The Wilmington daily Republican., 1902-01-14
Why PEOPLE sNoRs..
4 ecisntiAc Explanation and . Simple
D.. Remedy Given By Ply -
Al sl0ian.

, pears at last to be reosiving the con
|. sideratlon from wakeful sufferers thai
, the helnousness of tho offense merits
1t may not be popularly known that
noring is merely the vibration Of tho
:. velum pendulum palati, but it is no
: less a matter Of interest to q great
many people who either snore Them
selves or are annoyed by snorers, says
: the New York Sum-
A well-known physician was asked
the other day why people snore.
Because they don't shut their
mouths" he said.
! "What is snoring?"
swell, it's common enough" said he:Y
and in an off-hand fashion he explained
that snoring is noise made In the pos
terror part of the mouth and nasal
fossae during the moments Of inspira-
ton.
1t is due to a relaxation Of the leva-
tor palati mollis and the circumflexus
palati in sleep, by which the velum PEN
dulum palati Ia left free to vibrate or
dap in the two currents of air which
enter at the same time through the
nostrls and the mouth.
Besides the vibra tion of the velum
pendulum palati. or soft palate, there
is also vibration of the column of air
fteself. Thus is produced the rasping,
snorting noise so we'll known and 30
unpleasant to everyone within earshot
Of the placid snorer.
The doctor was asked what caused
snoring.
"When a man Is fatigued," he said,
"and his self-control Is unusually re-
laxed in sleep, he is apt to let his lower
Jaw drop down. No man was ever seen
or heard to snore with his mouth shut.
The moral Ia obvious.
"The soft palate flaps like a sheet
in the wind, and the near neighbors Of
the snorting sleeper are correspond
ingly disturbed: Now, the Indians
never snore. They think 1t disgrace.
IAN Indian believes that if he snores
when he is young he will grow up to
be even less handsome at maturity
than nature originally intended. His
vanity, therefore. is enough to make
a savage sleep in proper position"
Another well-known physician up.
town, whose practice has been largely
in cases of affections OF the respira-
tory system. was asked whether snor-
ing is a disease.
Not so much disease as a bad hab-
IT," he said; "but l am frequently
called upon to prescribe for its cure"
"Can it be cured?"
"Easily."
"Why do elderly or corpulent peo.
pie commonly snore"
because their systems are gener-
ally more relaxed in sleep, and their
mouths then fall open. Anyone will be
likely to snore if he sleeps with his
mouth open, and no one will il he
shuts it."
"How can the habit be cured?"
First. yon must give person
chance to breathe through the nose.
and then make him do So II there 10
any obstruction in the nasal passage
That must be removed by treatment.
Then if the snorer cant keep his
mouth shut by force of will, his Jaw
must be tied up
"a harness for the lower law i~
sometimes employed in bad cases of
snoring. A skull cap worn upon the
head serves to hold system of straps
lnder the chin and keep the mouth
shut until the patient can form habit
If sleeping on his side, or with his
lcad sufficiently elevated to hold his
aw."
rs 1t an easy matter TO hold ones
aw when asleep?"
Hardly more difficult than when
wake"
'Why is snoring. then. so common il
is so easily cured?"
"Because catarrhal troubles are 80
ommon, which prevents free inspira-
ion through the nostrilS In sleeping
ars and in hotels one frequently hears
ne resonant snure, because people in
hose places usually go to sleep tire.
ut. An old doctor used to advocate
leepne on the face to guard against
he possibility of snoring"
After all. snorers are more TO be
itlrd than censured. They mean n
arm to any waking mortal