Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1833-01-28
GAZETTE
Extracts from "7He Music Of Nature" by
V,iliam Gardner.
"ON THE FACULTIES OF THE EAR"

lNeTe Is Jul nature uiat dfouscS our at
tentiOn, impresses our feelings more quickly.
than sonnd; whether it be the tone Of SORROW
the note OF joy-tbe voices Of a multitude
roar Of the winds or the waters-or the soft in.
hections Of tie breeze-we are equally awaken
which sounds create in as.
The organ through which these sensations pass
is allowed To be the most curIously wrought Of
aGy part Of the human body; and. from the de.
scripton which anatomists give of It. may in
fer the u an instrument Of the pusati,e order
and 10 action similar to that ola dun. BY
so me writers, the tympanum ~ described as
strained membran in the chamber OF the ear; not
the sole instrument upon which The sounds are
formed, but simply guard to prevent extrane-
Gus bodies entering the labyrinth Of the ear
This certainly ma, be one of ITS uses--tut that
it yibrates and emlts sound called singing in
the ears. cannot be doubted; and as prool that
it partakes Of the action of drum, it is not ft-
ted to receive two loud sounds in Immediate sue.
cession-but a weak one either before or after
strong one it will receive and transmit.
The effect of sound upon the ear is somewhat
similar to that Of light upon the eyes; the know.
ledge we obtain of surrounding bodies depends
upon the practice aud use we MAKE Of these or.
gans, and it may be justly said that We learn
both to see and to hear infants, apparently,
have no knowledge Of external oDjecrs, except
those which emit or rrtl"e, the strongest lights;
as the window. the candle. or The mcon-all OF
which they apprehend I" DE within their reach,
and spread ont their hands to iuurh 1t is. then,
only by slow degrees that we learn TO see and
hear, although our faculties are as perfect at first
as in after life 1t has been remarked of tb"se
persons born blind and brought to sight, that all
have shown total ignorance Of space or distance.
Cheseldine the aratoinist tells US, that The boy
on whom he operated. on vieaihg the prospect,
put out his hands To tonch ne Church strrrles
which he Saw with delight 10 the distant horizon.
Those are in the quickest sight VIII" are in the
constant habit OF using their eyes, and there il
knack in looking at different objects. SaiIurs
are superior to andsmen in deserving objects at
sea; and the astronomer detects phenomena in
the heavens which elude the sight of ordinary
observers. The common affairs of life are SO
constantly calling into action the faculties Of the
eye, that i's quickness 10 scarcely confined to any
class; but tie faculties If the ear are cUmpara-
lively unemployed. and left in state of Ideness.
The formation of the musical ear depends on
early impressions. Infants who are placed with
in the constant hearing Of musical sounds, soon
learn 10 aprrehend Them aud nurses have the merit
of giving the frs: lessons in melody; for We learn
from the lives Of eminent composers, that their
early toadness for the arr may be traced to the dit.
ties of the nursery. Children brought up in mu-
steal families, often entertained by the sound OF
musical instruments, So soon acquire musical
sense as in some instances to be- regarded a. pro.
di.i mozart began b, compose al tn age OF four;
and. in paper read before the ROYAL Society
by DR.. Burzev, il is affirmed that Crotch played
the air Of Let ambition fire thy mind when on
" two years old. 1t Is extraordinary what an
effort nature makes upon the loss OF sight to con-
pensae the deficiency BY sharpening the sense
of hearing and touch, as in the case OF Huber,
the great naturalist. who has made so many dis.
coveries in the minutiae Of insects; and also Mr..
Golf. of Ken,lal, an eminent boanlst, who can
tell the name or species Of any plant or flower BY
the touch. In the improvement. or rather the
actual formation Of an ear, g may mention Mr..
VIM Colman, Of Leicester, whO, bind from his
birth, had so dull an ear. when ak years old,
that he could not distinguish the tone OF violin
from that Of fute; at that period ne was pre-
sented with pianO-f0rte. which al first amused
him only by its curious structure; at length, his
ear was caught BY the rounds, and he soon be-
gan to lay aside his other amusements, and show
an increasing fondness for music. The rapldity
with which his ear was formed and perfected is
certainly without parallel
On FIRST hearing the Seventh Symphony Of
Haydn performed by full orchestra. he instant
ly comprehendcd the different modulations IN
that piece, and played them on the piano forte
with the greatest accuracy. In things of con-
mon life We NAV mention that he ascerains his
situation in, the street, and the near approach
to objects, BY the stoke OF his stick 10 dts
tinsulsh the firm step of man from the light
r j. III
recognizes his friends BY Thea walk ADD .an tell
the age, as well az the diSpc-!I0a u rangers,
by the tanc nf voice. Doginr Darwin ir.'"rmS os,
in his Zronomia, that tn. Ia" Jush. f,e'dirg
walked for the FIRST time into his room, when ne
once visited him, and after speaking few words,
said, "this room is twenty-two feet long, sish
teen wide, and twelve highs" all of which he
guessed bv the ear. Blind people have peeu'
liar me,hnd of presenting the ear, and IN some
cases acquire the power o. moving it when much
interested. The incessant use they make OF 1t
gives them an indie scrb, BILE quickness: they judge
Of every thing by sound; soIt s9norou' voice.