New-York tribune., 1918-03-04
Roosevelt Quits
Hospital To-day;
Deaf in One Ear
He Is Temporarily Unable t,
Walk Freely; Brazilian
Fever Gone

theodore Roosevelt, probably pcrma.
rently deaf in his left ear and tenn.
porarily subject to spells of dizziness
while walking, will leave Roosevelt
Hospital for the Hotel Langdon this
afternoon. Aside from the deafness
DR.. Walton Martin and DR.. Arthur B
Duel yesterday predicted that in few
weeks Colonel Roosevelt would be in
better health than at any time since
he returned from Brazil four years ago
In Brazil the Colonel contracted a
tropical fever, the effects of which he
has felt frequently. This fever the
doctors now believe has been thor.
oughly eradicated from his system.
The dizzy spells are due to the de-
struction of the semi-circular canal
IN the left ear. AZ explained by a
surgeon familiar with the case. these
canals in either ear enable one to pre-
serve unconsciously his balance while
walking. The destruction of canal
he said, makes it necessary for one tc
watch his step"
The Colonel first experienced this
dizziness and difficulty in walking
when he walked from the room in
which he spent his early days in the
has been valescing. The distance
was only fifty feet, but he had diff
Guilty in negotiating it. Since then he
has walked considerable distances at
times, and as long as his mind is on
his walking he has no difficulty.
Aside from the loss of his usual
color and some loss i'll weight, those
who saw the Colonel noticed little
change in him. 1t will be necessary for
Colonel Roosevelt, however, to have an
almost complete rest for the next few
he would go to Maine for the Repub-
licar state convention on March 28.
IN his brief stay at the Hotel Langdon
he will receive few visitors.
The Colonel was UP early yesterday
morning, and about noon saw his
physicians and went over the final bull
letin they had prepared for the public.
On his insistence that the public
should know the truth about his deaf
ness in the left ear and his tenn
porary difficulty in walking they went
into details, finally agreeing on this
statements:
"For the last four years Colonel
Roosevelt has intermittently suffered d
explorations. This has not interfered d
with his activities, which have been
above those of the normal man. This
acute attack has given us the oppor-
tunity to remove the cause. proba bly
completely, and we believe from the
rapidity with which the incision has
healed, he is in an unusually vigorous
condition. and that he will speedily be
in even better shape than before.
"While this condition was being
treated, but not in connection with this
condition, he developed an acute infec-
ton of both middle ears, which neces-
STATED an incision of both drum mem
branes. The right ear recovered and
ir & few weeks his hearing in this ear
will be as good as ever. Subsequently
the infection spread to the internal
ear on the left side temporarily and
probably permanently destroying ali
hearing functions
at has also destroyed the static
function in this ear. and some months
will pass before the compensation for
the loss Of this function completely
takes. place. In other words-it will
be some months before he will recover
complete control of equilibrium. or be-
after quick or unexpected motion. In
consequence during these months he
rust be cautious about his activities.
"Hc is bent upon keeping his engage
mert to speak in Maine on the 28th of
this month. We believe, but are not
certain. that he will be able to do so
on condition, however, that he rests as
completely as possible beforehand and
that he exercises caution during the
trip itself. For the next fortnight he
ought to rest as much as possible, so
that he may recover from the effects OF
the severe operations he has under
gone"
The loss OF hearing in his left ear
makes Colonel Roosevelt deaf and blind
on that side, the public learning last
fall that he lost the sight of his left
eye while in the White House, the re-
suit Of stiff jab from "a husky young
artillery captain" with whom he was
boxing.