Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-12-20


To the Editor Of The Evening Star:
In these days of wholesale literature
when the secular. ecclesiastical and profess
sional papers and journals represent every
class OF opinion, it is customary for each
ito Skinny on his own side" And this is
right and proper. But now and then some
piece of practical information strays outside
of its proper bounds, and when 1t is admis-
sible of widespread application, it's publica-
ton does good. This is particularly true
when the subject matter deals with a ques-
ton of hygiene or sanitation.
In these modern times of revolution and
evolution there never have been in the his
tory Of this country as many school houses,
as large school houses and as many
scholars. This is a great good. but it is
not altogether unmixed with evil. The archi-
tect has kept pace with the developments
OF the public school system, and the build
ings are flooded with the best light, venti-
lated by the most approved system of draw
ing in fresh air and expelling the bad. and
the plumber has developed the best system
for preserving untainted the breathing air
Of the school rooms, but the ocuiists and
aurists, In spite Of these advantages, are
kept busy attending to the youngsters eyes
and ears. Twenty years ago 1t was a rare
sight to see a kid Of ten or twelve years
wearing glasses-what is more common now I?
This is due in part to the rapid strides made
In the science Of the oculist so that he
now diagnoses trouble unknown twenty
years ago-and by a proper adaptation Of
glasses corrects and often permanently
cures what might, in time, have developed
into an incurable malady, and in the second
place, amongst such number of scholars
as are now attending public schools, with all
the different grades and conditions of phys
ical development, and the sharp COMPETE
ton and emulation for first place. some eyes
must suffer.
But for the ear troubles there Is no ex-
cuse and in the vast majority Of cases no
one to blame but the youngsters themselves
The point OF the lead pencil and the cue
of paper are the sponsors for nine-tenths of
the ear troubles. Many years ago / heard
DR.. Nathan r. Smith CThe Old '.Emperor'')
say that the man who invented the little
pair of tweezers with an ear spud on the end
and carried by many in the vest pocket had
been a curse to mis- race" The habit of
picking at the ear with the spud or the
point Of the pencil infiames the little glands
whose duty it is to secrete the wax and
the more they are infiamed the more wax
they secrete and the more they itch until
finally an abscess is the result or such a
secretion of wax as to seriously interfere
with the hearing and requiring q surgical
operation for its removal The little cue of
twisted paper acts in the same way. 1t is
pleasant to titilate the ear, but the oftener
many cases an absccss will result accom-
panied with great pain and much loss of
time. Sometimes the youngsters will put
a foreign substance in the ear and leave
part of 1t. This can, in most cases be
readily removed, but in other cases It fur
nishes the expert" with a most trying lob
of a half hours duration, and extracts a $40
fee from the paternal pocketbook The
practical lesson from all this talk, is for the
children to keep fingers away from the ears.
and not only from the ears, but from the
eyes, nose and mouth. The clause in the
catechism which says land our fingers from
picking and stealing can be applied to
this habit Of picking at the ears, nose and
eyes. The fingers are not made to monkey
with the features-they are poisonous when
applied to such purposes, they inflame the
organs that they touch. Keep your fingers
away from yourselves and employ them
about your features only in making the
legitimate toilet. This is very much a habit.
and habit Of imitation; IT will require only
a mite of resolution for the child who has
contracted a way of putting the point of
the pencil into the ear to stop 1t, and If he
sees a ''pard' doing 1t. remind him of IT.
If our boys and girls will remember the
warning of this paper, they will be saved
much trouble, they will notice an improve
ment in their features, will have a happier
Christmas, and / am certain they will, in
the future, have brighter and roster
NEW YEARS.