from the 

 Guns 



lUTMUl- ( 



Protecting the Ears 

 of Great 



SI'KCIALISTS 

 toll us that 

 the noises of 

 concussions, 

 trains, fog 

 horns, gun re- 

 ports, the clash 

 of machinery 

 and other harsh 

 or prolonged 

 sounds wear 

 a \v a \" the 

 energ>' of the 

 nervous sys- 

 tem, shock by 

 shock, causing 

 deafness, fatigue and debility. 

 An ear-protector, then, de- 

 signed to modify the sound 

 vibrations before they can be 

 communicated to the organs 

 of the internal ear, would 

 seem to be a very necessary 

 thing in some walks of life. 



One which has been placed 

 on the market recently is 

 made of transparent material 

 and has two soft rubber disks. One 

 of these disks is small and thin and 

 fits into the canal of the ear adjusting 

 itself to any size ear. The other disk is 

 larger and thicker and covers the orifice 

 of the canal, preventing the protector 

 from going in too far. 



The device is a guard, not a stopper, 

 and does not interfere with the natural 

 circulation of air in the canal of the car. 

 The atmospheric pressure is kept normal 

 and sounds of moderate force enter the 

 ear without change. Only those sounds 



Popular Scietice Montldy 

 Shock 



r()7 



The type of ear-protectoi ; 



by the British Admiralty for use in 



n adopted 

 the Navy 



which are of sufficient strength or of 

 such charact?r as to produce shock are 

 modihi'fl. The protector is also useful 

 in keeping the ears free from dust and 

 for excluding wind and water. 



There are sewr- 

 al of the ear-pro- 

 tectors and shock 

 absorbers on the 

 market. The de- 

 mand for them 

 has been increast>d 

 by the war, so 

 many of the sol- 

 diers having been 

 deafened from the 

 noise of explo- 

 sions and burst- 

 ing shells. Wher- 

 ever there is a 

 special demand 

 for any article 

 there are always 

 special elTorts to 

 improve on the 

 existing models so 

 that a person may 

 take his choice of 

 almost any 

 number of kinds. The type which has 

 been adopted recently by the British 

 Admiralty for use in the Xav},- is shown 

 in the photograph at the bottom of the 

 page. The neat little box holds a pair of 

 shock-absorbers and fits into the vest 

 pocket as easily as a pill-box. The 

 principle involved is the same as in the 

 first illustration. There are two sound- 

 stops, one in front and the other in back 

 of a sensitive diaphragm. These effec- 

 tually prevent any violent shock from 

 passing on to the inner ear. The stops 

 and the diaphragm are held in place 

 by washers. The device can neither 

 go in too far nor drop out of the cars 

 accidentally. 



It has been found that soldiers 

 using these ear-protectors are 

 stronger physicalh" and less inclined 

 to suffer from digestive disorders on 

 account of the better condition of 

 the nervous system. Residents of 

 rural districts visiting in one of our 

 modern cities, and e\-en the long- 

 suffering city-dweller accustomed to 

 the noise might also value the 



The device is a guard, not a stopper, 

 and does not interfere with the cir- 

 culation of air in the canal of the ear 



shock-absorbers. 



