YOUR PROBLEMS SOLVED
Dear Mary.. .
Q. I always read your advice with interest, but may I take you up on one point, namely nose-picking (30 January)? I should explain that I am a doctor (retired). It is quite wrong to suggest that the nose can become completely blocked, if it is not picked. If a nose were to become blocked then that would indicate that the lining of the nose has become diseased in some way and no picking would relieve it, for example with a polyp. Only harm can be done. The nose of a normal healthy person cleans itself — a wipe of the nostrils is all that is necessary or should be done. It can be harmful to insert anything into the nose cavity, most of all a grubby finger, as it is highly likely that dis- ease will be spread this way, e.g., the com- mon cold. Germs are transferred on to our hands by such things as shaking hands, door handles, pushing lift buttons, etc. If one carefully washed one's hands before nose- picking — as one does before eating or making love, for example — then no doubt the risk would be lessened, but how many people would do that?
Dr W.N-T., Biddenden A. Thank you for writing. The doctor to whom I originally addressed this query informed me that hospital patients who were unable, for various reasons, to pick their own noses had to have the detritus extracted by light suction. I would welcome correspondence from any ear, nose and throat surgeons who could shed further light on this subject.
Q. One evening recently our neighbour was seen by our daughter to reverse his car into the low brick wall which separates his gar- den from ours. The collision caused part of the wall to fall on to our drive. Next morn-
ing, we placed the fallen section on top of the remaining wall. So far nothing has been said about the incident by us or by our neighbours. We get on well with them but we do not know how to broach the subject. The question of compensation does not arise as we think the wall is their property. Our concern is that he may not realise that he did the damage (the car in question is a large Jaguar) or, more probably, he may not remember the incident — he is an enthusiasticmember of the Wine Society. In either case he may feel that the responsi- bility for the damage is ours but, like us, find it difficult to raise the subject. What
should we do? R.D., London SE3 A. Mention to your neighbour, in casual conversation, that your wife, when driving a friend's car, has bumped into a gate-post. Say the damage inflicted was minor, but you don't know whether it would be more practical to pay up yourselves or claim on your insurance. Then add pleasantly, 'What did you do about your car when you knocked the wall down?'
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