128 DISEASES CLASS I. 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 thefe fevers may arife from the compreffion of the efFufed llukl ; 

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

 ninges of the brain being thickened by inflammation, and thus 

 compreliing it ; now the new veflels, or the blood, which thick- 

 ens inflamed parrs^ is more frequently re-abforbed, than the ef- 

 fufed fluid from a cavity ; and hence the ftupor in one cafe is 

 lefs dangerous than in the other. 



In inflammatory or fenfitive fevers with debility, deafnefs may 1 

 fometimes arife from a greater fecretioil and abforption of the 

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

 meatus auditorius, when it is too vifcid, as bile obftrucls the gall- 

 duels. 



M. M. In deafnefs without fever, Dr. Darwin applied a cup- 

 ping-glafs on the ea'r with good effecfl, as defcribed in Phil. 

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

 the ears. Errhines. Eler.ricity. 



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

 ble to give pain ; it has otherwife the property both of diflblvirig 

 the ear-wax, and of Simulating torpid parts into their accuftom- 

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

 of the pained part, as tooth-ach and head-ach. If unredlifiedr 

 ether be dirtilled from the oxyde of manganefe, the oxygen dif-- 

 engaged from the manganefe is afierted to convert the fulphurous 

 into fulphuric acid, which is then not difpofed to rife in diltilla- 

 tion. Journal de Phyfique, April, 1 798. And that this is the 

 great fecret of procuring pure ether, and it will then give no pain 

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



Deafnefs is believed fometimes to arife from obflruclion of the 

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

 ternal ear behind the tympanum ; if this obftruclion be llight, as 

 by infpiffated mucus, it has been propoied to inject the Eufla- 

 chian tubes ; and it is faid, that if the deaf perfon frequently 

 has recourfe to the fimple action of fhutting his mouth and of 

 clofing his noilrils by pinching them together with his finger and 

 thumb, and then forcibly endeavours to prefs the breath through 

 his nofe, that air will pafs into the internal ear through the Eu- 

 ftachian tubes, condenfing that air which exifls behind the tym- 

 panum ; which the patient will himfelf be fenfible of, by a fen- 

 fation of found in his ears. And that this has relieved many. 



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

 r fcab at the bottom of the meatus auditorius, a foliation of 

 corrofive fublimate of mercury, hydfargyrus muriatus, about, one 

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



been 



