266 THE WONDERFUL HOUSE THAT JACK HAS 



ing and thoroughly drying the auricle and the outer 

 orifice of the auditory canal, will usually obviate 

 trouble from this source. In rare instances an excessive 

 accumulation of wax can be removed only by syringing. 

 Such accumulation is sometimes large enough to cause 

 deafness in the affected ear ; but syringing, by removing 

 the wax, restores the hearing. One can easily imagine 

 the great relief of the patient, especially if he has imag- 

 ined something far more serious to be the trouble. 

 A physician should do the syringing. 



There is little need of the great alarm often caused by 

 getting a foreign body into the ear. Whether it be a 

 live insect or an object without life, slight discomfort, 

 or, at the most, a partial blocking of the auditory 

 canal, is the worst immediate effect, for the drumhead 

 will prevent anything from getting into the inner or 

 middle ear where harm might be done. However, 

 such foreign bodies should not be allowed to remain an 

 unduly long time, as they may produce irritation and 

 serious injury. If the auricle is drawn upward and 

 outward to straighten the canal as much as possible, 

 and the head is inclined to the side of the affected ear 

 and gently shaken, the object will often drop out. A 

 light held close to the auricle of the ear will sometimes 

 attract an insect from the auditory canal. 



When this fails, gently syringing with some luke- 

 warm water while the head is inclined to the side 

 affected, may cause the object to come out with the 

 returning water, A small syringe sold by druggists 



