128 DISEASES CLASS 1. 2. 5. 6. 



nus, in which a fluid is accumulated in the ventricles of the 

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

 in these fevers ma} 7 arise from the compression of the effused fluid, 

 while the torpor attending putrid fever may depend on the me- 

 ninges of the brain being thickened by inflammation, and thus 

 compressing ii; now the new vessels, or the blood, which thickens 

 inflamed parts, is more frequently reabsorbed, than the effused 

 fluid from a cavity; and hence the stupor in one case is less dan- 

 gerous than in the other. 



In inflammatory or sensitive fevers with debility, deafness may 

 sometimes arise from a greater secretion and absorption of the 

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

 meatus auditorius, when it is too viscid, as bile obstructs the 

 gall-ducts. 



M. M. In deafness without fever, Dr. Darwin applied a cup* 

 ping-glass on the ear with good effect, as described in Phil. 

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

 the ears. Errhines. Electricity. 



If ether when dropped into the ears be not very pure, it is liable 

 to give pain; it has otherwise the property both of dissolving the 

 ear-wax, and of stimulating torpid parts into their accustomed 

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

 the pained part, as tooth-ach and head-ach. If unrectified ether 

 be distilled from the oxyde of manganese, the oxygen disengaged 

 from the manganese is asserted to convert the sulphurous into 

 sulphuric acid, which is then not disposed to rise in distillation. 

 Journal de Physique, April, 1798. And that this is the great 

 secret of procuring pure ether, and it will then give no pain on 

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



Deafness is believed sometimes to arise from obstruction of the 

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

 ternal ear behind the tympanum; if this obstruction be slight, as 

 by inspissated mucus, it has been proposed to inject the Eusta- 

 chian tubes; and it is said, that if the deaf person frequently 

 has recourse to the simple action of shutting his mouth and of 

 closing his nostrils by pinching them together with his finger and 

 thumb, and then forcibly endeavours to press the breath through 

 his nose, that air will pass into the internal ear through the Eus- 

 tachian tubes, condensing that air which exists behind the tym- 

 panum; which the patient will himself be sensible of, by a sen- 

 sation of sound in his ears. And that this has relieved many. 



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

 or scab at the bottom of the meatus auditorius, a solution of 

 corrosive sublimate of mercury, hydrargyrus muriatus, about one 

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



