Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-05-07
SINGERS, SORE THRvATs.
PhYsician,s Interesting Expert.
ences with Mistaken Diseases.


true unat bronchial troubles have been unusu-
ally prevalent among singers and those who
live by the exercise OF the vocal organs during
81 have treated twenty per cent more ca ses
OF real throat disease than usual" said tine
Doctor. nbur the number of applicants for relief
who had no throat trouble whatever was fully q
third more than during the previous season.
and they were more persistent In the idea that
they had actual throat affections than / had
ever known them to be-"
you surely DO not mean that artist are often
troubled with purely imaginary sore threats,
and TO such an extent as 20 practically inca.
pacltate them from sing1ng?"
II mean that singers, actors, and public
speakers frequently apply to me to be treated
Ior purely fancitul throat affections which they
DeIeVe are lDJurtng or have destroyed the
though repeatedly assured Ihat the vocal or.
gans are perfectly healthy. But their real
trouble Is often a disagreeaole one, and one
pursuits by which they gain their bread. The
fact Is that few If them understand that accu.
rate nearing Is aS important to singer or
should be as careful OF their ears. and even OF
their teeth. as OF their throats--that is If
they wish to sing or speak well. Uafor-
attend these people do not correctly locate
the seat OF trouble, and often treat them for
obscure throat diseases or nervous afrec-
lions instead Of sending them to an expert
aurist. The affection Is known as autophony.
and may be described as the internal hearing OF
ones own voice. "A person suffering from au-
1opnony nears tne sounds produced oy his vo-
The sounds DO not strike the ear drum from the
outside, and consequently cannot be brought
into harmony with notes which others hear
only In that way. Such notes must of course
De Incorrect They strike the nerve of hearing
between the mouth and ears, and are thus false
Dotn In umore and pitch. In some cases the
troublesome and 1nterfereS With accurate speak
Ing or singing. This disability Ia often distress
mgfo all who use the voice either In public or
musical Instruments, though the suffering J is
most severely felt by singers. A cold In the
mead CT an unsOund tooth Will sometimes bring
on the trouble, and 1t may come and go quickly.
In GU 0nic cases, however, 1t advances slowly,
ana Is 30 persistent as to frequently amount to
positive disability. False hearing may come
over person at any age"
ments; how may they be thus affllcted?"
ANY instrument which Is brought In con-
tact with any part OF the head Will, In auto.
phony, give strong impressions from its vlora
lions Cornetists and players of other wind In
struments find this trouble nearly as serious a
matter as do vocalists Violin1sts feel 1t Sc
verely, because the chin In their case Is held
down closely upon one Of the most sonorous
and intensely Migratory of instruments,
"a gentleman who had derived much enjoy
ment from singing duets with his wife In their
circle OF friends happened 10 experience q
troublesome itching In an outer opening to the
ear. he was advised to inject weak solution
OF caIboiic acid. He used, however, a concen-
Iated mixture, and at once experienced ex-
cruciat1Dg pains The acid had penetrated the
drum head, and acute inflammation of the mid
ole ear ensued. 1t was nearly year before he
to him fiat-abouJ half note too low in the
scale. Strangely enough, he fu ly believed that
the real difficulty was IN the throat. When the
ear was cured, his ability TO sing correctly re-
"a commercial traveller complained OF
throat trouble, and all efforts TO convince him
that his vocal organs were healthy failed He
and his voice sounded so disagreeaoly to him
that he could sustain conversation but for
Few moments at time. In consequence OF this
disability he lost his situation and became at
last an ordinary canvasser. The autophony
only came on at times, but was characterized
by the most distressing roaring in the ears
Palpltation OF the heart and great mental de-
he acknowledged that he had frequently con-
templated suicide on account OF them The
real trouble was catarrhal Inflammation. and
treatment soon brought him relief.
"A lady-a very good singer-oecame trou-
Died precisely as above and suffered for several
years. However great her efforts to sing cor
rectly, her voice became mixed and unpleasant
TO her, and often the notes seemed TO die away
without utterance. She gradually lost all con-
ndence In her own power. but ts now recover
Ing by means OF treatment OF the ears alone.
"A singer IL church cGo'r became W holly
unable TO sound the correct pitch His voice
seemed unnatural to him, and his notes were.
as he expressed IL, "a complete jumole' The
case was much aggravated by the ill-advIsed
use Of an Irritating lotion. II was grave mat
ter for Lin, and Inc permanent injury TO the
COL ouctive mechanism prevented an entire
cure. After the aural Inflammation had been
removed, however, he could suDdue the chief
difficulty by pulling the carulagtnou5 covering
OF the orifics TO the ear downward and outward.
He is now singing with his choir"
1T Is not necessary" said the Doctor. "to
multiply this class of cases; they all resemble
fmn0rranC I
however, mention another. as IL has bearing
upon what said about play upon musical
instruments. The case was that OF music
teacher who had for years suffered from ring
Ing In the ears and confusion of sounds. He
had become exceedingly nervous and 1rasclble,
and his manners made his family az wretched
life were constantly in his mind. He informed
me that he had been under the treatment OF
every prominent aurlSt In this country and In
Germany. Before he had any serious ear trou-
Die he played on several musical Instruments
but their sounds to him became tOrmenting.
His wife told me that he was most of the time
wild with nervousness; that the noises in the
head convinced him ttau he had some serious
ailment- FreQuentlyh3 referred to his throat as
the seat OF disease. T ,e patient was relieved
by ear treatment solely.
was suffering from intlan'mat OF Dotn mia.
die ears. caused in part ty dental 1rritatioI
Aver effort ito perform " ere unsatisfactory,
Sacheg me ear oy tissue condue
create an unpleasant and diScordanu jangle. A
goo j reco. cry was made ia Two months, when
she resuI1ed her music.
IAN or gan tuner, % years CID, was suddenly
seized v ith an attack which rendered him use
less In his business. The heats above were
undist ngu1shable. he recovered
1.-The case OF lady Is mentioned who fancied
that her voice went out at the back OF her head
and could be heard only by those behind her.
Another patient could not resist the impression
at times that some one else was singing her
part. others found the sounds lingering In
their head, and during this time the pitch with
Wllch the notes were commenced had changed
Many curious consequences, indeed are gwen
as showing how many OF the voice troubles 40
often complained OF as taking rise in the throat
are caused by poor hearing.
Those who depend upon the voice for q liv-
1Dg should look as carefully after their ears
and teeth as their throat. In all cases too
where they have difficulties that they do not
understand, they should consult an aur1st, es-
peciaIly II they have been Informed by their
doctor that the air passages and vocal organs
are in perfectly healthy condiion."-.X. r
Sun.
Gymnastics rs q Cure Of Disease.
Physical vigor Is the basis OF all moral and
bodily welfare, and chief condition OF perma-
neht healht Like manly strength and female
purity. gymnastics and temperance should 90
hand In hand. An efYeminate man Is half sick;
without the stimulus OF physical exercise the
complex organism of the human body Is liable
TO disorders which abstinence and chastity can
only partly counterfeit BY increasing the
act10A OF the circulatory system athletic