Diagram of the ear.
| a outer ear. | f g and h inner ear. |
| b drum head. | i tube to the mouth. |
| c d and e bones to carry sound to inner ear. | j middle ear. |
174. Ear wax.—Wax is formed just inside the ear. It keeps flies and insects from crawling into the ear. Boys in swimming sometimes get cold water into their ears. This may make them have an earache.
175. How the throat affects the ear.—An air tube runs from the inside of the ear to the mouth. Sometimes when you blow your nose, you blow air into the ear. This makes you partly deaf and you hear a roaring in your ears.
Sometimes when you have a cold in your throat, this little tube is stopped. Then your ear may ache and may even discharge matter. This may make you somewhat deaf. Earache and deafness are most often due to a cold in the throat and a stoppage of this tube.
Many little boys and girls are deaf and do not know it. They cannot hear the teacher well, and sometimes the teacher thinks they are bad or careless because they do not answer.
176. Care of the ears.—Very loud noises may harm the ear and make you deaf. When you expect a very loud noise, put your fingers in your ears to shut out the sound.
Boxing the ears may break their tiny drums and make you deaf.
Do not get cold water in your ear. This may cause an earache and make you deaf. If you get water in your ear while you are in swimming, turn your head to one side and shake it. This will get the water out.