Twelve Rules for the Care of the Ears
By D. H. KRESS
1. NEVER scratch the ears with anything but the finger, if they itch. Do not use the head of a pin, hairpins, pencil-tips, or anything of that nature. 2. Never put anything in the ear for the relief of toothache. 3. Never wear cotton in the ears if they are discharging pus. 4. Never attempt to apply a poultice to the inside of the canal of the ear. 5. Never drop anything into the ear unless it has been previously warmed. 6. Never use anything but a syringe and warm water for cleansing the ears from pus. 7. Never strike or box a child's ears; this has been known to rupture the drumhead, and cause incurable deafness. 8. Never wet the hair if you have a tendency to deafness; wear an oil-silk cap when bathing, and refrain from diving. 9. Never let the feet become cold and damp, or sit with the back toward the window, as these things tend to aggravate any existing hardness of hearing. 10. Never put milk, fat, or any oily substance into the ear for the relief of pain, for they soon become rancid, and tend to incite inflammation. Simple warm water will answer the purpose better than anything else. 11. Never be alarmed if a living insect enters the ear. Pouring warm water into the canal will drown it, when it will generally come to the surface, and can easily be removed with the fingers. 12. Never meddle with the ear if a foreign body, such as a bead, button, or seed, enters it; leave it absolutely alone, but have a physician attend to it. More damage has been done by injudicious attempts at the extraction of a foreign body than could ever come from its presence in the ear.