The National tribune., 1885-08-20
A SILENT ARMY.
The Suffcrings and Disabilities of Soldiers who
are Deaf.

The Suffcrings and Disabilities of Soldiers who
are Deaf.
To THE EDITOR: Last February you pub
lished a small notice in your valuable paper,
calling for an expression from ex-UniOn SOL
diers who had partially or wholly lost their
hearing from disease or other causes contracted
while in the service. The number of letters
received in answer to the notice was far beyond
my expectation, and develops a startling state
of facts, so far as pensioners are concerned. As
the law now stands comrades who are suffering
from deafness are now receiving pensions alto
gether disproporti0nate and inadequate to the
disability received. The rating for this class,
considering all things is ridiculOusly low; so
low as to make it look more like mockery
than an act of justice. The disability of total
deafness is considered a much greater afflictiOn
than the loss of both, an arm above the elbow
and a leg above the knee, and next to the loss
of sight
What can deaf man do? 1 ask your read
ers to stop and think before offering an opin-
ion as to the claims of the deaf pensi0ner
There are a great many things he cannot do
aud a very few he eau do. He is untitled for
the professions. He cannot be steamboat
man nor ralroader; he cannot teach !;
he cannot be merchant nor a clerk; he
cannot serve upon the police or fire depart
ments; he cannot be street car driver
nor an agent; he can serve in no vocation
OF life III which the language must be heard,
nor where danger signals are sounded. In
many cases where he has trade he cannot fol-
low it by reason of his infirmity. Nearly all
these men have families. The wife's lips move,
but
NO SOUND OF LOVE AND AFFECTION
reaches the ear of the husband. The children
romp and play, laugh and chatter; but the
father, though seeing, hears not their glad
voices. He attends the campfire and the re-
union. He meets his old comrades, feels the
warm grasp of fraternal love, sees the express
sion of enthusiasm and contentment on their
faces and In their eyes when listening to an old
song or "Reminiscences of the camp. The in
ward feelings of our deaf comrade can only be
told and appreciated by one in his helpless con-
dition. What a condition to be into see all
these things, yet unable to hear, as in the good
old days that have gone never to return.
Many are the infirmities deaf man is heir
to. summary of part of them l will give
taken from the letters l have received. Memo
ry impaired; nervous prostration great diff
Guilty experienced after dark in walking; have
staggering, stumbling, unsteady step; STOPPING
after dark causes dizziness and blindness, imag-
mary objects dancing in front of you, with an
inclination to pitch forward; paralysis or numb
ness of feeling in the head vertigo; loss of
the sense of taste and smell severe and eX-
treme pains in the head and ears; restiessness
in sleep; depression of mind and body; sus-
weather, which increases the disability; great
difficulty III communicating with those no
can hear, and more especially those who cannot
write; trouble in procuring remunerative en-
ployment, and more particularly those who are
totally deaf and are unable to do manual labor;
makes one feel all alone;" a gOneness and
sadness, with an aching desire that is intoler-
able to communicate or hear all that helps to
make life dear and pleasure to everyone who
at one time could hear.
Many imagine that deaf person has moth
ing to disturb him in the way of any noise in
the ears, etc. IN this they are greatly in error.
Many have continuous roaring, rumbling and
disagreeable noises in one or both ears day and
night without i,ltermisson. The music box
NEVER RUNS DOWN.
Others have three or four different sounds at
one time. They write: Swapping noises -;
sounds like distant thunder ," booming of
artillery .; blowing Or escaping Of steam from
an engine Or locomotives; blowing on mouth
OF bottle y; blowing scream of steam whis-
tle"; "clatter and buzzing 10 be heard in a 40
horsepower planning mill y; sounds like the
voice of some one singing old army Or other
| familiar songs, especially Tramp! Tramp!' and
Sweet BY -snd-Bye'"; "sounds like some old
person with cracked voice talking in an ada
cent roOm with determination to talk .you to
death This lively conversation will commence
without any introduction, and will last some.
o'Ah0' iVi wv VI tnIcc houIS Keen, CRACK
| ing sound like the report of a rife but much
louder, that raises the sole proprietor clean off of
his feet, and from horizontal position to a per-
pendicular',; catching severe cold causes a
conglomeration of noises that would defy COM
petition, and would put to shame Barnum's
mule and calliope, combined with dozen
other disagreeable noises thrown in y; sounds
like some ono striking an immense bell one
stroke, the vibration distinctly heard until it
dies away; sounds like the falling of water
from an elevation or cataract; sounds like
the old fashioned spinning wheel" etc.
This is no painted or exaggerated illustration
of infirmities and sounds caused by deafness
ALI are taken from the letters / have received
from my comrades. must confess that do not