The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1944-10-28

larger number of sound waves
and directs them to the ear. This
causes the conduction part of the
hearing apparatus to vibrate
more. The fundamental fact for
the deafened person to under
stand about hearing aids is that
the fundamental trouble with the
chronically deafened is that the
conduction apparatus is stiff and
does not vibrate in a normal way.
The hearing organ is solidly
placed i C. heavy bone and it re-
spends TO vibrations coming to it
through the air, But it responds
TO any vibrations and some vibra-
tons get 10 it through the bone
normally all the time. This bone
conduction function can be i'm
proved with practice and on that
depends much Of the success of
modern hearing aids.
Principle of Hearing Aids
The cupped hand was the first
hearing aid, and was the principle
of most hearing aids, such as the
ear trumpet, until very recently
when the enormous Improvement
of the modern electric hearing aid
replaced nearly every other kind.
Essentially the electric hearing
aid transmits sound waves into
electric energy by the transmitter,
and then reconverts the electric
energy into sound energy by the
receiver which is placed over the.
bone so that bone conduction can
be utilized.
Air conduction receivers can be
used also for those who do better
with air than bone conduction.
There is third part Of the ap-
paratus which is the amplifer,
which increases or regulates the
amount of the type electric energy
which will produce sound at the
expense of a battery.
But there was second func- d,
ton that lie prlml, i've hand-cup-
ping hearing devlc, accomplished
which too many deafened people
forget. 1t was signal. 1t told the
world-"I can't hear you very
we'll. Speak louder"
say many deafened people for
get that because they are so often
ashamed or embarrassed by hav-
ing to wear a hearing aid. They
try to conceal it among the dress
folds and all this and that when
as a matter of fact one of the
greatest helps they could have
would be to make il as conspicu-
Gus as the old mans cupped hand.
Then people would talk at them
instead of away. from them and
also pitch the voice so it could be
heard better.
Most deafened people can hear
a high pitched voice better than
a low tone. One of the things that
surprise parents about children
who are found to be partially deaf
only when they first enter school
is THAI they never suspected the
child was deaf because it would
sit and listen endlessly to the
radio. The high pitched radio is
the only sort of sound these people
can hear.
This psychology Of the deaf is
one Of the hardest handicaps in
helping them. There is something
about the situation that makes
them resentful and shy. A deaf
person is always more unhappy
than a blind person, as any ear
doctor can tell you. People with
partial visual defects are proud of
all their little gadgets-lorgnons
and gold glasses cases, and some
Europeans even like to make
themselves conspicuous with mon
oeles.
Even with all the troubles Of
being deaf there occurs to me
every now and then one of the
three Improvements my old
friend, Dr.. Adrian Gibbs, would
make on Nature--that we could
shut our ears sometimes as we do
our eyes.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
K. K. K.:-What causes acid in
the urine and is it dangerous?
A.: Normal urine is always
acid, except after a meal contain.
ing large amounts Of alkalia