On the Origin of the Gojfamer. 119 



fo as to be fomewhat ftretched. Through each fubftance 

 the found was modified in a manner a Httle different. By 

 refting a flick or other body againft the temples, the fore- 

 head, and the external cartilaginous part of the ear, found is 

 conveyed to the interior organs of hearing, as will readily 

 appear if you hold your watch to thefe parts of another per- 

 fon who has flopped up his ears. From this it appears, as 

 well as from many known experiments made in regard to 

 hearing under water, that in moft of our books on, the 

 dements of phyfics, in which in general accouftics have had 

 the undeferved fate of being treated in a much more imper- 

 fetl manner than other parts of philofophy, found is very 

 improperly confidered only as a vibration of the air, and the 

 theory of it referred to the head of Air. Hearing is nothing 

 elfe than, by means of the organs of hearing, to be fenfible 

 of the tremulous movement of an elaftic body, whether this 

 tremulous movement be conveyed through the air, or any 

 other fluid or hard body, to the auricular nerves. It is alfo 

 eflcntially the fame whether, as is ufually the cafe, the found 

 be conveyed through the internal part of the ear, or whether 

 it be communicated through any other part of the body. It 

 certainly would be worth the trouble to make experiments 

 to try whether it might not be poffible that deaf and dumb 

 people, when the deficiency lies only in the external organs 

 of the ear, the auricular nerve being perfect, could not, by 

 the above method of conducting found, be made toheardif- 

 tinftly words articulated as well as other founds. 



II. Obfcrvations on the true Origin of the GoJJlivwr. 



By J. M. BliCHSTElN*. 



X O explain the origin of the goflamer is an old problem, 

 which, after a number of experiments, no one, as far as I 

 know, has yet fully folved. Some naturalills have confidered 



* From Magazin fiir das Ncuejie am d 1 Phyjik. Vol. VI. Part I. p. ■;■;. 



1 4 this 



