National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1885-06-27
Tlle Aniinlinne.

This useful novelty, which we mentioned
yesterday, has been described to us by the
inventor himself, Herr Plessner. He Is n
Prussian officer, who is staying for few
days at the Hotel Bellevue, in the avenue
de rOpera For some years past he has
been engaged upon scientific work requir-
ing great concentration of thought, hut the
noise Of the restless traffic in the streets
preyed upon his nerves II therefore oc-
CURED to him to devise some method by
which the sound could be doadened. In
this task he succeeded, his invention com
mending Itself 10 the notice of DR.. Paul
Niomeyer, distinguished physician of Ber-
lin, who tulfills the important functions of
SantWts RGth, and who prescribed its use
to his patients. Now that the "antiphone'-
a designation 40 admirably expressive of its
obiect--has been brought before the pub
lie, there will be no need to strew
straw or sawdust TO dcaden the sound
of the horses feet. The little
instrument, which Is in nickel, consists of a
hollow, air-tight ball, which fits into the
external Oriiicc of the ear, aud Is prevented
from entering us far as the drum by means
OF stem and crescent-shaped cross-piece
a. the top, the latter adjusting itself to the
inner conformation OF the lobe. The anti
phone does not project from the head II
ncsilcs softly within the outer portions of
the ear, and may he used in sleep OF in
study, an advantage, In this case, being that
the student may SIT at an open window
without being disturbed by sounds from
without. II docs not, however, destroy all
sense Of hearing, for ordinary conversation
may proceed a. usual.
Before patentiug his invention Capt.
Plessner tested II practically for two years.
At the commencement Of that period he
placed watch IN the corner of the room,
and without using the instrument he walked
away few PAGES, until the sound died of.
He measured the distance which repre-
scented his powers of hearing, and after an
interval OF ten months, during which he
had used the antiphone, he found, on APP
plying the same test, that his ear had been
greatly strengthened, the theory being that
while the instrument Is applied the car
rests, and its powers undergo O recupera-
tive process.
1t is known fact that men employed In
hammer become deaf In course Of time, and
the present invention be regarded as an
infallible means Of preventing that allment.
So far the demand for the Instrument in
Germany has far exceeded the supply,
although the antiphone has been brought
out by the well-known firm Of SchulZe 4;
Bartels, optical and surgical instrument
makers, Rathenow, Brandenburg. The sale
mas exceeded ntty dozen per week.
Vienna writer, in noticing the patent,
states that he had applied pair Of the anti
phones to the ears Of q dozen people, and
found that II was useless. This Is perfectly
Ineligible. He might as well have said that
he had applied pair of spectacles to dozen
people, and that II had proved successful IN
only one instance. The fact is that each per-
son must select an antiphone exactly adj
justed to his ears. In nine cases out Of ten,
indeed, the antiphone for the same indi.
vidual will be of two sizes, the dimensions
of one ear seldom corresponding to those Of
the other. They must be personally Sc
lected from the sample box deposited with
the agents, opticians, and surgical-instru-
ment dealers, and this, Of course, argues a
work Of patience. But when once the right
article has been chosen II may easily be re-
placed should it ever get lost, as each anti
phone is numbered according to size. Capt.
Plessner, we have no doubt, will be ready
to answer inquiries by correspondence or
appointment, and to illustrate the practical
working Of HIS invention, which In many
respects is scarcely OF less importance than
that Of spectacles. The antiphone will
shortly make its way 10 England. lid
HgndnpS MESSENGER, 20h instant,