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MUSICAL EAR. 190 



Musical Ear situated in the Brain. But if it be ob- 

 jected, that the above is a rare and extraordinary case, 

 and tends to prove that the tympanum may be dispensed 

 with, in ordinary hearing, as well as in the constitution 

 of a musical ear ; still setting this case aside, we find 

 that those who have no ears for music, are equally, 

 with the most enthusiastic amateurs, capable of distin- 

 guishing every kind of sound from the full peel of the 

 organ to the evanescent tones of the Eolian harp. His 

 sense of hearing, therefore is equally perfect, with that 

 of a .most skilful musician; and consequently there is 

 every reason to believe that his mere physical organ is 

 just as nicely constructed. Indeed there does not seem 

 to be any relation between a musical ear and mere deli- 

 cacy of hearing. 



If these considerations be admitted, and it is believed 

 no one will deny them, then we must admit also that the 

 soul-stirring effects of harmony depend on the organi- 

 zation of the brain, and not on that of the ear. And 

 this is the opinion of several recent physiologists of the 

 first class. " Speech," says Broussais, " is heard, and 

 repeated by all men, who are not deprived of their 

 auditory sense, because they are all endowed with cere- 

 bral organization, fit to procure for them distinct ideas 

 on the subject. Music when viewed as a mere noise, is 

 also heard by every one ; but it furnishes ideas suffi- 

 ciently clear to be re-produced and communicated by 

 those individuals only, whose frames are organized in a 

 manner adapted to this kind of sensation." 



Singular defects in certain Ears. The late Dr. 

 Wollaston in the Philosophical Transactions for 1820, 

 describes several peculiarities in certain ears, which 

 appear to have no defects in their organization, or capa- 

 city of receiving common sounds, not even in the per- 

 ception of musical harmony, but are insensible to cer- 

 tain acute sounds. The writer himself found that his 

 ear was insensible to any sound higher than six 

 octaves above the middle E of the piano. In several 

 other persons he found a similar insensibility to acute 

 sounds of a certain kind. Thus some could not hear 



