Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1869-11-04
A Frequent Cause Of Deaf
ness.
FROM THE NOTEBOOK or AN EMI
NENT PHYSICIAN.
September l0M.

A few days since a young lady |
consulted me in regard to an ap-
pretended deafness. She stated
that for upwards of a year she
had noticed an increasing deaf
ness in the right ear. At first
she thought little of it, believing
that it was temporary disabil-
ity, but as she experienced more
and more difficulty in hearing, she
began gradually to realize the
dreadful possibility of approach
ing deafness. For months she
concealed her condition, but at
length it became apparent to her
friends, who, TO her great NORTH
cation, addressed her accordingly.
On careful examination, l found a
large amount Of wax in the exter-
nal ear, and as | could discover no
other cause, and it was neither he
reditary nor the result of recent
or former disease, | attributed her
deafness to an impaction of wax
against the ear-drum (tympanum.
As / anticipated, she quickly and
sharply retorted, rejecting my O.
pinion as an imputation upon her
cleanliness. | assured her that it
was rather an evidence of her spe-
cial care of her person, for in my
experience this form of deafness
more often occurred in those who
took great pains to keep their ears
clean. 1t happens in this wise ::
the ear-wax (cerumen) is secre-
ted constantly along the whole
extent of the external ear. tub,
bat only in sufficient quantity to
slightly lubricate the passage. In
the natural and healthy state -of
the parts, this wax gradually hard
ems, disintegrates, and falls from
the ear unnoticed. Whenever the
ear-tube is irritated, the wax is sc.
creted in large quantities and eS-
capes from the passage in masses.
Many persons clean their ears daily,
generally by using wet cloth
twisted, or upon a stick, hair-pin,
or something similar. This fire.
quent stimulation leads to an excess
'sive Secretion of wax, which is not
allowed TO dry and disintegrate ow-
ing to the constant agitation, but
is crowded to the back part Of the
tube and plastered over the drum
by the screwing of the cloth.
While the external part of the tube
is thus kept clean, the internal
part becomes clogged with a collec-
ton of wax, and finally the drum
is SO covered that it ceases to vi
brate with its usual rapidly
Endistinetness of hearing is the
first evidence that the drum is be-
ginning TO be interfered with by
the wax, and as the layers of fresh
wax increase, the vibrations di-
minish in intensity, and the dull
ness of hearing increases.
The treatment proved that the
cause Of her deafness had been
correctly stated. A few drops of |
almond-oil were put in the ear at
bedtime to soften the wax, and |
the next morning the ear-tube was
thoroughly washed out with soap
and water by means of a syringe. |
Large quantities of wax escaped, |
with hardened masses, followed |
by that remarkable acuteness of |
hearing that for time makes all
loud sounds in these cases painful.
Cases of this kind are very nu-
merous. / have known a Judge
leave the bench on account of
growing deafness, due to accumu-
lation of wax around a mass of /
cotton introduced a long time pre-
viously into the ear. The ear
should never be cleaned except
with soap and water, carefully in
trOdaced by a syringe. By this
means the ear is not irritated, the
wax is thoroughly removed even
from the surface of the drum, and
no harm can result.-Hearth and
Home.