THE EARS 263 



One can partly realize the greatness of such a calam- 

 ity by trying to think how much would be removed 

 from life, if the voices of the friends we love and the 

 various other sounds that are dear to us were never 

 again to be heard as we know them now. What 

 foolish house-owners we should be, not to do all in 

 our power to prevent such a misfortune from coming 

 into our lives ! We shall now consider some facts 

 about the structure of our ears and the process of hear- 

 ing that may help us more intelligently to protect 

 and preserve this wonderful sense of hearing that God 

 has given us. While there are many interesting 

 things that might be mentioned concerning the ears, 

 only what is necessary for a clear understanding will 

 be given. 



The ear has three divisions, namely the outer, 

 the middle, and the inner ear. The outer ear consists 

 of the auricle (the visible outside part that is usually 

 called the ear), and the auditory canal, which we can 

 see leading from the auricle to the middle ear, or drum. 

 This canal is about one and one-fourth inches long, and 

 the skin lining it contains the earwax glands. These 

 glands secrete a bitter sticky wax which catches dust 

 and usually stops insects that may enter. This wax is 

 of great importance, for as long as the outer end of 

 the canal is covered with it, the skin will not itch 

 and the ear will be comfortable. Besides being a 

 protection against dust and insects, earwax also pre- 

 vents the growth of mold. The skin of the auditory 



