New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-07-09
HELPINGTH THE DEAF TO HEAR
a DEVICE WHICH IS APPARENTLY AN
IMPROVEMENT ON ALL OTHERS.
MILLER REESE HUTCHINSON REGULATES THE
sENsITIVENESs OF HIS APPARATUS LIKE
FoCU-SSING AN OPERA GLASS

situations for the deaf in this country has recent
ly been directed to an instrument invented by
Miller Reese Hutchinson, formerly Of Mobile, Ala
but at present staying in this city. The object of
his apparatus is to aid the deaf TO hear, and thus
to promote speech and education. It was long ago
demonstrated that most of those who called
dumb are speechless not because of any defect
In their vocal organs but because they do not
know what sound is. or late years it has been
common to train people who absolutely deaf
90 speak, although their inability to hear their
own utteranccs makes it difficult to teach them
how to acquire a pleasant tone Of voice.
There is a growing belief among experts that
deafness is largely a matter Of degree. and is
rarely complete. Mr. Hutchinson is probably too
hopeful when he says that he expects to be able
to help every one who has trouble in hearing but
experiments made with his "akouaon" indi-
cate that he has found way TO assist number
OF persons who have been regarded as utterly in
capable Of the sensation of sound. 1t is little
too soon TO indulge in statistics yet, but al
ready his invention has done enough to entitle 1t
to careful consideration.
In its simplest form Mr.. Hutchison's device is
cup-shaped receiver which is held at one ear by
the listener He does not care to explain the in
But small electric battery. which can easily be
carried in the pocket out Of sight, is connected
with it, and suggests that in some respects the
construction and operation resemble those of a
telephone. The cup at the ear is virtually
transmtter and receiver in one. Ordinarily
person who is using the akouallon sits at dis
lance Of ten. fifteen or twenty feet away from
the speaker singer performer to whom he is
wires
There are circumstances however, under when
II becomes desirable to introduce such wires De-
tween speaker and listener In certain kinds of
instruction in an institution where a number OF
deaf persons are being taught simultaneously In
elementary utterance it is important that the
rupil hear ONLY his teacher and be prevented
from hearing the imperfect and misleading
speech of his fellows In work OF this sort Mr..
Hutchinson provides a portable transmitter, like
desk telephone for the instructor. and runs a set
of wires from it to the headpeces of the audi
tors A headpiece is merely light aluminium
support for two receivers, one at each ear, like
that worn by the telephone girls in a central
office.
one Of the most novel features OF Mr.. Hutch-
sons APPARATUS is that ii can be regulated 10
suit the sonsitiyeness Of the listeners ear ana
the intensity Of the sound that is to be conveyed.
What would be the right adjustment for one
ucrson would not suit another. and to eaten
subdued conversational utterance one would
need a different setting from that required Tor
brass band The user. then, varies the sensitive
ness of his receiver very much as one would FOCUS
his opera glass at a theatre. Upon the correct
admiration of the instrument to the condition Oh
the particular person who employs tan easy
matter however--the success of the experiment
depends largely.
Careful tests by oculists have shown that in
most people the focal length OF the natural
lenses of the right eye is a trine longer, greater
or less than that OF the left. And certain kinds
OF opera glasses permit the user to adjust each
eyepiece separately. In like manner Mr.. Hutchi-
son provides for regulating the two earpeces OF
his apparatus Independently in order to secure
the best possible results.
This adjustabity of the apparatus 10 the re-
quirements of different persons explains in
measure perhaps. the success that has attended
the use of it in many instances. The device
has not yet been put the market, but eX-
tensive tests have been made with ii in the Ala
bama Institute for the Deaf and similar places.
Private individuals some OF them prominent III
the business world and more than one of them
living in New-York City, declare that the akou- I
kallion has helped them greatly. There really
.eems to be something to the claim that deaf |
ness is a matter Of degree. and is seldom 50 ut
tory beyond relief as has been supposed
Or. j. II. Johnson, principal Of the Alabama
Institute for the Deaf, in reply to inquiries ad-
DIRE ssed TO him by The Tribune. says that he has !
not been able to make all OF his pupils hear with |
the aid OF the Hutchinson apparatus, but he hopes /
to utilize IT in time with about ~ per cent Of
them 1t would not be his sole reliance. AS in |