New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-11-15
Eyes or Ears?
A Theatregoer Makes a Discovery
and Urges a Theory


To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: The other day went to see play in
one Of our theatres, occupying a seat in the
last row of the orchestra floor, and enjoyed
it greatly from that point Of vantage. Sud-
denly, however, my eyes became tired and
closed them for few moments To my sur
prise l could not make out any more the
voices of the different actors, although have
perfect hearing; all heard was a confused
humble of words from the distance. I opened
my eyes and instantly heard the words of the
actors again, clearly and distinctly. repeat
cd this process several times, each time with
the same result. | tried conversation with
closed eyes in rapidly moving subway
train, and actually heard only half what was
said though it was said in a loud voice
This brought me TO the realization that the
eyes are more necessary part to hearing than
most people think. Having friend who has
gradually lost her hearing, but who has learned
TO read the lips in a school for the hard of hear
ing in this city, and who understands now
even whispered conversation by sight alone
without much difficulty, | was naturally great
ly interested in this experience. The eyes
take in at q glance a situation, they note
from the expression in the face of the per-
son speaking whether what he says is serious.
amusing or otherwise, and in many instances
without previous training they recognize the
actions of the visible speech organs inter
preting the word pictures formed by them
with the aid of the mind into spoken Lam
guage, even if the sound of the voice cannot
bp haar I'd at all Of
sciously done just this same thing when at
tending moving picture play, and have per-
haps been startled by the sudden voices an.
pearing from the silent screen.
have had opportunity to meet number
Of business and professional men and women
who had become more or less hard Of hearing
and could not help wondering why they al
ways neglected to use their eyes as an aid TO
better understanding. In several cases. in
fact, these people turned their eyes away in
order to stretch forward their good" ear 70
have what needed 20 be said shouted in. To
one OF them | remarked: "why don't you use
your eyes and allow them to assist your
ears?
ION, know you mean to hint that ought
to study lip reading" he replied quite haught-
ily but, thank God, it has not come 10 This
as yeti"
mat Is the general attitude that | have
found among my hard-of-hearine acopain+-
anees. They seem to me like those who "bavs
eyes and see not" simply because they are
unwilling to do so. They COMPLAIN bit,erlv
at the loss of human companionship. AT the
,aeS o. intercourse with intelligent friends,
%, ure unwilling to shake of the benumbing
influence OF encroaching deafness bv Ioorr;n',
to read the lips Their objection seems 70
De the words Zip reading,"I believe. which. in
my opinion. is misnomer. The term. how
ever implies that eyes and mind have been
framed TO come rapidly to the assistance OF
the impaired hearing and to intellieentlv con-
s'ruet INTO comprehensive whole what has
oeen partly perceived by the ears. In case Of
total deafness as my friends case proves, the
yves and the mind can be trained to take al
most entirely the place of the ears.
New York. Nov. ~. 1917