1. We have five special senses--hearing, seeing, smelling, tasting, and feeling. 2. The ear is the organ of hearing, and has three parts, called the external ear, the middle ear, and the inner ear. The inner ear contains the nerve of hearing. 3. The middle ear is separated from the external ear by the drum-head. The drum-head is connected with the inner ear by a chain of bones. 4. Sounds cause the drum-head to vibrate. The ear-bones convey the vibration from the drum-head to the nerve of hearing. 5. To keep the ear healthy we must avoid meddling with it or putting things into it. 6. The eye is the organ of sight. The chief parts of the eye are the eyeball, the socket, and the eyelids. 7. In the eyeball are the pupil, the lens, and the nerve of sight. 8. The eyeball is moved in various directions by six small muscles. 9. The eye is moistened by tears from the tear-gland. 10. When we look at an object the lens of the eye makes a picture on the nerve of sight, at the back part of the eyeball. 11. To keep the eyes healthy we should be careful not to tax them long at a time with fine work, or to use them in a poor light. 12. The nerves of smell are placed in the upper part of the inside of the nose. 13. "Colds" often destroy the sense of smell. 14. The nerves of taste are placed in the tongue and palate. 15. Many things which we think we taste we really do not taste, but smell or feel. 16. Objects which have a pleasant taste are usually healthful, while those which have a bad taste are usually harmful. 17. Pepper, mustard, etc., as well as alcohol and tobacco, have an unpleasant taste, and are not healthful. If we use them we shall injure the nerves of taste as well as other parts of the body. 18. We feel objects by means of the sense of touch. 19. The sense of touch is most acute at the tip of the tongue and the ends of the fingers. CHAPTER XXVI. ALCOHOL. ~1.~ As we learned in the early part of our study of this subject, alcohol is produced by _fermentation_. It is afterwards separated from water and other substances by _distillation_. We will now learn a few more things about alcohol. ~2. Alcohol Burns.~--If alcohol is placed in a lamp, it will burn much like kerosene oil. Indeed, it does not need a lamp to help it burn as does oil. If a few drops of alcohol are placed upon a plate, it may be lighted with a match, and will burn with a pale blue flame. Thus you see that alcohol is a sort of burning fluid. ~3.~ The vapor of alcohol will burn also, and under some circumstances it will explode. On this account it is better not to try any experiments with it unless some older person is close by to direct you, so that no harm may be done. Alcohol is really a dangerous substance even though we do not take it as a drink.