Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1889-07-29
GUM AND EYE-slcHT.
A Sad Stato Of Affairs That IL Growing
More PREVALENT Every Day.

A prominent physician-name not
given-has Eecn interviewed on the
subject OF chewing gum; and it seems
that the pernicious habit is hurrying
great many Of US to untimely and
unwishedfor graves. Tho penny cud
of gum, it appears. partakcs largely
of the character of tho weli-knoWn
upas tree. TO chow gum and climb
upas tree looking for vampires nests
are about equally hazardous.
Tho pursuit Of happiness via the
gum route produces chronic dyspepsia
and wrinkles. Tho doctor merely
mentions this in passing. These things
are nothing. 1t also has u tendency to
encourage tho idlo habits Of a
naturally too casy-going liver; but this
is far from being tho worst. 1t ruins
tho oyc-sight-that's what gum-chew-
ing does. Says tho doctor:
The muscles OF tho jaw connect with the
spinc, Had from tho splae there arc little
hDrous tissues running IN all directions. A
number OF these extend to the eyes and are
chllod the optic nerves. Now, il you will
watch person eating you will notice palli-
tation OF tie temples when tho lower jaw
moves up and DOM il the process OF mastica-
optic nerves, Which keep lilo inner part or tho
cyu In TotioL. and eNerc sc the nerves as much
us IS needed to keep them IN u Healthy cCn-
dition. Those nerves arc moro tender and sen.
S!t.Ho to dSgr~ than ylu would imagine.
When they are ovcrToriGd they become
shrun,ica and c3fcebcd, u~d Then the proccss
OF dctcriorat Oh in the cyc-siyht big ms. or
course tie shrinking Of tho nerve draws the
eye back into the socket, and as is connected
by slender threads OF tissue TO tie pupil of the
i.t. ffn.,
qucnce is that the eye becomes weak and
loses lis color; it becomes IN unlatur.. Hook.
ing gray. ANA the vision Is SD much mpa rcd
by t tat Eyeglasses must be rcsortcd to-
This is really considerably worse
than great many persons had sup
posed. Some Of us had thought to toy
with tho gum habit and retain our
oversight. Wo had fondly supposed
that wo could chow spruce gum and,
though our stomachs fell by the way
5ido and our livcrs contracted habits
Of idlcncSs, that VIC could hope to keep
our eyes. 1t scolns, however, that the
doctor had arranged it otherwise.
To persons unacqUaintcd with man
rs constructed by this doctor the con-
ncction between q slight and gentlo
movement of tho lower jaw and the
permanent injury of tho organs of
sight is not apparent. But it is little
that these persons know about how
The muscles of tho jaw run around to
tho back of tho neck where they are
attached to the spinal column; how
little fibrous Tissues called optic
nerves run. from tho spine to the eyos;
how. when tho jaw moves, from some
unaccountablo reason these optic
nerves load tho eyes around for exer-
else, rs we may put it. Gum-chewers
may have long had an idea that their
optic nerves wore sensitive to q dc.
gree, and some may have had q suffi-
cient Knowledge Of anatomy to suspect
that there was a more or less close
connection between tho 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 q
great many. '.
There is another trouble which we
desire to speak Of 1t does not affect
gum-chewers, but confines its attacks
to somo prominent physicians. Tho
"HbSSlSo vi tIic a. CONNECT Win the
spine. AS has already boon shown,
the muscles Of the lower jaw are at
tached to the sumo member. These
are librous tissues running from the
spine to the brain. Now, If you will
watch 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 a re-
porter comes in no Immediately be-
gins to exercise his lower jaw; there
by ovcrworking both the muscles of
his arms and jaws. This causes the
nerves extending from tho spine TO the
region OF common-sense to become ex-
cited. md the consequences is that that
part of tho brain becomes weak, and
its usefulness is SO much impaired that
tho victim of tho terrible habit finally
becomes 81 crank on tho subject Of
bea tn. 1t Is sad state OF affairs and
growing more prevalent every day.--
n. Y. Tribune. .