The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-04-12
ID c a. r M T. S S
And Noises In the Head.
c At a r r III!
One of it's Principal Causes.
A Letter From DIR Lighthill.
WASHINGTON, March %, 1891.

WASHINGTON, March %, 1891.
MIR. EDITOR: The nasal passages are in di-.
rect communication with the middle ear by
means OF canals (caled the Eustachian tubes(
situated Immediately behind the nostrils and
ing directly into the drum cavity SO direct
is the connection thus formed that some anat-
omists consider the middle ear s mere extern
sion of the cavities of the nose.
One of the most deplorable features Of
catarrh is the readiness with which It spreads
through these Eustachan tubes to the impor-
tant structure of the middle ear, and, by it's
disorganizing effects, impairing or destroying
hearing. This unfortunate result takes place
SO frequently that in nearly every case Of
deafness which presents itself for treatment
the difficulty can be clearly traced to the effecte
OF catarrn, and even In the feW cases whlch
originate from other causes the presence Of
catarrh seriously aggravates the aural disease
and renders permanent recovery impossible
until the catarrh is removed.
The invasion of the ear by the catarrhal dis
ease is usually characterized by feeling Of
fullness and obstruction in the ear, and by an
occasional bubbling or cracking sound in the
ear while swallowing or masticating food. At
such times the passage of air into the ear is
also occasionally felt, sensation never ex-
perienced when the ear is in normal condi-
ton. During an attack of fresh cold feel
ing Of pressure is often felt in the ear, to-
gether with soreness or dull pain and sensa-
tion of numbness over the affected side
In some cases the approach of deafness is
so insidious that it is almost impossible to fix
the time when the difficulty first commenced
In others the deafness at first comes only by
spells, more especially during an attack of
fresh cold or after sreezing or blowing the
nose. At such times the hearing will be found
suddenly obstructed and will az suddenly re-
turn, with something of Swapping sound
and sometimes with a loud startling report,
the whole process giving an idea of valve in
| the head which closes and opens the avenue
to hearing. By degrees, however, these spells
| of deafness occur oftener and last longer,
| until permanent deafness is the result. In all
cases of catarrhal deafness it is an unfortunate
feature that the difficulty grows slowly but
4 steadily worse until the hearing is seriously
impaired or entirely destroyed. Noises in the
head of every conceivable description are also
apt to make their appearance during the prog
ress of the disease, adding materially to the,
existing distress.
Formerly the middle ear was entirely mac
cessible to local treatment, because any liquid,
even the least possible drop, entering therein
resulted in violent earache and severe indam-
nation, often destructive to hearing; but my
recent invention has changed matters com
pletely. By a mechanical contrivance of my
own any liquid medicine is instantaneously
converted into vaporous consistency SO very
fine that it can be passed through the Eusta-
chan tubes and brought in direct contact with
the tympanic cavity without the slightest pain
or danger, and thus the middle ear can be
reached with the proper remedy as easily as
the nasal passages, aud deafness from the
above causes, heretofore considered as hope
less, can now be treated with positive success.
A. P. Lighthill, WI. d.,