New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-01-08
BY DR.. E. BUNFORD LIGHTHILL

| The diseases of the ear most prevalent and most
destructive to hearing are Of o chronic character,
giving no pain distress, presenting any other
feature calculated to rouse immediate alarm. The
approach of deafness in such cases Is so extremely
nsidiOus that patient Is unable to tell when the
difficulty first commenced, and so slow and gradual
in its development that no progress is perceptible
except at long intervals Of time. At first the hear
ing is found little less acute than formerly, and
somewhat closer attention has to be paid if we wish
to hear distinctly. We imagine that certain voices
appear to be husky, that certain persons articu
late carelessly OF talk way down in the throat"
By-and-by some difficulty is experienced in hearing
conversation when two or three are talking, or when
it is carried in low tone of voice, and 30 by de-
grees the hearing becomes more and more clouded
and ndistnct until it is entirely lost or very seri-
ously impaired, though it may take years before this
| disastrous result is accomplished
With some the hearing at first suffers only by
spells generally during cold. In such cases the
hearing is often suddenly restored with swapping
| sound, or loud startling report, or returns in
measure after the cold has passed Off But the spells
of dizziness usually occur more and more often, and
| last longer, until at length permanent deafness
supervenes.
Again, we find that only one is attacked the
other retaining its hearing power often for years
Where this is the case no difficulty is experienced in
hearing conversation readily, except when APP
preached on the deaf side; but the power is lost to
know the direction of sound. In the majority of
cases the other ear becomes affected in time, and
what was before a serious inconvenience becomes
then an actual misfortune.
DISCHARGE FROM THE EAR
While.the foregoing cases are characterized by the
absence of any noticeable features calculated to ar
rest attention il is entirely different in discharge
from the ear for the disease at once reveals itself TO
the eye and 10 smell being in fact, as offensive to
one sense as it is to the other.
The discharge usually results from some intiamma-
tory process of the ear produced by scarlet fever
measles, cold, other cause, and varies III dereht
cases. and even in the individual at different
times Usually it is n thick, purulent, greenish-yel-
low matter occasionally streaked with blood. At
times it is of a vscid and rOpy nature and again 1t
may resemble melted cheese III appearance and con-
sistency.
In some cases it merely coats the lining Of the au-
ditory canal while in others ii is 50 copous as to
pour from the ear and then eXcoraes the surround
ing tissue, which presents raw and inhamed ap-
pearance.
The discharge is always characterized by fetid
odor but i'll some cases it is highly offensive as to
render the sufferer an object of disgust TO himself
and to others.
Discharge from the ear is dangerous both to hear
inc and to the general health. In some cases it oc
co>ious total deafness, while in all the hearing
suffers TO a more or less extent and none escape
without some notable injury to the hearing power
Aside from its effects on the hearing, the disease is
ant TO give rise to Neuralgia, Epilepsy, st. FitusS
Dance. PARALYSIS, and other nervous disturbances;
results scarcely 20 be wondered at when we consider
the close proximity Of the diseased aural cavity TO
the great nervous center the brain, to which the IN
dammation OF liberation might be communicated
with fatal consequences.
NOISES N THE HEAD
usually accompany every morbid CONDITION Oh the
.ar They resemble the escape Of steam, the ringing
Of bells. the beating of the heart the hummlng OF
insects and III fact, nearly every imaginable sound
Often they prove source of terrible torture ana us
tress and many patient who applied to Us LOT IeleI
was far more anxious to have the noises removed
than the hearing restored if only one thing OF the
other could be done
4 FEW WORDS OF ADVICE.
Those who value their hearing should seek compe-
tent medical advice upon the slightest suspicion OF
diseased condition of the ear OF the least defect in
hearing To do otherwise is to jeopardize one OF our
most valuable senses.
MANY persons neglect the diseased state of their
ears. in the hope that the difficulty may get well Of
itself or would be outgown. No hope has ever
proved more fallaci0us 1t is the experience Of all
artists of repute that diseases of the ear are not
benefited by nature or time, but that. on the con-
trary the disease becomes and more developed
and confirmed, and more destructive to hearing
We cannot. therefore. too strongly condemn the
practice of those physicians who through Ignorance
ar careessness endeavOr to inspire confidence III the
healing process of nature by advising patients 70
LET disegses of the ear alone. In our experience We
have repeated demonstrations OF the TACT that Suci
advice is nothing short of malpractice, and deserv-
| ING of the severest censure.
In their earlier stages, diseases of the ear yield
readily to sklful medical attendance, and even IN
cases Of long standing, and where the hearing Is
seriously impaired an entire cure can often be Ell
| fected by appropriate means Desirable results
| however can only be expected from the attendance
| Of a physician who has made himself familiar with
| the ,ubcct bv specia study. and who has acquired
sufficient practical experience 10 gain mastery over
aural diseases Medical science cannot be held re-
sponsbe for the frequent failures or possible INJURY
resulting from treatment when administered by IN
competent or inexperienced hands.
The writer has made diseases of the ear ms par
ticular study for nearly twenty years, and III ihe
course of his practice achieved unusual success III
many difficult cases and even in some OF a seenhgl!
hopeless character and to any one interested lie Is
prepared to furnish references of the highest respect
| ability in proof of his assertion candid oph"h
will invariably be given to the probaDt'eS VI i
| cure, and will be encouraged ior u v"'i'on'
without "A reasonable chance of success Iat'ehts
| may rely confidently on receiving every ocAenl
which IT il possible To derive from s'.ence Sn' anu