise.
TO persons unacquainted with man
as constructed by this doctor the con-
nection between a slight and gentle
movement of the lower jaw and the
permanent injury of the organs of
sight is not apparent. But it is little
that these persons know about how
the muscles of the jaw run around to
the back of the neck where they are
attached to the spinal column; how
little fbrOus tissues called optic
nerves run from the spine to the eyes;
how when the jaw moves, from some
unaccountable reason these optic
nerves lead the eyes around for eXer-
else, as we may put it. Gum-chewers
may have long had an idea that their
optic nerves were sensitive to a de-
gree, and some may have had d sutfi-
cient knowledge of anatomy to suspect
that there was a more or less close
connection between the eye and the
pupil of the eye. as the doctor init
mates; but to learn that as the jaw is
moved the eye declines will astOnish a
great many.
There is another trouble which we
desire to speak of. 1t does not affect
gum ewers, but confines its attacks
to some prominent physicians. The
mus Giles of the arms connect with the
spine As has already been shown,
the muscles of the lower jaw are at
tached to the same member. These
are fbr0u5 tissues running from the
spine to the brain. Now, if you will
watch a physician like our friend you
will notice that he is constantly hold
ing musty old medical work up be-
fore his eyes and reading; and if Il re-
porter comes in he Immediately be-
Gins to exercise his lower jaw; there
by overworking both the muscles of
his arms and jaws. This causes the
nerves extending from the spine to the
re giOn of commOn-Sense to become eX-
cited, and the consequence is that that
part OF the brain becomes weak, and
It's use illness is so much impaired that
the victim of the terrible habit finally
becomes a crank on the subject Of
hca tn. 1t is a sad state of affairs and
growing more prevalent every day
n. Y. Tribune.