The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-03-03

tons blocking the various passages. For
this reason, at the beginning of an at
tack of sore throat, a series of success
siye gapes will often remove, or relieve,
at least, various pains, principally those
Of the ear. Many persons subject to
affections of the throat have learned by
experience or instinctively that frequent
gaping will often check the disease and
cause acute symptoms to disappear.
Signing is often a symptom of dis
ease, but not always 50. Other things
being equal, nervous persons sigh more
than others. and it is a sign of nervous
exhaustion Of excitement in such eases
1t is in fact, a degree of unconscious
ness, so to speak, in which the person
forgets to breath, and an extra breath
has to be taken, after a certain interval,
to make up for the lack of fresh air in
hailed. In other cases signing is sign
Of mental perturbation, excessive worry
and physical exhaustion. Signing is not,
however, always insignificant as a symp-
tom Of disease. In certain diseases it is
an important factor. In certain forms Of
heart disease, for example, signing usu-
ally portends a fatal termination, from
~heart failure. but it may continue many
hours and even for months; signing also
occurs in meningitis and in certain forms
any state of deep Inconsistencies.
Snoring is not usually considered a
sign of disease; it is usually looked upon
as disagreeable habit, and may be
stopped by changing the position in bed
to one on the side instead of on the back.
1t is due, in such cases, to an accumula-
ton Of mucus in the throat or TO the re-
Taxation Of the tissues so that they form
a sort of reed, the folds vibrating at each
breath Even in these cases it is often
symptomatic of chronic catarrh, but when
a person is stricken with Inconsistencies
the face is flushed and the breathing is
snoring or stertorous, as it is called, it
is evident that that person has been
stricken with apoplexy. So snoring may
occur in other diseases, due to inflamTna-
ton Of the respiratory organs or pas
Sages owing to the swollen condition or
the collection Of mucous and other secre-
lions.
Shutting is not always a sign OF dis
ease. Certain persons are afflicted with
a nervous irritability which causes them
to snuff when there is no need of it, and
the more excited or i'll at ease they may
be the more they snuff. On the other
hand, snufhng is usually a sign OF in
hanmation of the nasal membranes, at
tended with unusual secretion usually
because the diSease-bearing matter may
be snuffed up into the cells with which
the frontal portion Of the skull is filed
and cause Inflammation there, from
which suppuration may extend by So
called contiguity Of tissue until it may
reach the brain and cause meningitis.
On the other hand, snuf1ing up the Sc
cretions may cause throat or lung
trouble, the mucus OF pus being carried
back through the nose to the throat.
1T is therefore necessary to blow the
nose frequently when the nose runs
and 1t also is a good idea to use paper
napkins for this purpose, not only to
save laundry bills, but to prevent the
transmission of disease to others
If the nose is not blown when necessary
and the secretions are snufeed I'D, they
often drop into the back of the throat
and cause cough by irritation, and this
choking cough Is called hawking It is
not always a sign Of disease. It may be
a nervous habit, occurring especially In
persons who are Ill at ease in the pres
ence Of strangers or In COMPANY
Some public speakers, too, are thus af-
hicted. although they may be fluent talk
ers In private and others manifest q
type OF hawking In hesitation, prefacing
each remark with an ssere' On the other
hand, hawking may be due to the rails
ing of secretions from the lungs or wind
pipe, and In such cases it Is q necessary