The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1875-01-07
singular Recovery Of He airing and
Speech.

A remarkable case of recovery of
the sense of hearing and the power Of
speech occurred on Saturday night at
Hastings, some particulars of which are
given by the correspondent of the Press
from that city. The young man thus
rendered happy by the sudden change
in his condition is George Jansen, a
young Frcnchman of this city. Nearly
ten months ago he was taken down with
the typhoid fever, from which he recov-
cred to his usual bodily and mental vigor.
AS is often the case with fcvers, he was
left without the power of speech and
hearing From that time until Saturday
evening his means of communication
have been solely by a slate and pencil.
Through the efforts of friends he was
made one of the force sent to Hastings
to transcribe the records of West st.
Paul. His companion and room mate
was Mr.. N. Hoyt, of this city. Saturday
evening at the close of work he COM
planned, by Means of writing, of great
oppression about his throat and Gu.
rious buzzing about his head. He as
cribed this to some lycopodium powders
administered to him by Mr.. Hoyt through
tube by blowing, and which he had
learned were sometimes effectual in
cases like his own. The oppression and
buzzing rendered him SO uncomfortable
that he felt the necessity of some means
of relief, and went to a barber-shop and
had his chin whiskers shaved off. This
did not relieve him, and he returned to
his home Suffering intensely. His pain
was apparently so intense as to render
him almost senselcss, and threaten to
throw him into commissions.
His companion remained with him,
and about II o'clock, when feeling some
what easier, he wrote on his slate that he
felt the prescntiment that his speech
would either be restored to him or that
he would die during the night. He cOnlin-
ued to suffer intensely, and about two or
three O'Clock had two unusually violent
attacks of the pains. After recovering he
wrote HOyt to take the tube used for adj
ministering the powder, and, placing it
close to his ear, to speak in an ordinary
tone. This he did, asking some ordinary
question, to which Jansen replied, though
he himself was unconscious that he had
done 50. Soon after Hoyt whistled in
the same manner a portion of familiar
air, which Jansen Immediately picked up
and continued. His hearing continued,
he maintained, to be indistinct, and he
buzzing, though the pain seemed to be
passing away.
But the time came at last. Hoyt was
absent from the room on some duty
when Mr.. Jansen was taken with an.
other violent attack, during which b,
great effort he discharged a quantity OF
ciotted matter. Relief came at once
All the unaccountable sensations disap
hr1v I'M
ceased and the oppression was gone, and
more than all, his voice and hearing ar.
returned as complete as ever. When his
greeted him. much to his surprise, with d
hearty How do you do?"
There was JOY in that room almost
sleep, and taking the morning train the
the joyful news. Upon their arrival
they proceeded to the house of Mr.. John
B. Oliver, to whose efforts Mr.. Jansen
was indebted for many favors. On Fri
day Mr.. Oliver had been at Hastings to
see the progress of the work and knew
full we'll that it could not be completed
He had then been compelled to converse
with Mr.. Jansen on the slate. The
young men were not expected to return
on Sunday, and when Mr. Oliver inquired
what was the trouble Hoyt jocularly re-
Piled that the courthouse had burned
down." and Jansen taking up the thread
Of the comment said: Destroying our
work." The first remark made by Hoyt
was surprise, but Jansen's continuation
of it in his natural tone of voice was a
still greater one, and in the surprise and
enthusiasm of the moment Mr. Oliver
fairly Rugged with delight Mr.. Jansen.
These surprises were repeated upon the
friends of Mr.. Jansen during the day,
and few surprises have ever been greater.
1t is needless to say that the restoration
and he never SO appreciated gifts of ma
ture in speech and hearing as now after
being deprived of them for more than
nine months. st. Paul (Mmn.) Press.