Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1882-06-07
SUDDEN DEAFNESS.
Instances of Deafness Resulting from Sudden
Nervous Shocks.


from Chambers Journal
A lady who, just before the Peninsu-
lar war. had been married, heard sud-
denly and quite unexpectedly that her
husband had been ordered out to the
seat of war. So great was her horror
that she became instantaneously and per-
fectly deaf, remaining SO for many
months, and it was feared that her case
was incurable Some months later she
Was in church on Sunday morning.
The congregation began. to sing hymn,
and quite suddenly her hearing returned,
so much to her surprise that. forgetting
where she was, she jumped up and called
out: "Why, bless me, can hear as
we'll as ever [ could in my life" She
retained her powers of hearing to a good
old age.
A poor lady, governess in a family,
was standing one day in the hall when
one of the children of the house, who
was sliding on the balusters, fell over
them, and was killed at her feet. The
poor lady, from horror, became imme-
diately perfectly deaf.
Perhaps one of the most curious cases
is that of child of 7, apparently quite
strong and healthy, who seems to have
actually become deaf from the effects of
nightmare. The story is worth telling
here, if only in the hope that it may
make some reader less eager to despise
childish night terrors. How often
nurses, and even mothers, and those
very loving and tender ones, try to scold
a child out of these night alarms, ''fool-
ish, as they call them; yet how many of
their elders who have not experienced
such tetrors?
There had been great 9Th of Novem-
Der riots in one of our south country
towns. Men in hideous masks had pa
trolIed the usually quiet streets, two
citizens, who had offended their fellow
townsfolk, were burned IN efigy; and,
of course, there was the regular accom-
paniment of squibs and crackers, and In
the end p tremendous street disturbance,
needing the intervention of the police.
Sc alarming and annoying had been the
disturbance to quiet-minded citizens,
that it was resolved never to allow a 9Th
of November to be observed again in
the town, and great was the rejoicing in
quiet households over the decision of
the town council A few days before
the return of the fateful day, some chill
dren had been playing happily together,
and, as far as can be discovered, nothing
had been said or done to alarm any of
them. They went to bed as usual, but
had not been long in the dark when the
youngest, little girl, ran into her
elder brothers room, and exclaimed:
"Oh, [ feel so frightened; I can't help
thinking of the 9TH of November, and
when [ shut my eyes I see those horrid
masks, and I can't get to Sleep"
The brother was very gentle and ten
der with her. He assured her there
would be nothing done in the town on
the 9Th, and carried her back to bed,
telling her she must be good and remain
there, and that no harm would happen
to her. A few minutes after she ran
back to his room, again describing her
utter terror; she could not help seeing
those dreadful masks. and she felt so
dreadfully frightened.
Again he took her back to bed and
tried to coax her to sleep, with apparent
success; but after a little while she ran
down to her mother, exclaiming: "Oh,
mamma, I feel so dreadfully frightened.
I cannot help seeing those horrid masks,
syringe my ears, for am quite deaf.
The mother took her on her knee and
coaxed and fondled her till she fell
asleep; then she took her to bed, and
waited in much anxiety for her hus-
bands return. She told him of the
child's dreadfully excited state, and took
him up to see her; but she was sleeping
so placidly it seemed pity to wake her.
Sleep was the best medicine.
Next morning, when she awoke, they
discovered to their horror that the child
was stone-deaf, and not only has she re-
manned deaf ev3r since, but being SO
young al the time of her affection, she
had also become almost quite dumb.
Evidently the sound of her own voice in
her head was most painful to her. Sud-
den, abrupt noises, she could still hear.
No doubt she would be able to derive
some benefit from one of the new inven-
tons audiphone-for enabling the
deaf to hear, from the vibrations of
ounds conducted from the teeth to the
ear; but all efforts to restore her hearing
have been useless. The injury tosthis
tiny, imperceptible nerve had SO affected
all the rest that the idea of being ex-
amined by doctor seemed entirely to
unhinge the child. Some of the cleverest
aurists of the day were consulted. All
advised the same: "Leave her alone.
ANY effort to conquer these fears is only
likely to increase the injury to the
nerves; time may cure 1T; nothing else
WILL"