The Portland daily press., 1865-03-01

Causes and Prevention" Letters
on Catarrh," &c. .a, ,7- b
fA# &tNttt FFfN sf
! Entered according to act of Congress- in the
year 1862 by G prs q hi in the Clerks Office Of
Southern District of New York.
Deafness is misfortune very much to be deplored,
for we depend upon the of hearing for the de-
velopment of speech in childhood, and our instrucs
ton and social intercourse in after life Speech is
acquired by the imitation Of sounds; if therefore
child is deprived IF his hearing, it cannot sponta-
neously or mitatively form articulate sounds,
though not the least defect exists in the organ of
voice, because it is impossible to initiate thing Of
which we have no idea; or, in other words, which
the brain is prevented from e0nceiving-hence such
children will be dumb sst
Even after speech has been clearly developed, it
is sometimes lost forgotten should total deafness
superyene in early childhood. Children have been
brought to US for examination, who, having become
totally deaf at the Of ten and even twelve years.
forgot by degrees the words by which they were
wont to convey their ideas, until at length, every
recollection of language being obliterated from
memory they were as dumb as those who had been
born deaf Neither hearing themselves or others
speak. their memory was unable to retain the
knowledge of articulation. 10 sa-- lol hia Z ID
Such cases though sad in the extreme, need not be
wondered at when consider that individuals of
ripe years artculate badly, and unable to prop
erly pitch their voices should their hearing become
very DETECTIVES; they speak sometimes in loud bel
lowing tone, and at other times not above breath
Impairment of hearing to considerable de-
gree interferes seriously with usefulness in almost
every sphere of life; consigns the sufferer to so-
tude in the midst of society, and deprives him Of
advantages and pleasures which are among the
chief eDjoyments of our existence 81 4GH ~ .
Considering these circumstances, it is undoubted-
~ desirable for the public at large to become
quainted. to some extent, with the more important
facts pertaining to this precious sense and its deli
cate organ; how useful will prove knowledge Of
those conditions of the which are likely to be
followed by an interruption of its functions; and
how advantageous general idea as to the manner
in which such conditions may oftentimes be prevent
ed
Anatomy of the Ear. luH keS
The ear is anatomically divided into three parts
the external ear, middle ear or tympanum, and the
internal ear labyrinth The external ear is COM
posed of the auricle which collects the undulatons
of the atmosphere, and the external canal, through
which these are converted to the drum-head or
membrana-tympani, Ia thin and very delicate mem
brane, stretched over the inner termination of the
auditory canal, Theoretically closing t,) which Vi
brates under the influence of the impinging atmos-
pheric waves. The middle ear or tympanum is n
small irregular cavity, about the size of small
bean, internal of the drumhead, which divides it
from the external ear. The inner ear consists Of
minute delicate canals and spiral windngs, carved
in the bone adjoining the tympanum, (which contain
flaments of the auditory nerve spread on delicate
membrane. This membrane has the exact shape of
its bony case, but is somewhat smaller, leaving an
intervening space, which is filed by apeculiar Ii
quid called perlymph, SO that the membraneous
labyrinth floats in the bony one. Across the middle
ear stretches movable chain of the most delicate
little bones end of which is grown to the drum
head and the other end is attached to similar but
much smaller membrane of that part of the laby-
rinth called vestibue; consequently the vibration
the membrana-tympan producesa like vibration
of the membrane Of the labyrinth, and this cor
responding agitation of its fluid. This agitation
produces certain impression on the nerve-fbres
which is conveyed to the brain by the agency of the
auditory nerve and conceived by the mind as sound
On the floor of the drum, Immediately behind the
. drum-head, is small aperture which is the orifee
2 of the eustachlan tube, the other end of which
opens into the upper part Of the throat Immediately
behind the posterior mares. Through this tuba the
middle ear receives the supply of air necessary for
the vibratility of its membranes and the communi-
cation of sound.
Causes of Deafness. ilN sslasot
The loss ofhearing results from the abnormal CON-
dton of any Of the parts of the ear above described
Thus it may proceed from Instructions Of the exter-
nal canal, which would prevent the unduIations of
the atmosphere from reaching the drunl-head, or it
may be caused by inflammation and subsequent thick
ening Of that membrane, by which its vibratility
would become impaired or destroyed. The tympa-
mum, or middle ear, may be affected by acute sub
acute, or chronic inflammation, producing various
effects. If acute, it usually results in an offensive
and irritating discharge in the process Of which the
small bones may be lost, the labyrinth inhamed,
and even the brain become affected In the chronic
form it produces a thickening of its lining mem
brane, which diminishes the size of that already
small cavity. The quantity of air necessary to the
vibration of the drum-head and for the communion
ton OF the vibrations to the labyrinth is CORES
pondingly reduced, the peculiar secretion thrown
out so abundantly by the diseased mucus mem
brane tends still further to diminish the size of the
drum, and to exclude a still further portion Of the
necessary air. giEsuof8 sicsiranI ro sssiins
The small bones of the ear being covered by the
mucous membrane, are, by its thickened condition,
as we'll as by the diminution Of the size Of the drum
prevented from acting with that freedom and pre-
cision necessary for SO delicate mechanism Bands
of adhesion similar 20 the false membranes pro-
duced by croup) are sometimes formed by the
Inflammation betweenth little bones and the
walls Of the drum, and their action becomes still
further impeded
Deafness, in such cases, is owing to the imperfect
or interrupted communication of the vibrations of
the drum-head to the labyrinth
The eustachian tube may be obstructed by mucous.
iDar fofi 1xr4 d
brane, similar to the condition of the nose during
cold; atmospheric air is thereby prevented from
entering the tympanum, and the vibratfIity of its
membrane impaired or lost. The auditory nerve
may be affected either in the labyrinth or in its
course to the brain, impairing its power to receive
and convey impressions to that organ; and eventhe
brain itself, by some morbid process may be unable
to conceive as sound the most perfect impression
received by the auditory nerve. Reiisa = AfiAa
somethinx Abour Nostrnms ana En,pi-
ricism. Ia9UI3a TA
The abnormal conditions briefly enumerated
above, in their various shades and gradations pro-
duce common effect: Loss of Hearing. Deafness
is therefore not disease in itself, but merely the
designation OF an impaired condition of hearing
which may arise, however, from a variety Of causes.
1t is the height of absurdity to suppose that any
one remedy or single operation remove it, be
cause effects can only be removed by an eradication
of the cause from which they proceed; and as in
deafness the same effects produced by entirely
different causes specifics, whether in the shape of
remedies or operations, are impostions and impos-
sibilties. These remarks are from observing ire
-quent announcements in the papers of specifics
such as CAROLS, electrc-oils acoustic-os, &c., &e
and also of ''new discoveries. or "neV modes Of
treatment for deafness" Asurgeon may, through
study close observation large experience, or, favor
ed by accident, be enabled to improve, perfect or
discover method Of treating particular dis
of the ear; but he must indeed be possessed of
most peculiar inventive genius who has discovereda
newmode of treatment for Deafness for in that case