The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1902-05-03
is YAwNING CONTAGIOUS.

| Wnat happens.
The man who had unlimbered his
jaws was sitting with three or four
hundred others in a stufy little
church where a masculine looking fe-
male severely clothed in black was
holding forth on the subject of "The
Prodisposition of the Fijiian Toward
the Softening Influences of Christian
ity." The talk was dreary and wear
isome enough, but hardly so depress-
ing as to account for the maxillary
manifestations that followed the ini-
tial yawn.
One by one gloved hands went
lazily up all over the house to cover
the undue display of dental furniture.
Dozens of bored listeners to the right
and left of the man who first spread
his jaws sought relief in good, wide,
satisfying yawns. Dozens more in
front and behind the pioneer yawned
broadly one after another. In few
minutes the epidemic died away as
quickly as it came.
"Did you observe all that and catch
on to what was driving at?" said
the philosopher in odds and ends.
"Perhaps you didn't see the connec-
ton, but it is a fact that everybody
in the room yawned for no other rea-
son in the world than because the
first man did. l won't attempt to
explain the mental or physical phe-
.nomenon of the reason why yawns
are as contagious as cholera, but it
nevertheless is true.
cts funny thing as well as Gu
rious, but anybody who happens to
think to watch people around him
may see the same yawning epidemic
follow single facial stretch. I don't
know what causes it dare say you
know more about it than l do, and /
never heard of a doctor who could
explain it. The single and singular
fact remains that whenever two or
more persons are together and one of
them yawns unconsciously or with
intent all the others in the party will
follow suit without knowing what
they are doing. say the first yawn-
er need not do it unconsciously, if he
wishes in the interest of science to
test the working of the phenomena.
II was on a North Side street car
the other day with friend when 1
happened to think of this very thing.
I turned to my companion, and, for
want of better subject to gossip
about, told him pretty much what
am telling you.' He scofed at the
idea, said l must have been carried
away by a coincidence or even by
what Edward Everett Hale calls a
coincidence of the third order > but
l knew 1 was right. To prove the
thing, tried a practical demonstra-
L1Ou. 1GUw, Se1u W n1nI, wdISlI
what follows
"There were about twenty people
in the car, men and women, going
home in the evening. 1 didn't know
soul of the lot. l Iclapped my hands
quickly and loudly, and then when
everybody in the car stared at me to
ascertain the reason for the unusual
noise, I put my hand to my mouth
and 'gaped, as they call it in the
rural districts, widely and ostenta-
tiously. Nothing happened for about
a minute, and l was beginning to
fear that my theories were no good
when naughty woman in the corner
of the car saved the day. She yawn-
ed so that I had a splendid view of
her esophagus before she got her
hand to her face to hide the display.
The day was saved, for in another
minute three-fourths of the people
in the car were concealing yawns.
My friend was forced to admit that il
looked queer.
II know a mean-spirited man who
ruined an oratorical effort one night
by starting an epidemic of jaw-stretch-
ing. This person went on one oc-
casion to hear speaker for whom be
had a particular dislike. The man
who was to talk was very vain as
we'll as very brilliant, and kept close
watch on his audience to see how
they were touched by his silvery
eloquencc. He was of the sort that
encouragement spurs and the slight
est Encouragement casts down utter
ly for the time being. Well, this
mean spirited man in the midst of the
orators most brilliant flow of words
leaned back in his chair and yawned
SO that everybody in the house coulC
see him. l give you my word thai
that that yawned killed the speech
People all over the house commenced
to show their teeth, and the astonish
ed speaker for FIVE minutes stared
with growing modification down into
the faces of an audience that wa
manifesting every symptom of ex
treme boredom. He was so fustra
ted and broken up that he lost th'
train of his thought aud began t
ramble all around Robin Hood
barn. Finally he brought the i'll
starred effort to close, limping ant
lame; and there was not a han'
raised to applaud him. I have tha
story on excellent authority.
"The phenomenon affects men, wo
men and children alike. That mucl
1 have gathered from close observa
ton. Just how it influences fool
and drunken persons / have as ye
had little opportunity to observe, bu
1 am inclined to think that in the cas-
of the former class it will work the
same. Anyway, make a few obser
vations for yourself and try to solv
the problem. ."-kndianGb0lis /on'naI
IN DESCRIBING his early struggle
to establish practice the doctor hat
just said:
"I used to sit in my Office day afte
day waiting for patients. In fact,
l used to sit like Patience on Monu
ment.' ,"
: tAnd now," remarked his assocl