Evening star., 1945-02-24
This and That
By Charles E. TrdceiUeN.
EIGHTH STREET SW

Dear Sir:
Popcorn, first: 1t is not necessary
to thumb off the first ear.
Just take two ears of popcorn. heel
OF one away from thumb in right hand
heel OF other away from thumb in left
hand. as you grasp them, and starting
at heel of both ears, make one rub the
other either making a groove of two
or three rows, or rotating the ears and
cleaning each cob as you 20.
improving on the Old Masters saw
ing, Now you have cob,' Just save a
cob from any former popping-or she'll
lng-and use 1t instead of the thumbs.
Now, how to control sneezing: Can't
be done, entirely, but to modify its
effects, instead of drawing great
breath and blowing out all the lights,
just blow your breath the other way
out-and you will be surprised at what
ladylike little sneeze will come, even
IN church, and pretty soon, not for
getting to blow out when your nose
itches for a sneeze, you will not want
to sneeze any more.
Prizes have been awarded for less
than this!
Your friend and enjoyer, G. G. W."
Fortunately there has not been as
much sneezing this winter as last, ex-
plain it as you will.
Cooler public buildings and trans
portation would result in fewer fits Of
sneezing and coughing, but as far as
we can tell there is as much heat as
ever.
Many person has discovered to his
own astonishment, that cooler homes
during the past few winters have re-
suited in fewer common colds.
Nasal passages have been clearer,
and throats less scratchy
This comes about, of course. because
man is naturally an outdoor animal,
and cooler homes approach the out
doors, at least in temperature.
Too dry air, as comes when the tenn
perature is over 10 degrees, demands
an amount of moisture in the air, for
freer breathing, which most homes find
1t impossible to supply.
The same result can be attained by
keeping the air cooler. The less heat,
the less moisture demanded.
AS for sitting Sneezes at their source.
the nose, it can be done in a variety
OF ways, but all of them demand prior
mental condition, that is, a genuine
desire not to sneeze.
This, unfortunately, is still a COM
paratively rare state of mind.
Despite all the annual loss and misery
due to colds. both simple and COM
pound, and the plain and common OBJ
servation that colds may be given by
RI
even in the year 1945, seem to worry
their heads about sneezing.
They go right ahead. sneezing and
coughing on others, often without any
attempt on their part even to cover
their mouth with the hand or hand
kerchief.
It may be believed that when the
bulk of the population comes to the
personal idea that they ought to re-
frain from sneezing as much as they
can, the incidence of respirational dis
eases will be cut to very low figure,
at least in comparison with the present
state of affairs.
We asked very intelligent person
If she had any ideas as to the common
cold, and she replied, Plenty of them,
and all profane" When asked to ex-
plain this statement, she said that
there was nothing good to be said for
colds, coughs and so on.
People, as group, do not like colds,
and suffer much from them Industry
and all the good 1t accomplishes also
suffer tremendously, but still public Of
f1ces-there are some exceptions pub
lie vehicles and stores are kept too hot
and very few persons will go to the
trouble Of avoiding the bad habit of
sneezing on others. If the avoidance
OF sneezes were to become fashionable,
no doubt colds would become Z thing
Of the past within 100 years.