Thoughts m Bcafnefs, 379 



IT has been a general remark, that deaf people fpeak in a 

 ^'e^y low tone of voice, while they themfelvf^s conceive that 

 they fpeak very loud. It is fuppofed that the deaf perfon, 

 not being fo eafily affefted by found, anfwers in what he be- 

 lieves to be the proper and correfponding pitch. 



I came down laft night from London to Gofport in the 

 ftage-coach : one of the paflengers, a woman, was extremely 

 deaf. A few weeks before, I had travelled in a fimilar ve- 

 hicle with an unentcrtaining companion of the fame kmd. 

 My attention has been thereby turned to the fubjed ; and 

 I am led to make the following remarks : — 



For that deafnefs arifmg from impaired excitability of the 

 organ of hearing, properly fo called, I know of no remedy : 

 I confine what I have to fay to that fpecies of it which Ls 

 occafioned by a difeafed ftate of tympanum, or the external 

 meatus. 



In either of thefe laft cafes founds communicated by the 

 external ear appear to be of a lower pitch than in reality they 

 are; while,if the Euftachian tube continues permeable, thoic 

 communicated through the mouth appear higher and louder 

 than ufual. Even where the ear and all its parts and paf- 

 fages are in health, founds communicated through the mouth 

 are more perfed than thofe which pafs through the external 

 meatus. This, perhaps, is occafioned partly by the con- 

 cavity of the mouth, and partly by the folidity of the 

 teeth. In perfons whofe tympanum, or whofe external 

 meatus is difeafed, it is probable that the ear, from habit, 

 becomes more fenfible to the vibrations of found com- 

 municated through the Euftachian tube, than, without fuch 

 a circumftancc, it otherwife would be. 



Sound being more eafily communicated through the me- 

 dium of foUd than of rare bodies, I apprcliend that a long 

 wire held in the mouth would be much more feniceable 

 to fuch a deaf perfon, than the largcft trumpet applied to llic 

 external car. 



|t poflciTcs alfo the advantage of being extrcniclv pyrtable, 



and 



