Year: 1869

Mistellaneons eeaaing.


TEARS.


The principal clement the prime ingredient, so
to say, of tear is water; this water, upon dssolu
tions contains few hundredth parts substance
called mucus, and small portion Of SALT Of soda,
of phosphate of lime and Of phosphate OF soda. 1t
is the salt and soda that give to tears that peculiar
SAVIOR which earned for them the epithet of salt
at the hands of the Greek poets and that Of 'bit-
ter" at that ofours "Salt" is however, the more
correct of the two. When tear dries, the water
evaporates and leaves behind it deposit Of saline
ingredients; these amalgamate and as seen through
the microscope, array themselves in long cross
lines, which look like diminutive fish bones.


Tears are secreted by a gland called the lach-
rymal gland, which is situated s5Uve the eye-bal,
and underneath the upper eyeHd, on the side near
est the temple. Six or seven exceedingly fine
channels flow from it along and under the surface
of the eyeid dischsrging their contents little
above the delicate cartilage which supports the lid
1t is these channels or canals which carry the tears
into the eyes. But tears do not flow only at GER
tain moments and under certain circumstances as
might be supposed-their flow is continuous; all
day and all night-though less abundanty during
sleep-they tricke softly from their slender sluices,
and spread gistening over the surface of the pupil
and eyeball, giving them that bright, enameled
and limpid look which is one Of the characteristic
signs of health 1t is the ceaseless movement and
contraction of the eyelds that effect the regular
spreading of the tears; and the flow Of these has
constantly to be renewed in the way just mention
ed, because tears not only evaporate after few
minutes, but also are carried away through two
little drains ''lachryma points,, !" and situated in
the corner of the eye near the nose. Thus, all
tears, after leaving the eyelds, flow into the nos
tris, and if the reader will assure himself of this
he has only to notice, unpoetical as the fact may
be-, that person after crying is always obliged to
make two-fold use of his or her pocket handker-
chief.


The utility of tears to animals in general, and in
particular to those who are exposed to the dust,
such as birds who live amidst the winds, is easy to
understand for the eye would soon be dirtied and
blocked up like an unceaned window pane, had
not nature provided this friendly overfowing stream
to wash and refresh it.


A very little fluid is necessary to keep the eye
clear and clean but here again We must admire
the wonderful mechanism, which works the hu
man body, for it is to be observed that when,
through accident or hurt, the eyeball has need of
more water than usual to cleanse it, nature at once
turns on more abundant supply of tears. Thus,
for instance, when grain of dust or an insect
creeps into the eye, the eyelids at once gil and run
over with tears, and not only alleviate the pain,
but also, when the object is small enough, carry it
away down the two small conduits already noticed.
The same thing occurs when either smoke, too
vivid light, or too intense cold obscures the sight
tears at once come to our relief and protect the
eyes from harm.


With regard now to other tears-those l mean
that proceed from moral instead of physical causes
the explanation to be given of them is prosy
and material one. Tears are caused both by the
sudden and rapid flow Of blood to the head and by
excessive nervous excitement They are most fire.
quent with women and children, whose nervous
organization is less strong than that ofmen Lynn
phatic natures on the contrary, and people Of bill
lious temperament, rarely weep at all the former
because they have commonly but little sensbity,
and the latter because they usually have firm
control over their feelings. When, therefore, a
man Of Emphatic or bilious temperament is seen
to shed tears under emotion, one may feel sure
that the innermost nerves of his heart have been
WIRING. and one must bow one 8 head in respect be-
fore man whose pangs must be intense. Con.
versey, it is prudent to keep ones GOODNESS before
strongly exciable or highly imaginative people who
weep; their tears are often genuine but, as rule,
they cost them but little effort, and in nine cases
out of ten, are forgotten as soon as shed. Actors
of great talent call up tears at will, by working
themselves into wild state Of fexcitement. Made
moiselle Rachel for instance, than whom no colder,
more unloving woman ever trod the stage, used,
when she put forth all her efforts, to weep so pas
sionately that she would set fifteen hundred spec
tators crying with her.