TASTE, SMELL, AND HEARING. 307 



are at right angles to each other, strengthens this belief. It is thought 

 that each of these canals detects movements in its own plane. The 

 experiment has been made of placing a man on a table that easily 

 turned ; with the eyes shut the subject could usually detect fairly well 

 the changes of position from rotation of the table. What is known on 

 the subject comes partly from observation in cases where these parts 

 are diseased (which, in itself, does not cause loss of hearing), and by 

 operating on lower animals ; in both of these lines of observation 

 injury to these parts appears to be followed by dizziness, loss of power 

 to maintain equilibrium, etc. 



The Care of the Ear. In cleaning the ear no hard 

 substance should be used ; even the finger nail is likely to 

 do harm. A moistened cloth should be used. If this is 

 not sufficient, a physician should be consulted. In wash- 

 ing the ear it should be thoroughly dried before being 

 exposed to a wind, especially a cold wind. The rapid 

 evaporation may cool the parts so rapidly as to cause 

 trouble. It is not well to stuff the ears with cotton. If 

 there is any trouble with the hearing, of course a physician 

 should be consulted without delay. 



Colds and Deafness. A cold often produces inflam- 

 mation of the mucous membrane of the pharnyx. This 

 inflammation may extend along the eustachian tube to the 

 middle ear and affect the hearing. 



The Use of the Ears. The existence of an organ of 

 hearing implies the existence of what? Why have we 

 these organs of hearing ? Is it merely a means of protec- 

 tion ? Is it that we may enjoy the music of nature, such 

 as the songs of birds ? Is there not one sound that makes 

 sweeter music than the most gifted of feathered songsters, 

 surpassing all the instruments of man's device, even the 

 violin, with its almost human flexibility and range of 

 expression ? 



