The so-called erectile tissue of the nose (containing blood whose flow is checked through spasm to increase sensation), that relic of a time when smell played a greater part among the senses, is apt to be affected by degeneracy either as to its excessive or imperfect development. From this comes the bleeding of the nose, so frequently an expression of nerve strain at puberty, which may take the place of menstruation. It is to be noted that while true hæmophilia ("bleeder" tendency) occurs chiefly in boys, epistaxis shows itself very frequently in their sisters. A remarkable illustration of this was reported by Dr. Delia E. Howe,[199] of the Fort Wayne (Indiana) School for the Feeble-minded. In cases of so-called male menstruation[200] the symptom is apt to be epistaxis. The irregularity in blood supply predisposes the nose to attacks on its structure from pathogenic germs. Hay fever is an expression of nervous instability of these structures, and is especially apt to occur in neurasthenics, hysterics, and degenerates. CHAPTER XII DEGENERACY OF THE LIP, PALATE, EYE, AND EAR Each part or sense organ may, independently of the face as a whole, exhibit signs of degeneracy. The palate, lip, nose, eye, and ear have their own expressions of degeneracy. The palate, so far as the joining of its two parts is concerned, resists degeneracy to a remarkable degree. The cleft, which results from non-union, is usually an expression of general degeneracy acted on by its nutritive expression, albeit cleft-palate may be associated with the graver degeneracies like idiocy. As the subjects of the deeper degeneracies associated with cleft-palate usually perish in early infancy, the nutritive degeneracies are most frequently found associated with cleft-palate in adult life. The mouth in the vertebrates does not agree in character with the invertebrate mouth. The mouth has grown in proportion to evolution in the lower vertebrates. It is larger, however, in proportion in the human embryo than in the adult. In this it agrees with the general lower type of the human face. The human chin is at first retreating, and does not become distinctly prominent until the fifth month of foetal life. The nose separates from the mouth toward the end of the second month. It is at first short and broad and resembles at three months the type of some of the lower negro races. When the nose is separated from the mouth a partition forms between the cavities of the nose and the mouth, later supplemented by the true palate, which divides the mouth into an upper respiratory passage and a lower digestive passage. This palate is partly composed of bone and partly of flesh. The fleshy part ends in what is called the uvula. This is very subject to abnormalities, as has been pointed out by C. L. Dana; it is a very frequent mark of degeneracy. Dickens noticed the uvular tone of voice in young thieves, due to deformity of the uvula.