New-York tribune., 1873-03-24

We have together considered the nature and peculiar
tiles OF sound the hand and the construction OF
the the other; and at last ready for the
quiry How does the sound to the hearing organ
how does the hearing organ take up the sOund In other
words, How do we heart
Waves OF sound emanating from sOnorous body and
propagated through the air. caught by the outer
ear and strike the outer membrane Of the drum.
Through the series OF bones, the vibrations trans
nlted and concentrated on the oval membrane or inner
membrane of tue drum, against which the base OF the
sirrupDOne is abutted The mechanical problem here
is TO convert motion OF great exteut ana little energy
that OF the tympanic membrane into one of small eX-
tent and more energy Chat to be conveyed TO the water
OF the labyrinth This IA accomplished as HelnhOilz
has shown partly by the effect OF leyerage-the handle
OF the hammer being the longer arm OF the lever and the
power exerted upon the sTrup being thereby increased
IA imesbut manly by the form of the tympanic mem
Drane. When the oval membrane Is pushed M the round
membrane Is Of course pushed out. Each move
ment OF the oval membrane is transferred to the
lnemOranOus labyrinth ana ductus c0chlearis, where
the nerve ermnatOns are spread out The greater the
intensity OF the sound the greater VIII be the extent or
width OF the vibrations received by the outer drunhead
aud finally transmitted TO the nerve the longer in dura
ton the sound the longer continued the vibrations will
be conveyed To the nerve therefore able to be-
conscious Of degrees OF lOudness and duration OF
the vestibular nerve If evanescen they accepted
and prolonged by the otoths, which, vibrating,
nuous they taken by covbIatiOn of the brstles
and thus conveyed to the nerve tone or clang-i e.
periodic vbratOns-eXcite the cochlear just
the untouched tunngork or panosring thrown into
cOyibration in sympathy with sound OF the precise
pitch to which 1t is auuned each Of the microsoOpca
hbres 10 the o0cbea, being attuned to particular pitch
responds 10y sympathetic vibration 10 the vibrations
eInanatng from corresponding tone, and from that
tone only. These vibrations, "a many IN second as
those OF the tone which has excited them Transferred
to the PARTICULAR haments In contact with the
6bye and thus the pitch IL conveyed Aud fOurthly,
just a5 the anOsngs anayze each Chang into lts com
pOnent tones and respond by combined cOyibraton to
the tmbre does each musical tremOr, however COM
pounded the eang may be- select from the tensioned
bres the ones appropriate TO the pitch OF ITS fuDda
mental and COMPONENT tones These hbTes, and these
alODe thus thrown into synchr0nOus sympathetic
vibration, and convey 70 the corresponding nerves the
olangtimbre within the ears OF men and without
their knowledge ana cOntriyance" this harp OF many
tHOusand strings has existed Tor ages, accepting tho
music OF the outer world and rendering ~ t for recep
ton by the BRAIN" For. the motion mechanically eK
cited in the neryesubstauco o.; either te vesbuaF or
cOcear IA conveyed along the fibre (prOba
by somewhat as electricity IS conveyed along wrel 10
tic brain. aud here tho physical elect vi tue notion