The Human Ear

Let rae describe what is probably the most frequent way in which the ear is Mr.paired ; tliat is, by the atteiupt to clean ft. It ouylit to ho understood that the passage of the ear does notrequiro cleaniug by us. Nature andertakes that ttisk, and in the healthy state fulfilla it perfectly. Hor means for oleaning the caris the wax. PérhSps the reader has nevei wondered what beoomea i the wax. I will teil htm. It dries up into thin, fine Boules, mi l these pee) ofï, one by one from the surf'ice ot' the passage, and fuli out imperoeptibly, leaving behind them a perfectly ojuan, smooth gurface. In health the passage of the ear is nover dirty ; but, if wo atteinjt to clean it, -we int'ullibly raake it so. Henee - by a strange laek oi justice as it wuuld sem, which, ho wever, has no doubt a decp justice at the bottoni - the bsfct peüple, those who love clean Kness, suffer most, and good and carefu) fturses do a mischief negligent ones avoid. %sshÍDg the ear out with soap and water is bad ; it keeps the wax moist when it ought to beeoine dry aud scaly, inoreoset lts quantity unduly, and makea it absorb the dust with wbich the air always nbounds. But the ruost hurtful thing is introducing the corner of the towel, acrüwod up, and twisting it round. This dops more harin to the ears than all the other ïnistakps together. It drivt-s down ihe wax upon the membrane, much more tlian it gets it out. Let any one who douuts this luíike a tube iike tüe passage, especially with the curves whích it possesses; let him put a thin membrane at one end, smear the surfaoe with a subBtance like the ear-wax, and then try to get it out so by a towel. But this plan does mueh more mischicf than merely iJressing down the Wax. V irriïatps the passages, and' makes it cast off smali flakes of skin, vhich dry up and becotne extramely har , and these a?e als hardly pressed down u on the membran.e. Uften li ia uu only deafness that ensues, but pain inil intíammation, and thon matter is for'med wiiich the hard mats prevenís eacaping, and the njc-mbrane becoinehf Sseiwud aud worgfl may lollow. Vashi;rg' Rhoulil extend to the outer iuri'ftce, as f ir as the fingor can reach. It is a bad praoiics, als::, to put co'ton ■wool soaked in laudanum or ohlorofrom into the car fot tho relief of carache. W'iien a ühild's ear becomw painfui, us it often does, everything stiould be dono to sootlu it. and all strong, imtating applioations ghould be avoided. Pieees ot' hot fig or oinon should not be p'ut in it, but warm fi-mnels should be applied, with Ioppy t'omentation, if the pain does not Boon suüsine. It Bhould be remembered that constant ly covoiing up the car is adapted to injure. it. On tha wliole, men, in whom the ear is liabitnally exposed, suffer il anything loss fr%m ear-aiscuse tlmn women,