The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1865-02-27

Entered according to act Of Congress, in ihe
year 1863, by Drs Lighthill in the Clerks Office of
the District Court of the United States for the
Southern District of New York
Deafness is misfortune very much to be deplored,
for we depend upon the sense Of hearing for the de-
velopment Of speech in childhood, and our instruc-
tion and social intercourse in after life. Speech Is
acquired by the imitation Of sounds; If therefore
child is deprived Of his hearing it cannot sponta-
neously or imitatvely 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 coneeiYing=henee such
children will be dumb, aass 7a
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 the age of ten and even twelve years
forgot by degrees the words by which they vera
wont to convey their ideas, until at length, every
recollection Of language being ob1iterated 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. 2aa az .ea e.
Such cases though sad in the extreme, need not DO
wondered at when we consider that individuals of
ripe years artculate badly, and unable to prop
erly pitch their voices should their hearing become
very defective; they speak sometimes in a loud bel
lowing tone, and at other times not above brea tn
Impairment of hearing to any considerable de-
gree interferes seriously with usefulness in almost
every sphere Of lite consgns the sufferer to soli-
tude in the midst of society, and deprives him Of
advantages and pleasures which are among the
chief enjoyments Of our existence.
Considering these circumstances, it is undoubted-
~ dasr fnrt Ia L..
quainted, to some extent with the more import ant
facts pertaining to this precious sense and its deli
cate organ; how useful will prove a knowledge of
those conditions of the ear which are likely to be
followed by an interruption of It's functions; and
how advantageous general idea as to the manner
in which such conditions may ofentimes be prevent
ed.
Anatomy of the Ear.
The ear is anatomically divided into three parts
the external ear, middle ear or tympanum, and the
internal ear or labyrinth The external ear is com
posed Of the aurcle, which collects the unduatons
Of the atmosphere, and the external canal through
which these converted to the drum-head or
membrana-tympani, "a thin and very delicate men,
brane, stretched the inner termination of the
auditory canal, Theoretically closing it, which vi
brates under the influence of the impinging atmos-
pheric waves. The middle ear or tympanum is a
SAAA@'AA hAOSuAoA dDOuG Tile 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 windings, 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 peculiar IL
quid, called perlymph, SO that the membraneous
labyrinth floats in the bony 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 a similar but
much smaller membrane of that part of the laby.
rinth called vestibule; consequently the vibration
ofthe membrana-tympani producesa like vibration
of the membrane of the labyrinth, and this cor
responding agitation of its fluid. This agitation
produces a 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 a small aperture which is the orifce
of the eustachlan tube, the other end of which
opens into the upper part of the throat Immediately
behind the posterior Mares Through this tube the
middle ear receives the supply of air necessary for
the yibratlity of its membranes and the commune
cation of sound.
Causes of Deafness
The loss Of hearing results from the abnormal con-
dion of any the parts of the ear above described
Thus it may proceed from distractions of the exter
nal canal, which would prevent the undulations of
the atmosphere from reaching the drum 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
s~rfko &s,arnA sCaI
small bones may be lost, the labyrinth infamed,
and even the brain become affected In the chronic
form it produces 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 communica,
tion 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 still further portion of the
necessary air. f
The small bones of the car being covered BY the |
mucus membrane, are, by its thckened condition |
well as by the diminution of the size of the drm
prevented from acting with that freedom and pre- |
cision nece sary for so delicate mechanism. Rand
of adhesion similar 20 the false membranes nro-
duced by Group are sometimes formed nv the
Inflammation between't these 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 eustachan tube may be obstructed h,, ,,,c,s
or by thickening of its lining mem
brane, similar to the condition of the nose during
cold; atmospheric air is thereby prevented from
entering the tympanum, and the VARIABILITY Of its
membrane impaired or lost The auditory nerve
may be affected either in the labyrinth or in its
course to the brain, imparing its power to receive
and convey impressions to that organ; and even the
brain ITSELF by some morbid process, may be unable
to conceive as sound the most perfect impression
received by the auditory nerve
5 omething Abont Nostrums and Ennis
Ficism.
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
OF an impaired condition Of hearing.
which may arise, however, from variety of causes