The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1906-05-29
SNEEZING AND OMENS
euPERsTITIoNe THAT ARE AZ OLD As
the HILLS.

the HILLS.
With Some Folks 1t In n Coed Sign
to sneeze After Noon and q Bad
Sign to snee.e Before Noon-A
sneeze That Moved an Army.
Such a common everyday thing as
sneezing Is not supposed to be rife
with any special importance or mys-
terry. yet 1t is interesting to discover
how many omens and superstitions of
olden times were connected with 1t.
Superstition, that unknown, mysteri-
GUS fear which controls us In spite Of
our reason, clings to and directs US In
even the most common acts of Life.
How many there are Of us, clear head
ed and practical though we may con-
slider ourselves, who do not connect
some pet superstition with simple
events, as the breaking of a mirror, the
burning Of an ear, the finding Of
horseshoe or four leaf clover or the
splitting Of salt! And many q mother
would rather her baby had the Group
than have him look In the glass before
he is year old or sneeze at an I'M
lucky season. And In connection with
sneezing alone there are more super
stitions than are generally realized
This is simple act in itself and
seemingly would give very little cause
for superstition. According to a popu
lar definition, ''sneezing is a natural
respiratory movement, interrupted by
a strong exploratory effort, expelling
the afr through the nose with more or
less noise" This action may be brought
on by the Inhalation of dust, pungent
yapors or by the simple inspiration of
air when the membrane Is diseased or
In an irritable condition, as in the case
Of cold. There Is also a spot in the
head the touching of which will cause
sneezing In many people. BARRIERS are
aware Of this fact, as their gentle ma
nipulations are often greeted with q
round Of sneezes. This Is supposed to
be caused by the touching Of q small
and extremely sensitive nerve which
runs from the top of the head to the
nostril and Is much more sensitive
with some than with others.
Sneezing is now considered q favor
able and healthful action and Ia court
cd By people who believe In its efficacy
by looking intently at the sun until the
desired action occurs. Consumptives
are said never to sneeze, and many an
unfortunate victim of this disease
gauges the probability of his recovery
by this standard
The old custom Of saying "God bless
your when a sneeze Is heard Ia Of an
tai countries. In the time of st. Greg
DRY the Great at certain season the
air was filed with an unwholesome
vapor or malaria, which so affected
the people that those who sneezed
were at once stricken with death
agonies. In this strait the pontih 10
said to have devised a form of prayer
to be uttered when the paroxysm was
seen to be coming on and which, 1t
was hoped, would avert the stroke of
the death angel.
Sneezing is mentioned In works of
mythology, and it Is said that the first
sign Of life given by the cunningly
wrought image Of Prometheus was q
lusty sneeze. Aristotle, In writing of
this subject, says that those who
thought the seat OF the soul to be in
the brain looked upon sneexing as
lone of the most sensible and manifest
operations of the brain"
In ancient books we find many refer
ences to This act, as In the Odyssey"
where the sneezing Of Telemachus IL
accepted as a pleasing confirmation Of
the words Of his mother just at q
time when she Is denouncing the riot
GUS gormandizing suitors and praiaing
the valor of Ulysses:
aloud.
Constrained, his nostril echoed through
the crowd.
The smiling queen the happy omen bless
Cd.
so may these impious fall By fate op
pressedi'
Great results often grow from small
acts, an example of which Ia seen in
the time when the fate of the whole
Greek army was decided by SO COM
mon and natural an occurrence as the
sneeze Of a soldier. While Xenophon
was delivering his famous address to
the army, urging his companions to be
firm and bold, and while they were I'M
decided as to whether resistance or re-
treat were the better part a sounding
sneeze was heard down the ranks.
or koG %nv 80
and all superfuous accouterments
burned, and that retreat, since SO ia
nous, with all Its hardships and dan
gers, was begun.
An old proverb says, 1.-TWO or three
sneezes be wholesome" and there Ia
a proverb to the effect that when q
patient has sneezed three times he may
be discharged from the hospital.
Even where sneezing Is considered q
favorable omen the time of day 10
sometimes thought to determine ita
good or Ill effect, as a sneeze which
takes place from noon to midnight Ia
thought to be suspicious, while one oc.
curing from midnight to noon Ia quit
otherwise. Among the many supersti
etOAc SOASokAiAS uchtu VIC nave Que ID
regard to this act. Thus If one sneezs
for three successive nights 1t Ia accept.
cd as token that a death will take
place in the family or that some other
dire calamity win befall them.
It would certainly be more sensible
for intelligent people to take the com.
mon sense view Of the subject and looh
upon this sneezing simply as a "sign"
that we are catching cold and an Q
warning" to move out of draft. Yet
many will cling to these other ''Hignsr
and warnings" Of the superstitious.-
Blackwood's Magazine.
A bad Case.
The 6hpendiary-Can't you and your
husband live together without fight
ingf Mrs. Mulcahy-No. yer amer
not bapnflv 0nd0n T4f-Rifc