The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1884-07-30
JOY FOR THE DEAF.
A St. Louisan Invents Something that
VIII Enable the Deaf to Hear.

A ST. Louisan Inyents Something that
Will Enable the Deaf to Hear.
Mr.. Leo Ehrlich, formerly secretary OF
the Humane Society, says the st. Louis
Republican, has invented device which
will cause all the deaf people in the land
to rise up and call him blessed 1t con-
sists Of continuance which can be locat-
ed in the handle Of caue umbrella, pa
rasol or fan, and which, when placed to
the ear Of deaf person, will cause him
or her to hear any sound audible to the
ear of a person who is not afflicted with
deafness.
Mr. Ehrlich yesterday exhibited to a
Republican reporter a cane with silver
head representing the head of a bird.
The bill was placed in the reportorial
ear and sound similar to the roaring of
a sea shell was heard, while when the re-
porter spoke his voice appeored to be a
deep bass. The device which produced
these effects was a tube about six inches
long placed in the hollow of a Malacca
cane. In the tube was a cone-shaped
electric coil beginning at q small battery
at the lower end Of the tube and terni-
mating in the birds bill. The vibration
Of this coil caused multiplication of any
sound or noise passing into the tube
through several Sits in the side of the
cane. The cane and tube together
weighed about six ounces and the whole
outfit looked like an ordinary MaIacca
walking stick with silver head.
''How did l happen to invent it p said
Mr. Enrich, in reply to a question.
''Well, it was the necessity Of my own
case, | was so deaf that it interfered
with my social and business duties. |
had been treated for my ailments in Paris
Vienna and this country, and still l grew
worse 50 / set about to invent something
to cure me, and the results surprised me.
| can now hear as well as you can, and
without the use of the cane. 1t is very
simple; it is simply a multiplication of
sound by electricity and the projection of
q steady current of electricity against the
weakened and paralyzed nerves and it's
sues Of the ear. There is no degree of
deafness in which a man cannot hear
with this even if the ear drum is de-
stroyed OF course, it won't make new
car-drum, but it will make him hear, 1t
is simply a multiplication table in the
shape Of sound. Here il one of the fea-
lures of it When a man is near-sighted
he can get pair of glasses and no one
takes any notice of it but when a man
is deaf he must either lug an ear-trumpet
around with him, much to the amuse-
ment of everybody, or hear nothing.
This thing he carries in a cane or UNI
brella, and not only uses it without any
one suspecting what it is, but hears well
and is cured of his deafness. 1t accom-
plishes what nothing else has ever done.
E. G. Witherspoon, Of the cotton ex-
change who has not heard a dog bark
for the past twenty three years, can hear
Us we'll as anybody now. He was made
deaf by the accidental discharge of a
piece of artillery. His friends on change
are astonished at the readiness with
which he hears now. l have been at
work at this over year, and when 1 be-
gan everybody had to yell close to my
ear now l can hear the slightest whis-
per at a talking distance. When Senator
Vest was here he advised me to send one
to Mr.. Bayard, who is quite deaf, and |
shall do SO, will also send one to Mr..
Edison, who is deaf"
Mr.. Ehrlich received notice yesterday
that his application for patent had been
allowed.