The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1880-03-11
Hearing without Ears.

tute, VINO were MADE 10 near lnIouBn
their teeth. They had all been deaf
some from birth and some from infancy.
There were four pretty pleasant looking
girls, and six or eight bright boys. One
of the boys had lost both arms, but the
poor fellow had been taught the sign.
language by his loving patient teacher,
and could show that he understood it oy
waving and lifting his poor stump Of
arms.
As soon as we we're all seated, a 6ne-
looking gentleman got up and said:
Il have been deaf for twenty years. l
have tried all manner OF speaking trum-
pets, which did me very little good,
and / had made up my mind that, for
the rest OF my life, 1 must never hear
my children's voices, never listen to the
sound OF sweet music, but just lead a
sad, silent life. One day, 1 was talking
to a friend with my watch in my hand,
and carelessly placed IL against my
teeth. To my astonishment, l plainly
heard the ticking of the watch, though
it was utterly silent when placed at my
ear. l began to make experiments. 1
held a piece Of bent metal to my teeth.
l tried a tuning fork. l remembered
that beethoven, the great composer,
who became very deaf, held a metallic
rod between his teeth, the other end
resting on the sounding. board of his
piano, and by this means he was able to
hear the perfect music which his brain
had produced. l tested various ways Of
hearing through the teeth, and now af-
ter many trials, l have perfected this
andhe held up what looked exactly like a
fan. This he continued, lis the audi.
phone. 1t is made OF flexible, polished,
carbonized rubber. Fine silk cords at
tached to the upper edge, bend it over
and are fastened by a wedge in the
handle. The tension is adjusted to suit
the sound, ss an opera-glass is adjusted
to suit the distance. The top edge of
the fan rests upon the upper teeth, and
the sound waves strike its surface; the
vibrations are conveyed by the teeth
and the bones of the face to the acoustic
nerve communicating with the BRAIN
1t was impossible to believe, but the
gentleman called up one of the deaf
mutes, and standing Just in front of
him, gave a tremendous shout, which
made us fairly bounce on our chairs,
bat the boy did not start, nor move so
much as an eye-lash, which showed very
plainly that he had heard nothing.
Then Nj. Rhodes, for this is the name
Of the inventor of the audiphone, ar
ranged the tension, and placed one in
the boys hand, adjusting it to his teeth.
Then, "A, b, c. said Mr.. Rhodes, in an
ordinary tone. At the sound the boy
started, his face flushed, and he raised
his hand with a quick surprised motion.
He heard for the first time in his lifel
He did not know what the sound meant,
because to a deaf person English speech
might a well be Greek:-a deaf persons
mind is a perfect blank as to the mean,
ings of sound, though he may be able to
talk fast enough on his fingers. Then
Mr.. Rhodes went behind the boy and
said: "A, B, Ca little louder, and his
teacher made the signs OF the letters, at
at the same time, the boy gave a skip
Of delight, making the letters also.
Then a lady played on the piano, and
the boy heard music for the first timel
His hand moved up and down with a
rhythmic motion, as if keeping time to
pleasant sounds.
Then another boy was called, and the
same experiments were tried, the first
looking eagerly on, and talking as fast as
his fingers would go, to the rest of the
class. The second boy said IN the sign
language, that he could hear very loud
sounds Mr.. Rhodes shouted at him
enough to nearly crack his skull. but he
showed no sign of hearing, so his very
loud must have been like a broadside of
cannons.
But with the audiphone to his teeth
he heard everything, All the boys were
tried in turn, with nearly the same sue
cess, wen to the poor fellow without
arms. The audiphone was held to his
teeth, and such o flood Of happiness
came yer his face, and poured out of
his eyes, that my own eyes were blinded
with tears. The rich tones of a parlor
organ, which a gentleman present play
ed upon, seemed almost to translate
him from earth to heaven. 1t was not
music to him; it was a sweet melodious
sound, the revelation OF a sense which
gave him a new and intense happiness.
And now for the girls, a pale, pretty
little thing, was called to the table. The
audiphone was placed to her teeth, and
Mr., Rhodes made.a sound. 1 hope you
understand, that it was of no use for him
to ask questions, because a deaf person
has to begin like a baby to understand
the meaning Of sound; the deaf must be
educated as to what an articulate sound
is to tell them. 1t would be with them
like teaching a baby to talk.
When the girl heard the sound, what
a study her face becamel Waves of
rosy color, pissed over her cheeks, her
eyes we're uplifted, her hand raised, the