The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1880-03-26
Deafness in Children.

The ear is subject to affections that i'm
pair it's functions at the earliest period of
life; indeed, it is frequently found to be
defective at birth. Children are exposed
to influences from which they seldom
entirely escape without more or less
aural disease. Such are the consequences
of colds which, when of long contin
uance, are productive of enlarged tonsils,
chronic catarrh of the mouth, throat and
nose, the resulting sympathic deafness
in some instances being so great that in
struction is impossible, and the child is
unable to learn to talk. 1t is then deaf
mute.
The fact should not be lost sight of
that at this early period of existence the
function of hearing is crude, and re-
quires gradual cultivation for its deveI-
opment, and that any deafness should be
promptly met. Thus the hearing of
children ought to be often tested, and
although accurate results may be difficult
OF obtainment, the knowledge gained is
advantageous.
Should infant escape all other causes
of aural disease, it encounters at the sew
enth month physiological process in
development that is frequently the
source of great irritation in the ears.
refer to the cutting of the teeth, which
usually begins at this age. That this
period is fraught with special danger to
the organ of hearing is we'll recognized
by both mothers and nurses, who have
long considered teething as in some way
connected with earache. Every one of
the first twenty teeth in perforating the
gum is liable to be thus heralded. For
tunate, therefore. is the infant who has
passed its second year, the period at
which first dentition is concluded, with
out having experienced aural irritation.
These first teeth, however, are subject to
premature decay, as well as q natural
absorption of their roots, before the sixth
year, at which time the second dentition
begins. From this cause sympathic
aural trouble often arises, and frequent
ly continues while the second teeth are
cutting.
About the sixth year, as stated, the
second or permanent teeth begin to APP
pear, and at the thirteenth year they
have all been cut, with the exception Of
the wisdom teeth. These second teeth
are promoters of even more disturbance
in the ears than the first; the earaches
and discharges are more persistent, the
complication in general more grave.
Subsequent to this period there is ces-
sation of dental irrigation, although es-
tablished discharges from the ear are Ii
able to continue on indefinitely.
The foregoing remarks will serve to
draw attention to the liability existing in
youth to frequently recurring attacks of
earache, each one of which leave the con
ductive mechanism in worse condition
than before, repeated invasions finally
leaving behind irreparable injury. In
these cases, even when comparatively un
important as respects pain, competent
advice can not be too early obtained, for
the longer they are neglected, the less
amenable to treatment they become.
Certain diseases in childhood very fre-
quently affect the ears; such as scarlet
fever, measles, diphtheria, cerebro-
spinal meningitis, whooping-cough and
mumps. During the attacks of these
diseases, and even when convalescence
has been established, although earache
may be absent, occasional examinations
of the ear should be made, in order that,
if affected, they may receive early atten-
ton. Deafness is usually an early symp-
tom of most aural affections; but on the
contrary, in some instances very consld-s,
erable impairment Of the drum cayltyt3
and it's contained mechanism exists WITH -
out any perceptible impairment OF hears
ing.
It is believed that a very small per-.
centage of the adult population possess
normal hearing, which fact greatly de-
pends on the neglect in childhood to
which allusion has above been made
Dr.. SertOn in Ha.pers lnngdzi1,e.S