EARWIG IN EAR

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 10 April 1934, Page 4

EARWIG IN EAR

GIRL’S UNPLEASANT EXPERIENCE

A Pupauui household was awakened by shrieks ol pain early on Saturday morning, and all tumbled out of bed, dashing the sleep out of their eyes with awtul thoughts that murder was being (- l o|]e ''(remarks the Christchurch I lines Down the stairs in "nightie” and dressing gown came a distraught girl, pale as a ghost, hands beating her head. One oi the million creeping legions of the earwig army had fulfilled 'ts destiny and ciept into her left ear for a long winter snooze! The nomad settled down restlessly, however, and the sleeping girl awoke in a frenzy of pain, as the delicate membranes of the ear passage wer e grazed and stung by brittle back and questing feelers. Mother took the excited girl’s head in both hands and peered into the earhole, hut saw nothing. Then, greatly daring sliC' pressed her own ear against the girl’s, and heard just such a rattling and a crackling as an earwig might be expected to make. What to do? Father suggested a deluge, of warm oil, but mother thought it best to have expert advice, so the family doctor was summoned from his bath to give a telephonic assurance that father’s bright idea would turn the earwig out. In a few minutes the insect lay dead on the floor. Hours later, when the doctor called to see that all was well, lie expressed surprise on learning that it had indeed been an earwig in the ear. Alotlis, lie said, were common causes of distress, also tbo bronze beetle, or ‘'night- bee,” which begins life ns the ground-grub, but never before in his experience had he encountered a case of an earwig justifying the name.