Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1913-11-13
Your Nose.

Ordinarily We regard our own or an
other persons nose from the standpoint
of personal beauty. II the organ is be-
coming one it wins our admiration, and
unless occasion arises We give il no further
thought. A delicious or arepugnaut odor
reminds US at times that We possess
sense OF smell, and cold in the head is
apt to make US wish that there was no
such thing as nose.
Beyond these points, however, we
rarely penetrate, and as rule We fal TO
fully realize what an important part OF the
human anatomy is this most prominent
feature of the face.
No stove or furnace that ever was made
by man can equal in efficiency the human
nose, for the nose, in the space of three
inches and in two seconds of time, can
raise the temperature OF the air il draws
in nearly fifty degrees and at the same
time saturate il with moisture and tho
roughly purify it.
The nose is really one of the most ex-
traordinary organs of the body. It's
nerves are more sensitive than those OF
fingers or ears or eyes. for they can per-
ceive distinctly an almost incredibly min
ute amount of gas so subtle that its pre-
sence can be detected in no other way.
II is also perfect filter and thus the most
important guardian OF the body against
disease.
All air that is breathed into the lungs
should be at temperature of nearly 20
degrees F. II should also be moist, even
wet. Cold, dry air is fine for the outside
OF the body, but has no place in its inter
ior. In heating the air the nose works
on the principle OF steam coil. II is not
merely two tubes leading up into the
head and so down TO the throat, but from
the bones on either side three twisted
bones curl out into the passage, one above
the other, each coated with elastic cush-
ions of blood vessels and tiny glands.
These form coils with great, hot, damp
surface, over which the air spreads as II
is drawn up. Thus is the air warmed for
its entrance TO the lungs.
A furnace maker told the present writer
that any man who could invent an efficient
apparatus for mixing moisture with air in
its passage through hot air furnace could
make fortune, as every device now in
Use is only makeShift and OF very little
real value. The Almighty Maker OF the
human-and the animal-noSe solved the
problem. The entire surface OF the in
side OF the nose is composed Of men,
brane that pours forth fluid called mu-
Gus. This is composed largely of salt
water, which is taken up by the passing
air until this is saturated before il reaches
the throat.
This mucus is also a microbe catcher
and a dust catcher. Almost all the dirt
and germs OF disease that enter with the
air through the nostrils are trapped by
the mucus. The living enemies are kill
ed, for the mucus is antiseptic and germ
icidal. Thus the air is heated, moistened
and purified before it reaches the lungs.
Air breathed in through the mouth is
not warmed, moistened or purified except
to very slight extent. Consequently il
reaches the lungs cold, dry and laden
with dust and disease. Bronchitis, tom
silitis, diphtheria and consumption are the
result.
The mucous membrane Of the nose is
snbject TO diseases such as catarrh. 'cold
in the head" and hay fever. Adenoids
grow in the back OF the nose and stop up
its tubes. A simple and easy operation
will remove the latter, while the former
il taken when they first show themselves
can be cured without difficulty. II neg
lected they may become incurable. Thus
not only do they prevent the necessary
warming, moistening and fllering OF The
air, but they spread and cause many dis
eases OF the throat and lungs and are The
commoneSt cause Of serious and intensely
painful trouble with the ears.