Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1889-12-18
GUM AND EYE-SlGHT.
A Sad State of Affairs That Is Growing
More Prevalent Every Day.


A prominent physician-name not
given-has been interviewed on the
subject of chewing gum; and it seems
that the pernicious habit is hurrying
great many of us to untimely and
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 fer vampires nests
are about equally hazardous.
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
naturally too easy-going liver; but this
is far from being the worst. 1t ruins
the eye-sight-that' what gum-chew-
ing does. Says the doctor:
"The muscles OF the jaw connect with TIE
spine, and from the splne there are little
ibrous tissues running in all directions.
number of these extend to the eyes and are
called the optic nerves. Now, ii you will
watch person eating you will notice palpi-
tation of the temples when the lower jaw
moves up and down in the process Of mastica-
| tion. This IS caused by the working OF the
optic nerves, which keep the inner part OF tae
eye in motioL and exerc Sc the nerves as much
rs Is needed to keep them IN a healthy con-
Hilton. These nerves are more tender and SEN
5.t.ye to a degree than you would imagine.
when they are oVofEefao9 they Become
shrunien and enfeebled, and then the process
OF detericrat on in the eye-sight begins. OF
course tie shrinking OF tho nerve draws tie
eye back into the socket and a5 it's connected
by slender threads CT tissue to The pupil Of the
eye tins also becomes affected. The ccnse-
Quenee is that the eye becomes weak AMI
Loses its color; it becomes an unnatural-look-
.ng gray. and the vision is much impaired
by It tlat Eyeglasses must be rosorted to-"
This is really considerably worse
than q great many persons had sup
posed. Some of Us had thought to toy
with tho gum habit aad retain our
aye-sight. We had fondly supposed
chat we could chew spruce gum and,
though our stomacAs fell by the way
.ide and our livers contracted habits
II idlcnc5s. that we could hope to keep
>ar eyes II seems, however, that the
lortor had arranged it otherwise
To persons unacquainted with man
rs constructed by this doctor the con-
ncctioa between slight and gentle
movement Of the lower jaw and the
permanent injury Of the organs OF
jight is not apparent. But it is little
hat these persons know about how
ae muscles OF the jaw run around to
he back OF the neck whore they are
attached to the spinal column; how
ittlo fbrous tissues called optic
nerves run from the spine to the eyes;
log. when the jaw moves, from some
anaccountablo reason these Optic
nerves lead the eyes around for exer-
| else, o. VIC may put it. G1m-ehewers
may have long lad an idea that their
optic nerves were sensitive to Dc
gree. and somo may have had aul1i-
Cent knowledge Of anatomy to suspect
hat taero was q more or less close
connection between the eye and the
pupil of the eye, as the doctor inti-
mates; but to learn that as the jaw is
moved the eye declines viii astonish
great many
There is another trouble which we
desire to speak cf. 1t does not affect
gum-ehewers, but confines It's attacks
to some prominent rhy8iciens. The
muscles OF the arms connect With the
spine, AS has already been shown,
he muscles oil the lower Jaw pre- al
achcd to the satne member These
are Rbrous tissues running from the
spine to tho brain. Nov, if you vii
watch u physieiae li,so our friend ycH
s-i!l notice thab he IS constantly hold
ing musty old medical work up be-
lore his eyes and reading; and Il re-
porter comes in be Immediately b.
gins to exercise his love- jaw; tbers-
by ovcrworl1ing both the muscles OF
his arms and jaws This canses the
nerves extending from the spine TO tho
region OF commDn-sense t. become eK-
cited, and the consequence Il thdt that
part OF the brain becomes weak, and
its usefulness is 30 much irnra.red that
he victim of the terrible habit finally
| becomes a crank on the subject of
health. 1t is q sad state of affairs and
growing moro prevalent every day
n, Y Tribune,