TASTE AND SMELL.

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Some, for the cure of deafness, recommend the gall of an eelmixed with spirit of wine to be dropped into the ear; others, equalparts of Hungary water and spirit of lavender. Ox-gal] and bal-sam of tolu, equal parts, is a good application to be dropped in theear in cases where the disease depends upon an ulcer. If from anabscess, suppuration must be promoted by means of emollient poul-tices, steam, &c. Etmuller extols amber and musk ; and Brookessays, he has often known hardness of hearing cured by putting agrain or two of musk into the ear with cotton-wool. But theseand other applications must be varied according to the cause ofthe disorder.*

Though such applications may sometimes be of service, yet theymuch oftener fail, and frequently they do hurt. Neither the eyesnor ears ought to be tampered with ; they are tender organs, andrequire a very delicate touch. For this reason, what we wouldchiefly recommend in deafness, is, to keep the head warm. Fromwhatever cause the disorder proceeds, this is always proper ; andI have known more benefit from it alone, in the most obstinate ca-ses of deafness, than from all the medicines I ever used.

Ear-ache sometimes continues for many days without any appa-rent inflammation, and is then frequently removed by filling the earwith cotton or wool, wetted with tincture of opium or ether, or ev-en with warm oil, or warm water. Sometimes a pain in the ear isa consequence of the association with a diseased tooth, in whichcase the ether should be applied to the cheek over the suspectedtooth, or a grain of opium, with a little camphor, may be appliedto the tooth itself.

Taste and Smell.

Though these senses are not of so great importance to man in astate of society, as the sight and hearing, yet as the loss of them isattended with some inconveniency, they deserve our notice. Theyare seldom to be restored when lost ; which ought to make us veryattentive to their preservation, by carefully avoiding whatever mayin the least prove injurious to them. As there is a very great af-finity between the organs of tasting and smelling, whatever hurtsthe one gradually afiiects the other.

Luxury is highly injurious to these organs. When the nose andpalate are frequently stimulated by fragrant and poignant dishes,they soon lose the power of distinguishing taste and odours withany degree of nicety. Man, in a state of nature, may perhapshave these faculties as acute as any other animal.

The sense of smelling may be diminished or destroyed by dis-eases ; as the moisture, dryness, inflammation, or suppuration ofthat membrane, which lines the inside of the nose, commonly call-ed the olfactory membrane ; the compression of the nerves whichsupply this membrane, or some fault in the brain itself at their or-

* A gentleman, on whose veracity I can depend, told me, that after «sing manythings to no purpose for an obstinate deafness, he was at last advised to pat a few dropsof his own urine warm into his ears every night and morning, from which he receivedgreat benefit. It is probable that a solution of rauriale of ammonia, in water, wouldproduce the same effect. A solution of common salt will answer the same purposeas in this case, where the deafness proceeds from an accumulation of hardened wax.