Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1888-04-05
The NEeRo.s EAR.
why Deafness Is Rare Among the TYP
ical Africans.

why Deafness Is so Rare Among the Typ
ical Africans.
DR.. 7. E Murrell. of Little Rock.
Ark, recently read paper on ..Pecu-
liarities in the Structure and the Dis
eases of the Ear in the Negro" He
said: by negro is here meant the
typical African and not the mixed
races. The negro has fewer aural
affections than the white man. and for
this reason deafness is much less COM
mon IL these people. His immunity
from aural diseases is due TO other than
accidental causes alone. Peculiarities
in anatomy are met with sufficiently
striking to explain some of his exemp-
tons. The following peculiarities in
the anatomy of the ear and adnexa
are more or less conspicuous: The
pima is small, with lack of develop
ment above the conch;l, and is set
closely to the side of the head. The
external auditory canal is large, quite
straight. and of less average depth
than the standard. The membrane
tympani is large in its diameters. and
forms a less oblique angle with the
axis of the canal than that usually
given. The mastoid process is very
slightly developed and inconspicuous.
The pharynx is large and capacious,
with great breadth between the fauces.
The mares are broad and hared, Civ
ing immense breadth to the choane.
DETECTION of the septum is seldom an
obstruction to nasal respiration. Dis
eases of the external auditory canal
are mostly accidental and traumatic
Foreign bodies, both animate and in
animate, frequently find their way into
the wide, straight canal Impacted
cerumen is less common than in the
white races. Otitis parasitica is rare.
Otitis media supparativa acuta is rather
frequent in children. but less so than in
whites. Rhinitis purulenta is common
in strumous children, and in these the
suppuration of the middle ear mostly
occurs. Recovery generally takes
place, with little loss to hearing. Otitis
media suppurativa chronica is still less
common. In adults it is seldom EN-
countered. Mastoiditis is extremely
rare. Otitis media catarrhalis chronica
is very infrequent. Pharyngitis ct
rhinitis chronica are seldom met with,
and hence the absence of the middle
ear affection. Otitis media prolifera-
tiva occurs in the aged, but not in so
large ratio as in whites. Otitis in
terna is almost unknown out of in
fancy, unless traumatic. Nerve deaf
ness, except in deaf mutes, is extreme
ly infrequent. Deaf mutism is of much
smaller percentage than in the white
races. Nervous diseases are infre-
quent in the negro. Cerebro spinal
fever, a so frequent cause of deafness,
is almost unknown in these people.
Among the accidental causes of aural
affections may be mentioned: The
Southern negro lives in open houses
and is therefore less liable to head colds
than otherwise. His colds are mostly
pectoral. He lives simply, generally
has good digestion and is not lax in
tissue. Hence the infrequency of otitis
media. He is proverbially cheerful
and happy and never allows RESPONSE
bility to weigh upon him. This is at
tributable to the inferior development
of the moral side of his nature.
Through this he gains immunity from
a large class of nerve diseases common
i'll the eager, high-strung Caucasian"
--ChGrleStO71 Meas and Courier.