The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-12-09
Worcester Man Experiments
at Austine insti-
tuition
WOULD INTEREST
WAR DEPARTMENT
Principal of Local Institution Attaches
Little Value to Results Of Expert
ment Here, Despite Statement to
Contrary

Joseph g. Davis OF Worcester, Mass,
viii go 10 Washington today, accord
ing to statement credited 10 him III
today's Boston Globe, to lay before
officials OF the war department, dircc
tors Of The Smithsonian institute and
members of the Volta society 4 discov-
cry which he claims he has made, to
restore sight 10 the blind and hearing
10 the deaf.
Davis is quoted rs stating III sub
stance that his method has been csl-
do4scd by Miss He3cn G. Th4ockmorton
principal of the Austine Institute Of
Braitleboro, bur Miss Throcx,aorion
saws her attitude toward It is not cor,
restlv represented.
Mr. Davis says mis- discovery Is not
an invention. bat i PLATA discovery by
which thc rays oi Light may be con-
Quoted 90 tie brain ni 4 hiiad person
through the optic nerfP, provided that
nerve has not hcen paralyzcd. lie SAYS
his discovery VIII bc of especial ten-
eff 10 soldiers blinded in tic war. be.
cause, even though ,heir cyes may be
gone the chances are The optic nerHe IS
still able To function.
| Mr.. Davis says: - In Il sense ny dis
ieoyerv viii mean practically J set u
| new mechanical eyes, 50 made as 10 be
as nearly like the natural ewes as POS
sihle. With a radius ef vision and the
same remarkable function pf dts;ribu-
ing light; in short. a ,iny camera.
| There will be Two cameras Tor two
! lost cveS and the sensation of vision
| Rill he impaired 10 the optic nerve by
gentle electric stimulation. which can
| be achieved through mechanical means
| such rs an electric belt or some tiny
storage battery
=, That is how nature makes rs see
| The vibrations in the air convey The
impression of sight to the cameras
which are oar eyes. and the gentle elec
trie current which is in every living
body sends the impression along 10 thC
| brain
There is nothing wonderful about
it, The same thing will be accom-
plishcd IN 4 few years when they co,
send vonr picture over wire by cice
rigity and reproduce Il at the reeeiv
ing end. They send our voices over III.
telephone wires, and what is it Sim
| ply vibrations in another form.
Il have taken my theory Of v,bra
ton and sound waves and sensation
waves aud have applied them success
fully to atone-leaf person. and
have made that person hear
Mr. Davis has = letter signed by Hell
en- G. Throekmorton, principal of TIL
Austine Institution for the Blind ant
Deaf at Bcattleboro, stating that h
made\a a totally deaf woman hear th'
music Of phonograph aad that he hat
caused her to distinguish tic sentenc,
Mary had a little lamb, and othc
words.
When asked by The Reformer as Il
Mr.. Davis : experiment with his dis
covcrv n the Austine Institute Mis-
Throckmorton said the woman upol
whom the experiment was made at tn
institution was not made 10 hear, bu
chat through her finger tips she senses
enough Of familiar words in sentence
like Mary had little lamb 50 tha
she could tell what some Of the .enten
ees were, but in Miss Throckmorton
opinion the device was Of little practi
cal value.