The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1910-01-14

An Organ That Can BE a. Much Over
worked as tho Eye Itself.

4 That ''deaiening' noise may liierall
4 deaien-that is. may really Strain ih
/, organ Of hearing 20 a. seriously 10 impai
J. lis nsefulness-is realized by few. Ne
= much a. Nc hear III EYE strain" ear
g strain j. nearly ss prevalent and. In ii
D way, quite a. SERIOUS. DE-. AlbaTt Barne'
! lof New York. attending surgeon Of Oh,
b New Amsterdam Eye aud Ear Hospital
; writing IN The Dieietie aud liygienie Ga
! setie. tells Us that Ia large city ths
/. loud noises, taken in connection with men
J tai strain and ehaneeable weather, often
} Affect the hearing, lie writes;
J 1T l. the good fortune Of many Of
: these people never 10 learn that they ART
hard 81 hearing. for in the ordinary affair.
81 life the total hearing ability Is but
seldom put 10 the test. Many
people think that because they can hear
through q telephone that their hearing l.
good Not always, for certain people
can hear very little through the air, but
they can hear well over the telephone,
Duh hearing like poor sight may last for
Year, without giving much trouble. 4.
When people for the first time realize
that their hearing is becoming poor they
often worry themselves into the belief
that matters are far worse than they
really are, and that they viii ultimately
become deaf. Let them console themselves
with the knowledge that much can be
done 20 improve their hearing, or at any
rate 10 keep il from getting worse
THE noise 81 our streets is accountable
for most Of the ear.strain from which We
suffer. The NOISE irritates the ear In the
same way that a glarihg light affects the
eyes. 4 person who is in robust health
may he able TO tolerate a certain amount
Of noise without serious results, but a ner.
vous person. or one who l. in delicate
health, may suffer greatly The majority
Of people who suffer from ear-stnin do
not know what ails them. Nervous won
en- and people from the country are the
principal sufferers. When they go shop
ping and spend considerable time in the
streets they &c, a troublesome headache, |
and feeling Of uncasiness and irfitabil |
ity so disturbing is this complaint al 1
times that il takes days 10 recover from |
il. That even a healthy ear Is finally /
weakened by excessive noises is shown 10y 1
the fact that boilermakcrs and othcrs
who work amid the clatter OF machinery 1
eventually lose part or all Of their hear.
ing We all know the disastrous effect
that a loud explosion is apt TO have upon
the hearing
Noise is not only injurious to the ear.
but also TO the voice The voice is regu
lated hy the sense OF hearing. consequent
~ ii the latter j. imperfect il is impossible
To hear the voice and modify its tone.
This l. why the voice Of deaf person IL
tonclc>s, fiat, aud lacking in rhythm.
"Atter person has been suffering from
,arstrain for certain length Of time a
ringing in the ears j. often noticed which
: as persistent ~ IL Is distressing.
i j. in the quiet OF the night that Il Is
oudesi, especially when person Is tired
" Is lying down,
Most people with ear-stfain are able TO
rear better with one ear than with the
,thcr. II is the poorer ear that Is usually
ifected hy the strain or 10y the huZzing.
When the hearing IN this ear i very de-
eetiye the hearing in the other j. also apt
o become impaired in time unless some
hing j. done 10 improve the bad ear. This
because the better ear. having more
han its own share Of work to do, Is un
lual 10 the task and breaks down under
he strain Perfect hearing is only TO he
al when both ears act together.
Ear-strain seldom comes on suddenly,
IT. Barnes goes on 20 say. II u often the \
ltcomr of neglected disease in child
God perhaps diseased tonsils or adenolds.
may be brought on by habtually smut
ny ,at water or medicatcd fund up into
le nose. whence some OF II finds is way
rough the eustachian tube into the ear
great deal can be done for the relief OF
r. strain, by restoring the nose and the
.roat TO a healthy condition We read
rthcr.
People with ear.strain should spare the
airing as much as possible and instead
straining the ear to catch what Is said,
ey should watch the lips more. In other
lrds. the eyes should be called upon to
IN the ears The use OF quinlne and OF
licylc acid should be interdicted unless
ey are absolutely necessary, for the rea.
u that these drugs are injurious to the
airing and often cause an incurahle buzz
, in the ears. and deafness. Stimulants
the form of alcohol and tobacco should -
used with caution. Even coffee may be =
rmful. To Use stimulants in ear-strain
like applying whip to a tired horse. OF
hat is needed is rest Al
When the ears have been strained by gre
E noise and confusion OF the day they me
~ be refreshed in the evening by listen no
to music or to such other sounds as IT
restful to them. This is often as good rel
a sound sleep. 1t is like resting the ser
IS by looking off into the distance after ing
" have become tired by prolonged read cor
or close work. To spend few days IN wa
country is perhaps the best way to III
Operate tired ear. The country air 10
a wonderful soothing effect upon the =
~ So Ia 81 ,bs,rh tbo bee
,,,r;, ~ ' ~ az az. and ~ e;ya ont q feir
Llthier atmosphere, so it seems the very "
nds have the harshness washed out of la la
m and come to the ear soft and agree Ia; ;,as
e. In the city all this is changed Az Az,
= finer workings Of nature are lost amid gu
din and hustle of the streets. Not
V is the air changed, but the people
changed, also The wholesome under
rent Of nature is absent, and they lose
keenness Of their finer senses through ~,
vitiating influences of their surround 60 90,
;. Very often only the discords of life Nv M,
in evidence oa ,