128 DISEASES Class 1. 2. 5. & 



mis, in which 3 fluid is accumulated in the ventricles of the 

 brain ; on this idea the inactivity of die optic or auditory nerves 

 in thefe fevers may arife from the compreihoii of the eifufed fluid - y 

 white the torpor atrending putrid fever may depend on the me- 

 ninges of the brain being chickened by inflammation, and thus 

 cornpreifing it ; now the new veiTels, or lite blood, which thick- 

 ens inflamed parts, is more frequently rc-abfovhed, than the ef- 

 fufed fluid from a cavity j and hence the ftupor in one cafe is 

 licl's dangerous than in the other. 



In inflammatory or fenfitive fevers vith debility, deafnefs may 

 fometimes arife from a greater fecretion and abforption of the 

 ear-wax, which is very fimilar to the bile, and is liable to fill the 

 meatus auditorius, when it is too vifcid, as bile obltructs the gall- 

 ducts. 



M. M. In deafnefs without fever, Dr. Darwin applied a cup- 

 ping-glafs on the ear with good effect, as defcribed in Phil. 

 Tranf Vol. LXIV. p. 348. Oil, ether, laudanum, dropped into 

 the ears. Errhines. Electricity. 



If ether when dropped into the ears be aot very pure, it is lia- 

 ble to give pain ; it has otherwife the property both of dilTolving 

 the ear-wax, and of ftimulating torpid parts into their accuftom- 

 ed activity, as is known from its relieving pains from inactivity 

 of the pained part, as tooth-ach and head-ach. If unre£tified 

 ether be diddled from the oxyde of manganefe, the oxygen dif- 

 engaged from the manganefe is aiTerted to convert the fulphurous 

 into fulphuric acid, which is then not difpofed to rife in diftilia- 

 tion. Journal de Phyfique, April, 1798. And that this is the 

 great fecret of procuring pure ether, and it will then give no pain 

 on being dropped into the ear. See Art. II. 2. 3. 



Deafnefs is believed fometimes to arife from obllruction of the 

 Euftachian tubes, which communicate from the fauces to the in- 

 ternal ear behind the tympanum ; if this obitrudtion be flight, as 

 by infpbTated mucus, it has been proposed to inject the Eufta- 

 chian tubes j and it is faid, that if the deaf perfon frequently 

 has recourfe to the fimple action of {hutting his mouth and of 

 clofing his noftrils by pinching them together with his finger and 

 thumb, and then forcibl$Jj|y}eavours to^prefs the breath through 

 his nofc, that air will pafs into the internal ear through the Eu- 

 ftachian tubes, condenfmg that air which exifts behind the tym- 

 panum ; which the patient will himfelf be fenfible of, by a ien- 

 fation of found in his ears. And that this has relieved man v. 



Where an eruption occurs in the ear, followed by a dry fcale 

 ©r fcab at the bottom of the meatus auditorius, a folution of 

 corrofive fubiimate of mercury, hydrargy-rus muriatus, about one 

 grain to an ounce of water, dropped into the ear, frequently has 



t been 



