THE EARS 267 



for such purpose should be used, and always operated 

 gently. The water should not be syringed directly 

 in, for this might drive the object still farther on, but 

 it should be directed toward the walls of the canal. 

 To get rid of live insects, the auditory canal should be 

 filled with warm water, which will quickly destroy 

 them. Under no circumstances should an attempt be 

 made to pick out such foreign bodies with a wire or 

 similar instrument, for greater damage may be done in 

 this way than the object could possibly cause. If 

 the two simple means described fail, a physician should 

 be consulted. 



The drumhead may be punctured by instruments 

 carelessly used to poke out foreign bodies, or by pencils, 

 hairpins, or something similar accidentally thrust into 

 the ear. It may receive too severe a shock from a loud 

 report near by, through loud shouting into the ear, 

 or by a sudden severe blow on the ear. Even picking 

 one's ear with a pencil or any pointed object is danger- 

 ous, for, by playfully jogging the elbow, some one may 

 cause the drum to be punctured. The foolishness of 

 suddenly shouting into the ear to startle a person, and 

 the cruelty and danger of boxing any one, especially 

 a child, on the ear, can be readily understood. 



When we are going where loud explosions are ex- 

 pected to take place, the drumhead may be protected 

 by a covering. It may also be well to remember that 

 if one swallows at the instant an explosion occurs, the 

 Eustachian tube will be opened, and air will be sent into 



