The sun., 1894-11-11
MORE TELEPHONE EAR.
Some Central Girls Have Buzzings In the
Err and some are Made Deaf.

Several girls employed in the central telephone
ofice in San Francisco were stricken down a few
years ago with disease of the ear, which for
want OF n better name was called telephone
| ear"b a prominent aurist who studied their
trouble. The ailment was the result of the con-
stant strain on the caused by keeping a re-
ceiyer fastened to 1t for eight or nine hours a
day. Buzzing in the ear and severe headaches
were the first symptoms, and in some cases
severe Assesses formed on the drum of the ear,
and operations were necessary. The disease be-
came so prevalent that girls who had not been
afflicted quit work rather than run the risk OF
contracting the disorder. and It was not stamped
out until the telephone company let the girls
tako an hour OF recreation after every two or
three hours OF work.
A business man who has seven telephones
in his Office in this city told a Sun reporter that
he has considerable trouble in getting prompt
answers from the Central girls when he rings
them up during the day.
II don't quite understand it." he said, be
cause l have made complaints about it and
have been Informed that the girls on my wires
arc among the oldest and most faithful en-
ployees OF the telephone company When l
have been ringing the bell for several minutes
without receiving any reply, and the girl sua-
denly answers me. and ask her why she didn't
answer before, she Invariably replies that
-, But have been ringing for five minutes
"'Oh. that's impossihle,' she said because I
once in an hour and Il half
been telling me the truth. for the thing has hap
pened dozen times with this same girl. and
she certainly would nos lib tO me with such fire.
quency. She must be suffering with some ear
trouble, else she is really deaf, although that
seems impossible, because she hears me all
right after we once get started"
The reporter spoke 10 one OF the head men of
the Metropplitan Telephone Sompany about the
matter. The manager said II wa true that
many OF the Central girls suffered from car
troubles as result OF tho constant strain on
that organ caused by keeping receiver fastened
N IL hours al a time,
- have heard OF this disease which they call
telephone ear" he said, and while il has
been very prevalent in the West and girls have
absolutely lost their hearing from il / am told
we have not had much OF Il here because We
have taken every precaution against H. The
girls sometimes become i'll from he strain and
are obliged 10 go home but "a almost an eases
they have recovered in a day or 80 and rome
back 10 work: Some find that they cannot do
the work; and so We have 10 dispense with their
services. But as said, we take every precuUti0n
10 prevent the trouble becoming prevalent. The
girls have time 20 rest their ears, and every i'm
In use Immediately 10 lessen the strain on tho
girls Many suffer from busking sounds in their
ears and sometimes girls faint at their tables,
but as said we do al we can 10 prevent H."
telephone girl said 10 the reporter:
have known half "a dozen girls TO be
table, while I have known dozens who have
uuhe tle work Tor years ana never sufereiI any
thing from II. Most of Us have awful buEziHg
sounds IN the ears for hours after we leave
work, while We also suffer from severe head
aches. ! nave been ~tricsen temporarily deaf
whlte the receiver WAS AZ my ear time aud
again, and have had numerous complaints
made against me by suhscr, hers, who accused
me OF inat,ention. II is unjust to complain. brt
then suppose they do II because they don't
know the facts. The girls are always anxious 90
be prompt, and a subscriber can rest assured
that when he does not get an Immediate reply
70 his ringing IL IS because the Central gil is
temporarily deaf"