THE EARS 271 



without holding the nose may forcibly send this liquid 

 through the Eustachian tube, causing irritation of the 

 middle ear. When water remains in the auditory 

 canal after swimming, heat of the ear is required to 

 evaporate it. Colds and inflammation are likely to 

 follow such a condition, for the ear is very susceptible 

 to colds. 



The ears may be protected by holding the nose 

 when jumping or diving. Having the head above 

 water as much as possible during the swim, and get- 

 ting all of the water we can out of the ears after the 

 bath, are both wise precautions. A good way to get 

 the water out is to stand on one foot and kick back- 

 ward strongly with the opposite leg, while the side of 

 the head is inclined downward. Of course, for the 

 time being, there may be more fun in jumping and 

 diving all we like, staying in the water as long as we 

 want to, and dressing without thought of the health 

 of our ears. However, few will question that even 

 such good fun got at the expense of hearing power is 

 a very poor bargain. 



Cotton plugs may be worn in the ears for a short 

 time without doing any harm; for example, while in 

 swimming. They should not, however, be kept in for 

 any extended period, especially while within doors. 

 One's hearing may be injured by the continuous clatter 

 of machinery. On this account, boiler makers and 

 men doing similar work are often made deaf. Such 

 misfortune may be avoided by wearing ear protectors. 



