The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1899-05-25

Reese HutchinsOn's Instrument That
Can Be Used for Mutes, Too.

The Akoulallion, an instrument by means
of which the deaf are made to hear, is the
name given to recent invention of Reese
Hutchinson, a young resident of Mobile, Ala.
1t has been put to test in public with re-
markedly successful results. The instru-
ment is very simple, and consists of an
audiphone and transmitter. At the test they
were run by battery of 10 cells. The in
strumentS used at the test consisted of two
audiphones, bound together by spring,
one fitting over each ear, on the order of the
appliance used in the telephone exchanges.
The transmitter is something like the trans
mitter of an ordinary telephone. though not
nearly so large and cumbersome, and shaped
somewhat like small egg cup For pur
poses of instruction in institutions for the
deaf and dumb there is breastplate, to
which is attached a transmtter, so ar
ranged that it can be used for the mute
to speak into or for him to turn and catch
sounds. On other words. the transmitter
is connected with the audpnone, SO that the
mute can hear his own voice as well as that
OF his teacher through the transmitter used
by the teacher. In this breastplate there
are two switches, one of which cuts off
each individual pupil from all other pupils,
and the other is controller of the intensity
of the volume of the wave sounds through
the audiphOne, in order to accommodate the
intensity to the different degrees of sensi
tiveness found to exist in the ears of differ
ent mutes.
BY means of the switch in the breastplate
any number of pupils can be connected to-
gether and taught by one teacher through
the one transmitter. or each one can be cut
out and drilled separately
In the tests two mutes heard the sound
of the human voice at5a distance Of 60 feet
and of the piano still further away. They
also heard the playing Of a graphophone.
They heard a whisper that was not much
more than audible to those of the audience
with good ears and pronounced the letters
of them repeating his, name and the words
bad boy" very distinctly, Mr.. Hutchinson
says that the effectiveness of the instrU-
ment is due to sonnet peculiar electrical vi
bration which seems to reach the auditory
nerves, the nature of which he cannot ex-
plain himself. -:
The instrument has been thoroughly test
ed at the Alabama Institution for the Deaf
and Dumb at TalladesA, and in no instance,
in tests made on mote; than 100 pupils, was
there single failure tob make the pupil
hear. Mr.. Hutchinson says he has been
flooded with letters asking iabout the instru-
ment. some of them pathetic in the ex
IRENE, and that It has been impossible for
him to answer all of them, but as soon as
the instruments can be placed on the mar
ket all of his correspondents will be no.
tilted.
Mr.. Hutchinson is possibly the youngest
inventor in the United States whose name
has ever been coupled with an invention so
fraught with benefit to mankind He will
not be % years of age until August. Young
Hutchinson early showed an aptitude for
electricity, and invented several minor APP
pliances before he reached his majority.
He studied at Marion institute, in this state,
for two years, at Spring Hill college one
year, and then took a two years course in
the electrical department at the Alabama
Polytechnic institute at Auburn. He also
took a course studying the human ear. He
is . frail looking young man, but of untiring
energy, and his friends expect him to be-
come the Edison Of the South-New York
Journal.