The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1890-03-22
PHILOSOPHY OF SNEEZING.
A Short Chapter Upon the Convulsion of
the Nasal Organs.

tht oFEhhNs
A witty Frenchman of the last century
based an attack upon the snuff-box
on the ground that it was mainly re-
sponsible for the decay of that ancient
form of politeness, the custom of bless
ing person after sneezing. He con-
tended that it was sacrilegious to bless
a sneeZer who had coerced nature into
the performance of one of her most in
yigorating functions, and that the beni-
son was no longer in any degree the
same thing. We, however, who know
that the dethronement of the snutf-box
led to no actual revival of the benedic-
tory fashion, may appeal to science to
throw light upon one of the most an
cient forms of innocent superstition.
According to Rabbinical legend, sneez-
| ing, as habit, is only referable to the
time of Jacob. Before patriarchal days
no man sneezed more than once; for the
sufficient reason that the shock was in
yariably fatal. At Jacobs intercession
this law was abrogated, but only on con-
dition that all races of men should
henceforth employ fit words of congrat
ulation for the sneezer's happy deliver
ance. Whatever it's origin-and it may
be doubted if it ever had particular or
local starting point-the practice has,
without doubt, been derived by the
Christian world from the times of heath
enism. Polydore Virgil AYERS that it
took it's rise at the time Of the plague
in 55S, when the infected fell down dead
sneezing, though apparently in good
health. The Romans certainly made
oblations to the genius of sneezing; but
Catullas treats the infliction with gay
ETY., as we find from the lines in Cow
| ley's translation:
| Cupid, ticklcd at the sound
| Sneezcl aloud, and all around
The little Loves that waited by,
| Bow'd and blessd the augury."
1t is clear, however, that the Romans
simply followed an established Greek
custom. Centuries before, Aristotle had
given his own account of the omen, and
was so far refined in his explanations as
to tell his readers why sneezing from
noon to midnight was good, and from
night to noon unlucky. 1t would be
fruitless to inquire through what chan
| mel the practice came to the Greeks,
! for traces OF its existence are TO be
found not only in the widely contrasted
civilizations of antiquity, but even among
the barbarous tribss of every quarter of
the globe. Before Greece was a nation,
the sneezer was blessed alike in the
Ozark Continent" and beyond the Gam
ges. The ineifabie Buddha himself once
sneezed, whereupon ali his priests ex-
claimed, "AIay the welcome one live"
JBuddha, however, took them severely
to task, and the rigb6 to say May you
live, sir" to a Buddhist priest is still a
fruitful subject of popular contention.
Although sneezing is "A purely inyolun-
tary act. it is possible in some measure
to guard against its attacks. In the case
of a fully developed cold, tho sufferer
must necessarily submit to the iniiic.
tion; but, as to the sneeze casual, 1T
would appear to have influence only in
listless or weakened condition of the
bodily powers People seldom sneeze
when their faculties are in full tension.
Great nervous excitement will hardly
admit of the relaxation OF q sneeze.
Hence we often find church, ball or a
theater filled with an audience ready to
indulge on the smallest provocation.
They are in the passive and recipient
mood On tho other hand, strong
nervous concentration possesses the
preacher, lecturer or actor. His facul.
/ ties are girded up for tho feat before
him, and he can at least temporarily
defy the draughts that make martyrs OF
some Of his hearers. Graphic