The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1880-02-26
Deafness I'm Children.


pair its functions at the earliest period
of life; indeed, it is frequently found to
be defective at birth. Children are ex-
posed to influences from which they sell
dom entirely escape without more or
less aural disease. Such are the conse-
quences Of colds, which, when of long
continuance, are productive of enlarged
tonsils, chronic catarrh of the mouth,
throat and nose, the resulting sym, a
thetic deafness in some instances being
so great that instruction is impossible,
and the child is unable to learn to talk.
It 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 devel-
opment, anG that any deafness should
be promptly met. Thus the hearing of
children ought to be often tested, and
although accurate results may be diff
cult of obtainment, the knowledge
gained is advantageous.
Should an infant escape all other
causes of aural disease it encounters
at the seventh month a physiological
process in development that is frequent-
ly the source of great irritation in the
mouth, and of sympathetic irritation in
the ears. refer t. 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 well
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. Fortunate, therefore. is the
infant who has passed its second year,
the period at which first dentition is
concluded, without having experienced
aural irritation.
These first teeth, however, are sub
iect to premature decay, as well as a
natural absorption of their roots, before
the second dentition begins. From this
cause sympathetic aural trouble often
arises, and frequently continues while
the second teeth are cutting.
About the sixth year, as stated, the
second OF permanent teeth begin to
make their appearance, and at the thir-
the exception of the wisdom teeth.
These second teeth are promoters OF
even more disturbance in the ears than
the first; the earaches ana discharges
are more persisten', the complications
in general more grave. Subsequent to
this period there is n cessation of den
tai Irritation, although established dis.
charges from the ears are liable to con-
tinue 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 leaves the
conductive mechanism in a worse con-
dition than before, repeated invasions
finally leaving behind irreparable in
jury. In these cases, even when com
paratively unimportant as respects
pain, competent advice cannot be too
early obtained, for the longer they are
neglected the less amenable to treat
ment they become.
Certain diseases of childhood very
frequently affect the ears such are scar.
let fever, measles, diphtheria, cerebro-
spinal meningitis, whooping-cough,
and mumps. During the attacks oi
these diseases, and even when conval'
escence has been established, although
earache may be absent, occasional ex-
aminations of the ears should be made
in order that, if affected, they may re-
ceive early attention. Deafness is
usually an early symptom Of most aural
affections; but, on the contrary, in some
instances very considerable impairment
of the drum cavity and its contained
mechanism exists without any percepti
BILE impairment of hearing.
1t is believed that 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
Or. Samuel SeIt011, IN Harper.